VISUAL QUALITY TECHNICAL REPORT 

Brightline West Cajon Pass High-Speed Rail Project 

October 2022 

Prepared for 

Federal Railroad Administration 

Prepared by 

HNTB Corporation 
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BRIGHTLINE WEST CAJON PASS HIGH-SPEED RAIL 

Contents 

Abbreviations and Acronyms ........................................................................................................ v 

1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 

2. Project Description.................................................................................................................. 3 

2.1. Background.................................................................................................................... 3 

2.2. Project Area ................................................................................................................... 3 

2.3. Purpose of and Need for the Project ............................................................................. 7 

2.3.1. Purpose ................................................................................................................. 7 

2.3.2. Need...................................................................................................................... 7 

2.4. Project Elements.......................................................................................................... 11 

2.4.1. Build Alternative.................................................................................................. 11 

2.4.2. Section 1 – High Desert ....................................................................................... 11 

2.4.3. Section 2 – Cajon Pass ......................................................................................... 13 

2.4.4. Section 3 – Greater Los Angeles .......................................................................... 13 

2.5. Construction ................................................................................................................ 14 

3. Methodology......................................................................................................................... 17 

3.1. Relevant Regulations, Plans, and Policies .................................................................... 17 

3.2. Study Area ................................................................................................................... 17 

3.3. Methods Used ............................................................................................................. 18 

4. Affected Environment ........................................................................................................... 21 

4.1. Section 1, High Desert.................................................................................................. 23 

4.1.1. Key Observation Point 1, Victor Valley ................................................................ 24 

4.1.2. Key Observation Point 2, Victorville .................................................................... 25 

4.2. Section 2, Cajon Pass ................................................................................................... 26 

4.2.1. Key Observation Point 3, Hesperia ...................................................................... 27 

4.2.2. Key Observation Point 4, Cajon Pass ................................................................... 28 

4.2.3. Key Observation Point 5, Cajon Pass ................................................................... 29 

4.2.4. Key Observation Point 6, Cajon Pass ................................................................... 30 

4.2.5. Key Observation Point 7, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest ................ 31 

4.2.6. Key Observation Point 8, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest ................ 32 

4.2.7. Key Observation Point 9, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest ................ 33 

4.2.8. Key Observation Point 10, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest .............. 34 

4.2.9. Key Observation Point 11, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest .............. 35 

4.2.10. Key Observation Point 12, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest .............. 36 

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4.2.11. Key Observation Point 13, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest .............. 37 

4.2.12. Key Observation Point 14, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest .............. 38 

4.3. Section 3, Greater Los Angeles .................................................................................... 39 

4.3.1. Key Observation Point 15, Rancho Cucamonga ................................................... 40 

4.3.2. Key Observation Point 16, Rancho Cucamonga/Metrolink Station ..................... 41 

4.3.3. Key Observation Point 17, Rancho Cucamonga/Metrolink Station ..................... 42 

5. Environmental Consequences and Mitigation....................................................................... 43 

5.1. Build Alternative .......................................................................................................... 43 

5.1.1. Construction Effects ............................................................................................ 43 

5.1.2. Operation Effects................................................................................................. 43 

5.1.3. Cumulative Effects............................................................................................... 71 

5.2. No Build Alternative..................................................................................................... 72 

5.3. Avoidance, Minimization, and Mitigation Measures ................................................... 72 

5.3.1. Temporary Construction...................................................................................... 72 

5.3.2. Operation ............................................................................................................ 72 

6. References ............................................................................................................................ 75 

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Figures 

Figure 1. Project Area and Vicinity Map ....................................................................................................... 5 

Figure 2. Locations of Key Observation Points ...........................................................................................22 

Figure 3. Key Observation Point 1, Victor Valley ........................................................................................24 

Figure 4. Key Observation Point 2, Victorville.............................................................................................25 

Figure 5. Key Observation Point 3, Hesperia ..............................................................................................27 

Figure 6. Key Observation Point 4, Cajon Pass............................................................................................28 

Figure 7. Key Observation Point 5, Cajon Pass............................................................................................29 

Figure 8. Key Observation Point 6, Cajon Pass............................................................................................30 

Figure 9. Key Observation Point 7, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest .......................................31 

Figure 10. Key Observation Point 8, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest .....................................32 

Figure 11. Key Observation Point 9, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest .....................................33 

Figure 12. Key Observation Point 10, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest ...................................34 

Figure 13. Key Observation Point 11, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest ...................................35 

Figure 14. Key Observation Point 12, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest ...................................36 

Figure 15. Key Observation Point 13, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest ...................................37 

Figure 16. Key Observation Point 14, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest ...................................38 

Figure 17. Key Observation Point 15, Rancho Cucamonga.........................................................................40 

Figure 18. Key Observation Point 16, Rancho Cucamonga/Metrolink Station...........................................41 

Figure 19. Key Observation Point 17, Rancho Cucamonga/Metrolink Station...........................................42 

Figure 20. Key Observation Point 1, Victor Valley ......................................................................................44 

Figure 21. Key Observation Point 2, Victorville ..........................................................................................45 

Figure 22. Key Observation Point 3, Hesperia ............................................................................................47 

Figure 23. Key Observation Point 4, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest .....................................48 

Figure 24. Key Observation Point 5, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest .....................................50 

Figure 25. Key Observation Point 6, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest .....................................51 

Figure 26. Key Observation Point 7, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest .....................................53 

Figure 27. Key Observation Point 8, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest .....................................54 

Figure 28. Key Observation Point 9, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest .....................................56 

Figure 29. Key Observation Point 10, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest ...................................57 

Figure 30. Key Observation Point 11, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest ...................................59 

Figure 31. Key Observation Point 12, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest ...................................60 

Figure 32. Key Observation Point 13, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest ...................................62 

Figure 33. Key Observation Point 14, Cajon Pass, San Bernardino National Forest ...................................63 

Figure 34. Key Observation Point 15, Rancho Cucamonga.........................................................................65 

Figure 35. Key Observation Point 16, Rancho Cucamonga/Metrolink Station...........................................67 

Figure 36. Key Observation Point 17, Rancho Cucamonga/Metrolink Station...........................................68 

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Tables 

Table 1. Summary of Visual Quality Effects at Key Observation Points......................................................70 

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Abbreviations and Acronyms 

ARRIVE Advanced Regional Rail Integrated Vision – East 

AT&SF Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway 

BLM Bureau of Land Management 

BMP best management practice 

Caltrans California Department of Transportation 

CHP California Highway Patrol 

EIR Final Environmental Impact Report 

FHWA Federal Highway Administration 

FRA Federal Railroad Administration 

GHG greenhouse gas 

HOV high-occupancy vehicle 

HSR high-speed rail 

I- Interstate 

KOP key observation point 

LOS level of service 

MOU memorandum of understanding 

mph miles per hour 

Project Cajon Pass High-Speed Rail Project 

SBCTA San Bernardino County Transportation Authority 

SCAG Southern California Association of Governments 

SCE Southern California Edison 

SR State Route 

US 395 United States Highway 395 

U.S.C. United States Code 

USDOT United States Department of Transportation 

VMT vehicle miles traveled 

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1. Introduction 

DesertXpress Enterprises, LLC (dba “Brightline West”) proposes to construct and operate the 

Cajon Pass High-Speed Rail Project (Project), a 49-mile train system reaching a top speed of 

approximately 140 miles per hour (mph) between Victor Valley and Rancho Cucamonga, 

California. The Project includes two railway stations—one in Hesperia, and one in Rancho 

Cucamonga. The station in Victor Valley would be constructed as part of a separate project that 

was evaluated in the DesertXpress Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS; FRA 2011). 

The Project would be powered by overhead electric catenary within the I-15 right-of-way for 

48 miles and on existing transportation corridors for the last mile into the proposed Rancho 

Cucamonga station. The Project would require construction of one new substation in the 

Hesperia area. The maintenance facility that was evaluated for the Brightline West Victor Valley 

to Las Vegas High-Speed Passenger Rail Project would provide the primary maintenance 

functions, although layover tracks are anticipated at the Rancho Cucamonga station, which 

could include light maintenance capability, such as interior cleaning and daily inspection (FRA 

2020). 

Trains are expected to operate daily on 45-minute headways between Victor Valley and Rancho 

Cucamonga. The trip between Victor Valley and Rancho Cucamonga would be approximately 

35 minutes. Service would be coordinated with existing and planned Metrolink service at the 

Rancho Cucamonga station to provide a convenient connection between the high-speed rail 

(HSR) and commuter rail systems. 

The Project would be constructed and operated under a lease agreement with the California 

Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for the use of the I-15 right-of-way and the station at 

Hesperia. Brightline West would secure additional agreements for Right-of-Way Use, Design & 

Construction Oversight and Reimbursement, and Operations & Maintenance, as necessary. For 

the last mile of the Project, from I-15 to the Rancho Cucamonga station, there will be 

agreements with the City of Rancho Cucamonga and the San Bernardino County Transportation 

Authority (SBCTA) for land rights, construction, and operations and maintenance. 

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2. Project Description 

2.1. Background 

Early project coordination for HSR service from Victor Valley to Rancho Cucamonga began in 

2020, with Brightline West meeting with the SBCTA to examine a connection between Victor 

Valley and Rancho Cucamonga. This meeting resulted in a memorandum of understanding 

(MOU) that was fully executed in July 2020 between Brightline West and SBCTA to study the 

potential of building HSR within the I-15 right-of-way between Victor Valley and Rancho 

Cucamonga. A separate MOU was executed in September 2020 between Brightline West and 

the Southern California Regional Rail Authority, which operates Metrolink, for connection to 

the existing Metrolink station in Rancho Cucamonga. Additionally, the California State 

Transportation Agency (CalSTA), Caltrans, the California High-Speed Rail Authority, and 

Brightline West have executed an MOU regarding the Project. The MOU reflects both the 

regional and statewide interest and value in the Project, including interconnectivity 

opportunities, and outlines how the parties will work together to advance their shared interest 

in the success of the Project. 

2.2. Project Area 

The Project would construct and operate the Cajon Pass High-Speed Rail Project, a 49-mile train 

system capable of speeds up to 180 mph between Victor Valley, California, and Rancho 

Cucamonga, California. The Project includes two railway stations—one in Hesperia, and one in 

Rancho Cucamonga, and will connect to another Brightline West station in Victor Valley 

(constructed as part of a separate project). The Project would consist of a rail alignment located 

in the median of the I-15 freeway between Victor Valley and Rancho Cucamonga except for the 

last mile approaching the proposed Rancho Cucamonga station. The project area is depicted in 

Figure 1. 

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Figure 1. Project Area and Vicinity Map 

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2.3. Purpose of and Need for the Project 

2.3.1. Purpose 

The purpose of the Project is to provide reliable and safe passenger rail transportation between 

the Los Angeles metropolitan region and the High Desert of San Bernardino County. The Project 

would provide a convenient, efficient, and environmentally sustainable alternative to 

automobile travel on the highly congested I-15 freeway. The Project would add capacity to the 

overall transportation system by introducing a new HSR service from Victor Valley to Rancho 

Cucamonga. The Project would reduce travel time, improve reliability, and increase the mobility 

options for travel between metropolitan regions. Travel time from Victor Valley to Rancho 

Cucamonga for Project users would be approximately 30 percent faster during normal 

conditions and at least twice as fast during congestion peak periods. The Project would reduce 

automobile vehicle miles traveled (VMT), resulting in a corresponding reduction in greenhouse 

gas emissions (GHG) and air quality emissions. 

2.3.1.1. Multi-Modal Use of the I-15 Corridor 

Operation of the Project would significantly increase the capacity of I-15 as a multi-modal 

corridor in Southern California. The increase in capacity would benefit freeway operations by 

providing an alternative to automobile travel that would reduce travel time. This shift of people 

from automobile to train travel along the I-15 corridor would reduce the need for programmed 

and/or planned freeway improvement and widening projects. 

2.3.2. Need 

The Project is needed to address transportation capacity deficiencies, major points of 

congestion, limited travel mode choices, safety deficiencies, and reduce GHG emissions. 

Travel demand analysis completed on behalf of the Project in 2020 forecasts 49.1 million oneway trips between Southern California and Las Vegas in 2025, with approximately 85 percent of 

travelers making the trip by automobile. Most of these trips use the Cajon Pass segment of the 

I-15, which is capacity-constrained. Further, the freeway system leading into the I-15 from 

points west, east, and south, including I-10, State Route (SR) 210, I-215, and SR 60, have similar 

delays and capacity constraints. The Project would address this demand by providing a 

transportation alternative to automobile travel, and it would allow access to the Brightline 

West service from the Greater Los Angeles and the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario 

Metropolitan areas, as well as points beyond, with a connection to the Metrolink system in 

Rancho Cucamonga. 

The Project would also support federal and state policies focused on climate change and the 

need to reduce VMT and associated GHG emissions. 

2.3.2.1. Capacity Constraints 

I-15 through the Cajon Pass is one of the most congested segments of I-15, with no alternative 

routes that provide comparable direct road travel capability because of the mountainous 

topography. Through the Cajon Pass, I-15 supports daily workforce commuters, recreational 

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travel, and regional and interstate freight and goods movement. According to the traffic study 

prepared for the I-15 Corridor Project Initial Study/Environmental Assessment (Caltrans and 

SBCTA 2018), unreliability in travel time along segments of I-15 and surrounding roadways is 

caused by roadway capacity constraints, frequent accidents, and various factors that cause 

unanticipated congestion. Travelers using the Project would no longer need to drive through 

the most congested parts of the corridor in the Cajon Pass for interstate or commuter trips, 

thereby avoiding idling and inefficient stop-and-go traffic conditions. 

By 2045, travel speeds are expected to decrease on all but one segment of I-15 between the 

San Bernardino Valley and Apple Valley in the AM peak period, and travel speeds on most 

segments would also decrease—some by more than 10 mph—in the PM peak period (SCAG 

2020a). Based on the Project Report for the I-15 Corridor Study (addition of express lanes), 

traffic volumes on I-15 between I-10 and SR 210 are expected to increase in the range of 31 to 

38 percent from 2014 to 2045. The Project Report states the existing level of service (LOS) is 

acceptable in most locations but that there are bottlenecks in each direction of travel that 

degrade traffic operation, especially between Baseline Road and SR 210. Because the express 

lane project is increasing capacity by adding express lanes, the traffic volumes are projected to 

increase by an additional 27 percent. The Project Report further mentions that, although the 

express lane project would improve conditions in the general purpose lanes in many segments, 

it would cause the segment between the I-10 and Fourth Street to worsen in the PM peak hour 

(both directions). In the AM peak hour, the segment between Arrow Route and Fourth Street 

would worsen in the southbound direction. The segment between Baseline Road and SR 210 

would continue to operate at over capacity conditions in all scenarios. 

The Southern California Association of Governments’ (SCAG) Connect SoCal Goods Movement 

Technical Report identifies I-15 as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT)

Primary Highway Freight Network and among the network segments that carry the highest 

volumes of truck traffic in the region. It also identifies the entirety of the Cajon Pass as a truck 

bottleneck, with over 15,000 annual vehicle hours of delay (SCAG 2020b). 

As documented above, given the attractiveness of the origins and destinations, the 

transportation capacity constraints on I-15 as described in current and predicted average daily 

traffic and LOS limit reasonable highway access between Rancho Cucamonga, Hesperia, and 

Victor Valley. 

2.3.2.2. Travel Demand 

The anticipated substantial increases in population, housing, and employment in San 

Bernardino County will result in greater demand for transportation facilities and services, 

including increased travel demand that will result in congestion on roadways if capacity does 

not keep up with the demand. The proposed Hesperia station would provide convenient 

connections between High Desert communities and the more urbanized San Bernardino Valley 

and Metropolitan Los Angeles. The High Desert provides lower-cost housing options for 

Southern California residents, while the Rancho Cucamonga/Ontario area around Ontario 

International Airport has become a significant employment center. 

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SCAG forecasts, in its 2020-2045 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities 

Strategy (RTP/SCS), that the population of San Bernardino County will grow to 2,815,000 by 

2045, a 29 percent increase from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 population estimate of 

2,180,085, and that the number of households will grow to 875,000, a 39 percent increase over 

the 2018 household estimate of 630,633 (SCAG 2020a; U.S. Census Bureau 2020). Additionally, 

the 2020-2045 RTP/SCS forecasts employment in San Bernardino County will increase to 

1,064,000 by 2045, a 72 percent increase from the U.S. Census Bureau’s estimate of 617,828 in 

2018. 

While the proposed Victor Valley station site would be located at the convergence of the 

highways en route to Las Vegas for Southern California travelers, the Rancho Cucamonga 

station would be closer to major population centers in Southern California. Compared to the 

Victor Valley station, the proposed HSR station in Rancho Cucamonga, located about 45 miles 

east of downtown Los Angeles, would provide more direct access to the densely populated 

centers in Southern California for both drivers and Metrolink riders; 87 percent of the potential 

market for trips between Las Vegas and Southern California (equivalent to 42.7 million of the 

one-way, in-scope trips in 2025) live within 75 miles of the location of the proposed Rancho 

Cucamonga station. 

The proposed station in Rancho Cucamonga, with a Metrolink connection to Los Angeles, would 

further meet the forecasted demand of the 49.1 million one-way trips between Las Vegas and 

Southern California estimated in 2025. Similarly, the proposed Hesperia station would be at the 

convergence of U.S. Highway 395 (US 395) and I-15, so it would serve commuters to Greater 

Los Angeles from the major corridors in Victor Valley. 

The Project would also support SCAG’s Connect SoCal Passenger Rail Technical Report, which 

identifies closing connectivity gaps as a major strategy to increase mobility and improve 

sustainability (SCAG 2020c). The Project would facilitate transit connections and would allow 

residents of the Greater Los Angeles and the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario Metropolitan 

areas to travel exclusively by mass transit and passenger rail to and from the High Desert of San 

Bernardino. Southern California residents could take the Los Angeles Metro rail, regional bus 

systems, Amtrak, or Metrolink to Los Angeles Union Station to connect via the Metrolink San 

Bernardino Line to the Rancho Cucamonga station. Residents could also take the planned West 

Valley Connector Bus Rapid Transit service that will operate between the Pomona station on 

the Metrolink Riverside Line in eastern Los Angeles County and the Rancho Cucamonga station. 

Additionally, SBCTA and SCAG’s 2015 Advanced Regional Rail Integrated Vision – East (ARRIVE 

Corridor) plan proposes strategies for transitioning the Metrolink San Bernardino Line, which 

would serve the Rancho Cucamonga station, from a traditional commuter rail line to one that 

promotes transit-oriented development. Improvements to Metrolink, its transit connections, 

and additional development of the station areas with transit-supportive uses at greater 

densities and intensities will encourage the formation of areas that are walkable and that 

provide mobility options in the region. The Project would further the goals of the ARRIVE 

Corridor plan by increasing the activity centers that can be accessed by Southern California’s 

rail network. The Metrolink Southern California Optimized Rail Expansion (SCORE) program also 

includes capital improvements within the Metrolink corridor that would improve service to 

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Rancho Cucamonga, including the Marengo Siding Extension, El Monte Siding Extension/Tyler 

and Cogswell Grade Crossing Improvements, Rancho Siding Extension, and Lone Hill to White 

Double Track. 

In 2010, the San Bernardino Associated Governments (the predecessor agency to SBCTA) 

completed the Victor Valley Long Distance Commuter Needs Assessment, which identified a 

phased set of commuter improvement projects. Those projects ranged from expanded park and 

ride facilities to an express bus service linking the Victor Valley area of the High Desert to the 

Rancho Cucamonga Metrolink station. The Joshua Street Park & Ride is next to the Project’s 

proposed station in Hesperia. Such commuter-focused planned improvements highlight the 

need for travel options that reduce the number of single occupancy automobiles on I-15 in San 

Bernardino County, particularly through the Cajon Pass. 

FHWA’s Southern California Regional Freight Study (FHWA 2020) identifies I-15 as a major 

interstate highway corridor that provides access to the interior of the United States for goods 

arriving at the ports of the Los Angeles region and ranks it among the highest truck volume 

corridors in the western United States. Caltrans’ 2015 Interregional Transportation Strategic 

Plan identifies I-15 as a high priority corridor, among six nationally identified “Corridors of the 

Future,” and a “vital link between Mexico, Southern California, and locations to the north and 

east of the region.” I-15 also connects Southern California and the southwestern United States 

to the San Joaquin Valley’s agricultural goods via SR 58. By providing passenger rail capacity in 

the corridor, the Project would help maintain freeway capacity for truck freight use by 

removing passenger vehicles from the roadway network. 

2.3.2.3. Safety 

Alternatives to automobile travel would provide improved safety conditions on the I-15 corridor 

with diversion of vehicle trips to HSR. On a national level, comparing miles traveled via 

commercial aircraft, train, and automobiles on highways, auto travel on highways has by far the 

highest rate of passenger fatalities per mile traveled. In 2019, the average rate of passenger 

fatalities from highway travel was more than 75 times the comparable rate for travel by air and 

34 times the comparable rate by rail. For 2016, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ National 

Transportation Statistics (BTS 2018) reported a rate of passenger fatalities per 100 million 

passenger miles traveled by highway nearly 10 times greater than the rates for travel by air or 

rail. HSR is one of the safest forms of travel. 

The California Office of Traffic Safety ranks San Bernardino County 16th-worst out of 

58 counties for total fatal and injury crashes in 2018 (the most recent year of data available) 

(California OTS 2022). According to the University of California, Berkeley, and SafeTREC’s

Transportation Injury Mapping System, there were 819 collisions with one or more deaths or 

injuries along I-15 in San Bernardino County in 2019 (UC Berkeley and SafeTREC 2020). Of 

these, nearly one-quarter (199) occurred in the 12 miles of the Cajon Pass, although the Cajon 

Pass accounts for only 6.5 percent of the length of I-15 in the county. 

A study by the I-15 Mobility Alliance found that the segment of I-15 from I-215 in San 

Bernardino to I-40 in Barstow had a fatality rate 0.009 per million VMT, well above the 

alliance’s performance goal of 0.003 fatality per million. Segments immediately north of that 

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segment were even more deadly (I-15 Mobility Alliance 2017). By connecting Victor Valley to 

Rancho Cucamonga, the Project would allow more travelers to stay off the most dangerous 

segments of I-15. 

2.4. Project Elements 

2.4.1. Build Alternative 

The Build Alternative (i.e., the Project) consists of a proposed HSR passenger railway with 

associated infrastructure, including two proposed passenger stations. Nearly all of the Project 

would be built within the I-15 right-of-way. Near the proposed southern terminus in Rancho 

Cucamonga, approximately 1 mile of the rail alignment would be in city street, railroad, or 

utility rights-of-way. 

The proposed rail alignment would be located within the median of the I-15 freeway between 

Victor Valley and Rancho Cucamonga except at the approach to the proposed Rancho 

Cucamonga station. The rail alignment would be predominately at grade (the same elevation as 

the existing freeway), with select segments of the alignment on aerial structures or in a trench 

to allow for grade separations (including four BNSF and three Union Pacific railroad crossings) 

and to provide a safe incline for train operation. The rail alignment would be predominantly 

single-track, with limited double-track segments in Victor Valley (2.6 miles, including 0.9 mile 

constructed as part of the DesertXpress High-Speed Passenger Train Project), Hesperia 

(5.5 miles), and Rancho Cucamonga (2 miles). This would allow for 45-minute headways 

between Victor Valley and Rancho Cucamonga and, with additional infrastructure, 22.5-minute 

headways after year 11. These headways, along with the ability to couple trains (double 

passenger capacity), would address projected ridership needs for the foreseeable future. 

For analytical purposes, the Build Alternative is described in three sections. Sections were 

developed to reflect similarly-developed areas with similar environmental sensitivity and are 

shown on Figure 1. The sections include: 

• Section 1: High Desert – from the Victor Valley station, continuing south along I-15, to 

the I-15/Oak Hill Road interchange in Hesperia 

• Section 2: Cajon Pass – from the I-15/Oak Hill Road interchange, continuing south along 

I-15, through the Cajon Pass, to the I-15/Kenwood Avenue interchange 

• Section 3: Greater Los Angeles – from the I-15/Kenwood Avenue interchange in San 

Bernardino, continuing south along I-15, through the existing Metrolink station in 

Rancho Cucamonga to Haven Avenue 

2.4.2. Section 1 – High Desert 

The proposed rail alignment would connect to the DesertXpress High Speed Train alignment 

approximately 1 mile south of the Victor Valley station in Apple Valley. The Victor Valley station 

was proposed by the DesertXpress High Speed Train Project (DesertXpress Project), which was 

approved in 2011 and later modified and approved again by the NEPA reevaluation (FRA 2020). 

From the connection point, the alignment would continue south within the I-15 median. The 

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rail alignment throughout Section 1 would be predominantly single-track; however, the rail 

alignment would be double-track north of Stoddard Wells Road to the northern terminus of the 

alignment as it approaches the train platforms of the Victor Valley station. The Project would 

include a new structure over the existing CEMEX railroad bridge. Depending on the outcome of 

future coordination with CEMEX, the existing railroad bridge may be reconstructed as part of 

the DesertXpress project, in which case the alignment would run at grade in the I-15 median 

under the railroad bridge. 

Brightline West would build a new I-15 southbound on-ramp and bridge at South Stoddard 

Wells Road to replace similar existing facilities farther south. This, in turn, would require 

modifications of I-15 up to and including the Mojave River crossing. 

At the Mojave River, a new rail bridge would be constructed within the I-15 median. The 

existing I-15 bridge would be widened to accommodate the rail line. The alignment would then 

continue at grade in the I-15 median with minor roadway widenings for the remainder of 

Section 1. This portion of the alignment would interface with the following interchanges: 

Stoddard Wells Road North, Stoddard Wells Road South, D Street/E Street, Mojave Drive, Roy 

Rogers Drive/Hook Road, Palmdale Road, La Mesa Road/Nisqualli Road, Bear Valley Road, Main 

Street/Phelan Road, Joshua Street, US 395, Ranchero Road, and Oak Hill Road. 

A new substation would be constructed to support the Project along I-15, between Mesa Street 

and Mojave Street. The area is currently largely undeveloped, other than existing overhead 

power lines and utility access. 

Hesperia Station 

Section 1 includes a new passenger station in Hesperia, at the I-15/Joshua Street interchange. 

This station would serve daily travelers between the High Desert of San Bernardino County and 

the Los Angeles Basin. This would be a limited service for select southbound AM and 

northbound PM weekday on selected Brightline West train coaches. The northbound on-ramp 

to Joshua Street would be realigned closer to the freeway, and station parking would be on the 

north side of Joshua Street. Parking would be accessed at the location of the existing 

northbound ramp intersection. To accommodate the rail alignment, the existing US 395 

northbound connector and the existing Joshua Street bridge would be replaced. The Joshua 

Street bridge would be reconstructed at a higher elevation, requiring raising of the I-15 ramps 

and Mariposa Road. The passenger platform would be located within the I-15 median, with 

direct access from the reconstructed Joshua Street bridge. This in-line station would be located 

at the southern end of the double-track segment in Hesperia. The project design includes 

adequate parking areas to accommodate parking demand. 

Design Elements 

Section 1 of the Project includes the following design elements. 

• Reconstructions/Interchange Modifications: Widening portions of the I-15 freeway and 

modifications to interchanges at Stoddard Wells Road southbound on- and off-ramp, 

D Street/E Street, Mojave Drive, Roy Rogers Drive/Hook Road, Palmdale Road, La Mesa 

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Road/Nisqualli Road, Bear Valley Road, Main Street/Phelan Road, US 395, Ranchero 

Road, Oak Hill Road, and Joshua Street 

• New Substation: Construction of a new substation along I-15 between Mesa Street and 

Mojave Street 

• Station Area: Hesperia station platform, station access/infrastructure, surface parking 

lot accommodating approximately 360 vehicles, bus pick up/drop off areas, Kiss and 

Ride 

2.4.3. Section 2 – Cajon Pass 

Beginning at the I-15/Oak Hill Road interchange and traveling south, the alignment would run 

on the west side of the I-15 northbound lanes at grade and within the existing I-15 right-of-way. 

In this area, the I-15 runs through the San Bernardino National Forest for approximately 

12 miles. The rail alignment throughout Section 2 would be entirely single-track. The Project 

would require relocation of California Highway Patrol (CHP) emergency crossovers where the 

new guideway would block existing crossovers. Four new crossovers would be placed to take 

advantage of existing CHP access between the separated I-15 alignments in the following 

locations: 

• West of Forestry Road crossing the northbound lanes 

• Approximately 1.25 miles in the southbound direction along I-15 from the crossover 

near Forestry Road, across the northbound lanes 

• West of the Baldy Mesa (Trestles) OHV Staging Area, across the northbound lanes 

• West of Perdew Canyon and approximately 1.25 miles north of Mathews Ranch Road, 

across both the north and southbound lanes 

The alignment would remain at grade throughout Section 2. 

Where I-15 northbound and southbound lanes reconnect at the foot of the Cajon Pass, the rail 

alignment would be within the I-15 median. This would require widening portions of the I-15 

freeway and minor realignment of ramps at the I-15/SR 138 interchange. 

Design Elements 

Section 2 of the Project includes the following design elements. 

• Bridges/Viaducts: None 

• Reconstructions/Interchange Modifications: Widening portions of the I-15 freeway 

including several miles of retained fill, and realignment of ramps at the I-15/ SR 138 

interchange 

• Other Facilities: CHP emergency crossovers 

2.4.4. Section 3 – Greater Los Angeles 

Beginning at the Kenwood Avenue interchange, the proposed rail alignment would continue at 

grade in the I-15 median. At the I-15/I-215 interchange, the alignment would continue between 

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the divided I-15 freeway at the same elevation as the freeway including the Devore interchange 

viaduct, curving to the southwest parallel to freeway. The rail alignment would require I-15 

freeway and interchange ramp modifications at Baseline Avenue, SR 210, Beech Avenue, 

Duncan Canyon Road, Sierra Avenue, and Glen Helen Parkway . 

The rail alignment would transition to an aerial alignment and elevate over the I-15 southbound 

lanes south of Church Street and cross at Foothill Boulevard. It would continue along the west 

side of the I-15 freeway on an elevated alignment to enter the San Gabriel Subdivision and 

Eighth Street corridor. The alignment would transition onto an aerial structure and would turn 

west, running parallel to and partially within the existing rail corridor and partially within the 

Eighth Street right-of-way before entering the existing Rancho Cucamonga Metrolink station 

area on an elevated structure. The rail alignment would maintain a single-track configuration 

prior to the existing the freeway median south of Church Street, where it would transition to a 

double-track configuration for the remaining distance to the Rancho Cucamonga station. At the 

Rancho Cucamonga station, an elevated station with a center platform and tracks on either side 

would be constructed parallel to and above the existing eastbound Metrolink platform, 

extending over Milliken Avenue. A new parking structure is proposed at Rancho Cucamonga 

station and would replace existing surface parking to accommodate increased parking demand. 

The project design includes adequate parking areas to accommodate parking demand in the 

opening year. 

Design Elements 

Section 3 of the Project includes the following design elements. 

• Bridges/Viaducts: Viaduct of approximately 3.5 miles to cross I-15 southbound lanes and 

along existing rail corridor near Rancho Cucamonga station 

• Reconstructions/Interchange Modifications: I-15 freeway and interchange ramp 

modifications at SR 210, Beach Avenue, Duncan Canyon Road, and Glen Helen Parkway 

• Station: Dedicated Brightline West station adjacent to the existing Rancho Cucamonga 

Metrolink station, with vertical circulation down to the platform, shared access with 

existing Metrolink station, a shared parking structure for vehicles, and a bus plaza 

2.5. Construction 

In general, construction activities would consist of clearing, grading, excavation, placing fill, 

stockpiling materials, constructing bridges and walls, installing drainage, installing sub-ballast 

and subgrade, placing and anchoring railroad ties, placing ballast material and tamping ballast, 

constructing stations and substations, mobilization, and demobilization. Construction 

equipment would likely include dump trucks, excavators, loaders, cranes, water trucks, 

backhoes, scrapers, rollers, ballast tampers, concrete trucks, and drill rigs. 

For new and reconstructed overpasses and bridges, construction activities would include 

clearing, grubbing, demolition of existing structures, excavation and drilling for foundations, 

concrete pouring, formwork and rebar placement for foundations, falsework installation, 

construction of bridge decking, placement of ballast and ties, mobilization, and demobilization. 

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Most construction activities would occur on Caltrans right-of-way. Some, for the rail stations 

and power substations, would occur on public property owned by the City of Rancho 

Cucamonga, SBCTA, or State of California. Temporary construction areas are properties that 

would be temporarily utilized for construction staging and storage. The Project would require 

temporary construction areas along the alignment between Victor Valley and Rancho 

Cucamonga. The area of construction throughout the alignment would be long and narrow, 

hewing closely to the alignment centerline. Localized exceptions would occur for construction 

of the paralleling substation, which would be located along the southeastern side of Mariposa 

Road between Mesa Street and Mojave Street at the Southern California Edison (SCE) Boulder 

Dam–San Bernardino transmission lines and for the proposed Hesperia and Rancho Cucamonga 

stations with their parking and adjacent facilities. 

“Temporary works” for construction would include laydown/staging areas, i.e., illuminated, 

enclosed, secured, stabilized, graded yards that would serve as a base for construction 

operations for a particular part of the Project. The footprints of staging areas would vary 

according to the space available, but they would provide sufficient space for unloading, storage, 

sorting, and distribution of concrete and other building materials, equipment, and large 

components required for a particular construction segment or structure. Each staging area 

would typically include a superintendent’s office, portable toilets, employee vehicle surface

parking, space for truck loading and unloading, and heavy equipment storage. At construction 

areas for bridges, the staging areas would have storage space for steel and timber falsework 

used in supporting overhead concrete construction. 

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3. Methodology 

3.1. Relevant Regulations, Plans, and Policies 

Consideration of potential impacts on the existing visual environment is informed by federal, 

Federally Recognized Tribes’, state, and local rules and policies. The rules and policies focus on 

preserving visual quality, minimizing conflicts, improving aesthetic character, and mitigating 

adverse effects. Some federal regulations and policies that affect the Project are listed below. 

• Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act of 1966 (23 U.S.C. 138 and 

49 U.S.C. 303). The act became law on October 15, 1966. It is aimed to preserve the 

natural beauty of the countryside, public park and recreation lands, wildlife and 

waterfowl refuges, and historic sites. 

• FHWA Guidelines for the Visual Impact Assessment for Highway Projects (FHWA 1988, 

2015)1 

• BLM Manual H-8410-1 – Visual Resource Inventory (BLM 1986a) 

3.2. Study Area 

The study area for visual and aesthetic resources is the portion of the viewshed of the Project 

(i.e., Build Alternative) that would be clearly seen by sensitive viewers at publicly accessible 

locations; such viewers include motorists along I-15, motorists on urban streets and frontage 

roads, pedestrians and bicyclists in developed urban areas, and recreational users along trails 

and trailheads. A viewshed is the geographical area from which an object is visible. It can 

include all surrounding points in line of sight with that object, and it excludes points that are 

beyond the horizon or obstructed by terrain and other features such as buildings and 

vegetation. 

The area of analysis for effects related to visual quality and visual resources includes the 

available viewsheds, or the visible environment of the project alignment. It includes views to 

the Stoddard Mountains to the north across the Mojave River, views of the San Bernardino 

Mountains and San Gabriel Mountains to the south, and views into the urban center of Rancho 

Cucamonga. In many locations along the alignment of the Project, views of project components, 

such as guideways, stations, trains, retaining walls, and overhead catenary poles and wires, 

would be partially blocked from sensitive viewers by vegetation, buildings, or terrain. In densely 

developed areas, the viewshed of the Project is frequently between approximately 100 feet and 

500 feet on either side of the project footprint. Where the proposed railway would cross 

waterbodies, the I-15 freeway, or ravines, project components would be clearly seen from 

beyond 500 feet. At those crossings, the study area is extended out to approximately 0.5 mile 

on either side of the Project. The study area encompasses the entire project area, as defined in 

1 Caltrans uses the FHWA guidelines for visual impact assessment. 

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Section 2.2. For analytical purposes, the study area is described in three sections; see 

Section 2.4. 

3.3. Methods Used 

This visual quality assessment compares existing visual characteristics in the study area to the 

expected conditions during and after the Project is built. The methods used incorporate key 

aspects of Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act, and of the visual guidance 

provided by BLM (1984, 1986a, 1986b) and FHWA (1988, 2015). BLM and FHWA classify the 

visual quality and sensitivity of visual landscapes using ratings of low, medium, and high. 

BLM establishes visual management land classifications using ratings of Class I through Class IV, 

as follows: 

• Class I: The objective of this class is to preserve the existing character of the landscape. 

This class provides for natural ecological changes; however, it does not preclude very 

limited management activity. The level of change to the characteristic landscape should 

be very low and must not attract attention. 

• Class II: The objective of this class is to retain the existing character of the landscape. 

The level of change to the characteristic landscape should be low. Management 

activities may be seen but should not attract the attention of the casual observer. Any 

changes must repeat the basic element of form, line, color, and texture found in the 

predominant natural features of the characteristic landscape. 

• Class III: The objective of this class is to partially retain the existing character of the 

landscape. The level of change to the characteristic landscape should be moderate or 

average. Management activities may attract attention but should not dominate the view 

of the casual observer. Changes should repeat the basic elements found in the 

predominant natural features of the characteristic landscape. 

• Class IV: The objective of this class is to provide for management activities that require 

major modifications of the existing character of the landscape. The level of change to 

the characteristic landscape can be high. These management activities may dominate 

the view and be the major focus of viewer attention. However, every attempt should be 

made to minimize the impact of these activities through careful location, minimal 

disturbance, and repeating the basic element. 

The FHWA methodology evaluates changes to the visual character of a view that would be seen 

by sensitive viewers as well as changes to visual quality. 

Outreach to local jurisdictions and agencies was performed to identify KOPs and sensitive 

viewer groups. However, feedback was not received. Therefore, for purposes of this report, the 

following sensitive viewer groups in the study area were considered for this assessment: 

• Alignment neighbors (views toward/of the project alignment and related facilities). This 

group includes residents, pedestrians, recreational area users, and commercial district 

patrons and workers. 

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• Alignment/highway users (views from the project alignment and the I-15 corridor, 

including frontage roads). This group includes motorists, HSR passengers, pedestrians 

and bicyclists. 

Visual character is a non-evaluative description of a viewed landscape. Visual character can 

describe a landscape in terms that many people understand. FHWA assesses visual impacts by 

considering three components of the landscape—its vividness, intactness, and unity. The three 

components that together determine visual quality are as follows: 

• Vividness is the degree of drama, memorability, or distinctiveness of the landscape. 

Vividness is composed of four elements—landform, vegetation, water features, and 

human-made elements—that usually influence the degree of vividness. It refers to the 

visual impression received from contrasting elements as they combine to form a striking 

and distinctive visual pattern. 

• Intactness is a measure of the visual integrity of the natural and human-built landscape 

and its freedom from encroaching elements. Intactness is composed of two primary 

elements—development and encroachment— that influence the degree of intactness. 

• Unity is the degree of visual coherence and compositional harmony of the landscape 

when it is considered as a whole. High unity frequently attests to the careful design of 

individual components and their relationship in the landscape. 

For example, in the study area, views of the distant mountains, which are snowcapped much of 

the time, add to the visual vividness. Intactness is high because of the lack of visually intrusive, 

tall, vertical elements in the landscape, except in commercial areas and urban centers. The 

desert vegetation, soil, and rock colors provide unity and are important elements of the existing 

visual quality. 

Visual impacts of the Project were assessed by combining the severity of visual resource 

changes with the degree to which people are likely to oppose the visual change. In general, 

intrusions into areas of high vividness, intactness, and/or unity would be considered as adverse 

effects, depending on the length of time a particular area is visible, such as passerby users or 

motorist. 

Vividness, intactness, and unity are typically rated numerically and are considered together to 

determine overall visual quality. However, for purposes of this assessment, the scale was 

simplified to three general levels of visual quality: low, average, and high. Descriptions of the 

three simplified visual quality categories are as follows: 

• Low Visual Quality: Areas with low visual quality have some combination of features 

that seem visually out of place, lack visual coherence, do not have compositional 

harmony, and/or might contain unsightly elements that detract from the natural 

landscape. 

• Average Visual Quality: Areas with average visual quality are commonly occurring or 

average-appearing landscapes that have a generally pleasant appearance but might lack 

enough vividness (distinctiveness, memorability, and drama), intactness (the elements 

in the views “fit” with their natural and human-built surroundings), and unity 

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(compositional harmony) to place them in the high visual quality category. Most views 

fall into this category. 

• High Visual Quality: Areas with high visual quality must be outstanding in terms of being 

very memorable, distinctive, unique (in a positive way), and/or intact. They can be 

natural (such as the Mormon Rocks), park-like, or urban, with urban areas displaying 

strong and consistent architectural and urban design features. 

The study area includes the available viewshed, or the visible environment, surrounding the 

Project. As noted above, the visual quality assessment of the Project considers: 1) views from 

the proposed railway and station/maintenance facilities as well as 2) publicly accessible 

viewpoints toward those project elements. The available viewsheds from any given viewpoint 

depend on the surrounding topography and existing level of development. In flat, undeveloped 

areas, the viewshed is typically larger than the available viewshed in a dense urban 

environment with existing buildings or in an area with diverse and substantial changes in 

topography, such as hills and mountains. 

The analysis team selected multiple KOPs, based on BLM and FHWA guidance, for visual 

representation in this report. The KOPs were selected to represent different sections of the 

Project, to capture views from population centers and other areas with high concentrations of 

public views, and to highlight visual changes in known areas of visual sensitivity. The selection 

of KOPs also considered the public accessibility of the viewpoint, angle of observation, number 

of viewers, duration of time the Project is in view, relative bulk and scale of the structures, light 

conditions, and viewer groups that have high potential to be affected by the Project considering 

the viewers’ visibility and sensitivity. To compare views from KOPs before and after the Project 

is built, the team photographed existing views, then prepared visual simulations that depict the 

relative scale and extent of the Project from the available viewshed. The team compared the 

KOP photographs and visual simulations to evaluate the potential changes to color, line, form, 

and texture of the viewshed. Potential visual impacts were determined by assessing changes to 

the visual resources and predicting viewer responses to those changes. 

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4. Affected Environment 

The study area described in Section 3.2 was selected to represent the geographical area from 

which the elements of the Project would be visible. It includes all surrounding points in line of 

sight with project elements and excludes points that are beyond the horizon or obstructed by 

terrain and other features such as buildings and vegetation. 

A key component of the affected environment for visual impacts is the viewer. As noted in 

Section 3.3, potential visual impacts were determined by assessing changes to the visual 

resources and predicting viewer responses to those changes. The study team selected KOPs 

based on a number of criteria, as described in Section 3.3. Figure 2 shows the KOP locations 

along the project alignment. As described in Section 2 of this report, the Project is described in 

three sections for analytical purposes. The information about KOPs in the study area is 

presented in accordance with those sections: Section 1 (High Desert), Section 2 (Cajon Pass), 

and Section 3 (Greater Los Angeles). This section includes a photograph showing a 

representative view at each KOP. The accompanying narrative describes the existing condition, 

which represents the affected environment, and identifies the visual quality rating (low, 

average, or high). 

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Figure 2. Locations of Key Observation Points 

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4.1. Section 1, High Desert 

The High Desert section begins at the Victor Valley station, which is proposed by a separate 

project. It continues south along I-15 and ends at the I-15/Oak Hill Road interchange in 

Hesperia. KOP-1 and KOP-2 are in Section 1 and represent views of distant mountain ranges, 

including Silver Mountain and Stoddard Mountain; the Mojave River and its floodplain; and 

variations in vegetation character along the route. According to the BLM Visual Inventory (BLM 

1986a) distant views north of the Mojave River, to the east and west from the alignment, are 

Class II and Class IV resources. The KOPs in Section 1 primarily represent viewer groups such as 

motorists traveling along I-15 and pedestrians traveling along frontage roads. 

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Figure 3. Key Observation Point 1, Victor Valley 

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4.1.1. Key Observation Point 1, Victor Valley 

Figure 3 shows a view from KOP-1. It represents the perspective of a motorist traveling 

northbound on I-15, looking northeast toward the CEMEX overcrossing and Quarry Road. The 

landscape character consists of various rolling embankments, with vegetation typical of high 

desert alluvial fans, in the foreground and middleground. The bridge crossing is dominant in 

this view and blocks the distant views of Silver Mountain and Stoddard Mountain. Low-profile 

power poles and lines are visible just north of the bridge crossing. 

The area has an average degree of vividness due to the interrupted views of the landscape and 

mountains beyond. The intactness is average due to the number of human-built, vertical 

features (freeway, bridge crossing, and power lines) in the landscape. The unity is average due 

to the presence of I-15 in the view and other transportation-related structures that would be 

seen on a temporary basis as motorists are traveling at highway speeds. Visual quality is ranked 

as average at KOP-1. 

Existing Condition, KOP-1 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

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4.1.2. Key Observation Point 2, Victorville 

Figure 4 shows a view from KOP-2. It represents a view, looking northeast, from the perspective 

of a motorist on the I-15 northbound on-ramp crossing over the Mojave River and its 

floodplain. Distant views to the east and west are identified as Class II and Class IV resources 

(BLM 1986a). The view illustrates a distinct change in landscape character and vegetation from 

the desert terrain described at KOP-1. At KOP-2, the terrain slopes gently toward the river, and 

the rocky bluffs of Elridge Ridge and freeway signs are in the middleground. The vegetation 

consists of willows, grasses, and cottonwoods in the riparian area, which can be seen on both 

sides of the freeway. 

The vividness, intactness, and unity of the view are average because of the unique character of 

the landscape and difference in vegetation from most other areas in the study area. The visual 

quality is ranked as average. 

Existing Condition, KOP-2 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 4. Key Observation Point 2, Victorville 

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4.2. Section 2, Cajon Pass 

The Cajon Pass section begins at the I-15/Oak Hill Road interchange in Hesperia. It continues 

south along I-15, through the Cajon Pass, to the I-15/Kenwood Avenue interchange in San 

Bernardino. In Section 2, I-15 runs through the San Bernardino National Forest for 

approximately 12 miles. This section also includes the interchange of I-15 and SR 138 and the 

Serrano topographic feature of “Coyote’s Nose.” KOP-3 through KOP-14 are in Section 2 and 

represent views of distant mountain ranges, including Silver Mountain and Stoddard Mountain 

to the north, and San Gabriel Mountains and San Bernardino Mountains to the south. Other 

views include the high desert valley, commercial development adjacent to I-15 in Hesperia, and 

the unique rock formations at Cajon Pass, including the Mormon Rocks. The KOPs in Section 2 

primarily represent viewer groups such as motorists traveling along I-15, recreational users at 

trailheads, and pedestrians traveling along frontage roads. 

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4.2.1. Key Observation Point 3, Hesperia 

Figure 5 shows a view from KOP-3 near Hesperia. It represents a motorist’s view from 

southbound I-15, south of Joshua Street, looking southwest toward the existing Joshua Street 

overcrossing and distant San Bernardino Mountains and San Gabriel Mountains. The mountains 

serve as a visual backdrop to the relatively flat terrain of the high desert landscape. 

The vividness and intactness at KOP-3 are considered average. The unity is ranked as low due to 

the built elements in the foreground and minor interruption of views from traveling motorists 

at freeway speeds. The overall visual quality is ranked as average. 

Existing Condition, KOP-3 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Low 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 5. Key Observation Point 3, Hesperia 

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4.2.2. Key Observation Point 4, Cajon Pass 

Figure 6 represents the view from KOP-4. It shows a view of a motorist traveling northbound on 

I-15, looking northeast alongside the Old Spanish Trail toward the Oak Hill water tower at 

”Cajon Summit. In Figure 6, the water tower is visible in the distance and appears to be left of 

the freeway. Although the water tower is not historic, it is considered a recognizable landmark 

for motorists travelling on the freeway. On both sides of the northbound lanes of the freeway 

are rolling embankments covered in high desert vegetation. Various breaks in the 

embankments allow for CHP and emergency access, but they are not considered to affect the 

visual quality. 

Vividness and intactness are ranked as average because of the natural desert elements and 

rolling topography in the viewshed. The unity is ranked as average because of the 

transportation network cutting through the natural rolling terrain. Visual quality at KOP-4 is 

ranked as average. 

Existing Condition, KOP-4 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 6. Key Observation Point 4, Cajon Pass 

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4.2.3. Key Observation Point 5, Cajon Pass 

Figure 7 represents the view from KOP-5. It shows a view of a motorist traveling northbound on 

I-15, looking north alongside the Old Spanish Trail toward Cajon Summit On both sides of the 

northbound lanes of the freeway are rolling embankments covered in high desert vegetation. 

Various breaks in the rolling terrain offer views of the surrounding mountains, but they are not 

considered to affect the visual quality. 

Vividness and intactness are ranked as average because of the natural desert elements in the 

viewshed. The unity is ranked as average because of the transportation network cutting 

through the natural rolling terrain. Visual quality at KOP-5 is ranked as average. 

Existing Condition, KOP-5 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 7. Key Observation Point 5, Cajon Pass 

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4.2.4. Key Observation Point 6, Cajon Pass 

Figure 8 represents the view from KOP-6. It shows a view of a motorist traveling northbound on 

I-15, looking north toward the split of northbound and southbound I-15 south of the summit of 

Cajon Pass. The view is vast of the surrounding San Gabriel Mountains to the west and San 

Bernardino Mountains to the east. The landscape is a sparse collection of high desert sage 

vegetation. The SCE Boulder Dam–San Bernardino transmission lines and towers are clearly 

visible in the foreground. 

Vividness and unity are ranked high because of the vast distant views of the mountains in the 

background and natural desert elements in the viewshed as a whole. The intactness is ranked 

as average because the existing transportation corridor elements and transmission line towers 

in the foreground disrupt and lower the visual cohesion and integrity of the landscape and 

view. Visual quality at KOP-6 is ranked as high. 

Existing Condition, KOP-6 Rating 

Vividness: High 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: High 

Visual Quality: High 

Figure 8. Key Observation Point 6, Cajon Pass 

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4.2.5. Key Observation Point 7, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

Figure 12 represents the view from KOP-7 near the summit of Cajon Pass. It shows a typical 

view of a recreational hiker looking southeast I-15 northbound and southbound lanes are 

clearly visible, and the Cajon Valley is in the background. The view represents a cultural 

viewshed and looks toward the natural formation of the Mormon Rocks and the historic 

Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF) line; Coyote’s Nose is in the middleground, 

located east of the northbound freeway. The mountain ranges and variations in topography are 

the dominant elements in the view beyond the freeway. 

The vividness of the view is high due to the memorable visual experience of the mountain 

ranges, Coyote’s Nose, and Mormon Rocks. The intactness and unity are considered average 

because of the freeway in the foreground, which intrudes upon the natural landscape 

character. The visual quality at KOP-7 is ranked as average. 

Existing Condition, KOP-7 Rating 

Vividness: High 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 9. Key Observation Point 7, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

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4.2.6. Key Observation Point 8, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

Figure 10 represents a motorist’s view and cultural viewshed from KOP-8. The view is from 

SR 138, west of Cajon Junction, looking east across Cajon Junction toward Coyote’s Nose. The 

dominant elements in this view are the natural formation of Coyote’s Nose in the 

middleground; mountain ranges in the background; AT&SF line, with I-15 behind and above it, 

in the middleground; and SR 138 in the foreground. The view captures some commercial 

development and signage at the base of Coyote’s Nose, near the northbound I-15 lanes. 

The vividness of the view is high due to the memorable visual experience of Coyote’s Nose. The 

intactness and unity are considered average because the commercial buildings, highways, and 

railway line intrude upon the natural landscape character. The visual quality at KOP-8 is ranked 

as average. 

Existing Condition, KOP-8 Rating 

Vividness: High 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 10. Key Observation Point 8, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

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4.2.7. Key Observation Point 9, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

Figure 12 represents a motorist’s view, looking southwest toward Coyote’s Nose from KOP-9 

along SR 138 on the westbound shoulder. The view is a cultural viewshed and looks toward and 

beyond the natural formation of Coyote’s Nose and high desert vegetation to the west (in the 

right half of the photo) and the San Gabriel Mountains in the background. The middleground 

includes a distant view of the historic AT&SF line, along with the interchange of SR 138 and I-15 

and ancillary temporary gravel parking areas. 

The vividness of the view is high because of the memorable visual experience of Coyote’s Nose 

and the expansive landscape view of the San Gabriel Mountains. The intactness and unity are 

considered average because the interchange and freeway ancillary elements intrude upon the 

natural landscape character. The visual quality at KOP-9 is ranked as average. 

Existing Condition, KOP-9 Rating 

Vividness: High 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 11. Key Observation Point 9, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

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4.2.8. Key Observation Point 10, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

Figure 12 represents the view, looking northwest toward the Mormon Rocks from KOP-9 near 

the summit of Cajon Pass. A similar view would be seen by a motorist on I-15 or by a 

pedestrian, bicyclist, or user of an off-road recreational vehicle on the Santa Fe Fire Road, which 

lies parallel to the northbound I-15 on-ramp from U.S. Highway 138. The view looks toward the 

natural formation of the Mormon Rocks and the historic AT&SF line. A commercial area is in the 

middleground. The freeway, on-ramp, and vehicles are dominant elements in the foreground. 

The vividness of the view is high due to the memorable visual experience of the Mormon Rocks. 

The intactness and unity are considered average because the commercial buildings and the 

freeway intrude upon the natural landscape character. The visual quality at KOP-10 is ranked as 

average. 

Existing Condition, KOP-10 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 12. Key Observation Point 10, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

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4.2.9. Key Observation Point 11, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

Figure 13 represents a person’s view from KOP-11, which is at the trailhead of the Pacific Crest 

Trail and the entrance to Crowder Canyon, near the Santa Fe and Salt Lake Trail Monument. 

The view is looking southwest toward I-15 and the San Gabriel Mountains beyond, in the 

distance. Power lines, the freeway, and a CHP scale facility are in the foreground and 

middleground. 

The vividness is considered average because, while the San Gabriel Mountain views are 

distinctive, the freeway, buildings, and utilities in the middle- and foreground detract from the 

view. The built elements also diminish the intactness and unity of the view to low and average, 

respectively. The overall visual quality at KOP-11 is ranked as average. 

Existing Condition, KOP-11 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Low 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 13. Key Observation Point 11, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

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4.2.10. Key Observation Point 12, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

Figure 14 represents the view, looking west, from KOP-12, which is near a trailhead parking 

area off Cleghorn Ridge Road. A similar view would be seen by a motorist on Cleghorn Ridge 

Road or a person at the trailhead. Cleghorn Ridge Road is in the foreground, the I-15 

overcrossing of Cleghorn Ridge Road is in the middleground, and the foothills and San Gabriel 

Mountains extend beyond into the distance. 

The vividness is considered average because the transportation elements detract from the 

memorable experience of the San Gabriel Mountain views. Intactness and unity are considered 

average because of the built elements that intrude upon the natural landscape character. The 

overall visual quality at KOP-12 is ranked as average. 

Existing Condition, KOP-12 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 14. Key Observation Point 12, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

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4.2.11. Key Observation Point 13, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

Figure 15 represents the view looking northwest from KOP-13 toward SR 138 and the El Cajon 

Pass summit of I-15 in the background. A similar view would be seen from a recreational vehicle 

on nearby gravel roads or by a recreational hiker nearby. The view looks across I-15 in the far 

distance toward the cultural viewpoint KOP-7 with the dry creek beds in the foreground. 

The vividness of the view is average. Although there are views across the pass to the distant 

mountains, the view is not memorable due to the introduction of transportation elements in 

the foreground. The intactness and unity are also considered average because the highways 

intrude upon the natural landscape character. The visual quality at KOP-13 is ranked as average. 

Existing Condition, KOP-13 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 15. Key Observation Point 13, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

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4.2.12. Key Observation Point 14, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

Figure 16 represents the view, looking north, from KOP-14 The view represents a view of a 

motorist traveling northbound on I-15, with mountainous terrain on each side of I-15. The view 

also includes distant views of the San Gabriel Mountains and valleys as a motorist continues 

traveling north. The vividness of the view is high due to the surrounding topography and 

vegetation; the view is somewhat memorable and a contrast to the urbanized character of 

Section 3 and the high desert of Section 1. The intactness and unity are considered average 

because the transportation elements detract from the natural landscape character. The overall 

visual quality at KOP-14 is ranked as average. 

Existing Condition, KOP-14 Rating 

Vividness: High 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 16. Key Observation Point 14, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

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4.3. Section 3, Greater Los Angeles 

Section 3 begins at the I-15/Kenwood Avenue interchange in San Bernardino. It continues south 

along I-15, then through the existing Metrolink station in Rancho Cucamonga, to Haven Avenue 

in Rancho Cucamonga. KOP-15 through KOP-17 are in Section 3 and represent sensitive views 

to and from the Cajon Wash, residential and urban centers in Rancho Cucamonga and distant 

views of the San Gabriel and San Bernadino Mountains from the Metrolink station in Rancho 

Cucamonga. The KOPs in Section 3 primarily represent viewer groups such as motorists 

traveling along I-15, people in residential neighborhoods, patrons at nearby shopping centers, 

and pedestrians and bicyclists traveling along frontage roads. 

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4.3.1. Key Observation Point 15, Rancho Cucamonga 

Figure 17 represents the view of a pedestrian or motorist from KOP-15. The view is toward the 

east from the intersection of the southbound on- and off-ramps along Foothill Boulevard in 

Rancho Cucamonga. The I-15 freeway and southbound on- and off-ramps to Foothill Boulevard 

are visible on the left side of the photo. There are distant background views of the San 

Bernadino Mountains at this location, but the primary view is of the I-15 freeway. 

The existing view primarily consists of the freeway infrastructure and traffic, with a grassy slope 

and some trees in the foreground and middleground and the San Bernadino Mountains in the 

background. The vividness, intactness, and unity of the view are considered average, and the 

overall visual quality is ranked as average at KOP-15. 

Existing Condition, KOP-15 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 17. Key Observation Point 15, Rancho Cucamonga 

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4.3.2. Key Observation Point 16, Rancho Cucamonga/Metrolink Station 

Figure 18 represents the view of a pedestrian at KOP-16, looking north toward a parking lot and 

industrial properties in the foreground and the San Gabriel Mountains in the background. The 

KOP-16 viewshed is from the second level of an office building adjacent to the Rancho 

Cucamonga Metrolink station parking lot. Ornamental vegetation in the foreground buffers 

views of the adjacent parking lot and the tall industrial properties in the middleground. 

The vividness of the view, with the San Gabriel Mountains, is considered to be high from 

KOP-16 on the second level of the building. However, a view from the first floor of the building 

would be average because of the obstructions at ground level. The intactness and unity are 

average, and the overall visual quality is ranked as average at KOP-16. 

Existing Condition, KOP-16 Rating 

Vividness: High 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 18. Key Observation Point 16, Rancho Cucamonga/Metrolink Station 

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4.3.3. Key Observation Point 17, Rancho Cucamonga/Metrolink Station 

Figure 19 represents the view of a pedestrian or motorist looking northeast at KOP-17, which is 

at the Rancho Cucamonga Metrolink station. The ornamental trees in the foreground 

somewhat buffer the view of tall industrial buildings to the northeast. 

The intactness is considered average; the vividness and unity are low due to lack of cohesion 

and uniformity. The overall visual quality is ranked as low. 

Existing Condition, KOP-1715 Rating 

Vividness: Low 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Low 

Visual Quality: Low 

Figure 19. Key Observation Point 17, Rancho Cucamonga/Metrolink Station 

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5. Environmental Consequences and Mitigation 

5.1. Build Alternative 

5.1.1. Construction Effects 

Construction impacts would be similar in all three sections of the Project. Construction of the 

railway, stations, and related facilities would involve the use of heavy equipment, stockpiling of 

soils and materials, and other visual signs of construction. Construction of the stations, railway, 

and ancillary facilities related to the Project would involve site preparation, foundation work, 

framing, structural construction, and finishing work. The visual impacts of construction would 

be temporary and would be limited through implementation of the avoidance and minimization 

measures listed in Section 5.3.1. 

Because construction laydown/staging areas would likely utilize previously disturbed land, they 

would have effects on visual quality in the form of dust, glare, and visual clutter—but impacts 

would be temporary and would be limited through implementation of minimization measures. 

Of the potential staging areas identified in the preliminary design, three would negatively affect 

views from trails or areas frequented by the public: 

• Crowder Canyon/Pacific Crest Trail overcrossing in the median of I-15 

• Cleghorn Canyon/road overcrossing in the median of I-15 

• Rancho Cucamonga near Foothill Boulevard along the north side of I-15 

5.1.2. Operation Effects 

To illustrate potential long-term visual changes related to the Project, this section presents two 

images for each KOP. Each pair of images includes a photograph showing an existing view and a 

computer simulation showing a view after the Project is in place. Each image is accompanied by 

the visual quality rating (low, average, or high). The narrative describes the visual changes 

resulting from the Project and indicates if they would constitute a visual impact. 

5.1.2.1. Section 1, High Desert 

Key Observation Point 1, Victor Valley 

Figure 20 shows a view from KOP-1. It represents a motorist’s perspective from I-15, looking 

northeast toward the CEMEX overcrossing and Quarry Road. The landscape character consists 

of various rolling embankments, with vegetation typical of high desert alluvial fans, in the 

foreground and middleground. 

As illustrated by the photo simulation (bottom image in Figure 20), the Project would add an 

elevated structure in the median of I-15 that would cross over the existing CEMEX overcrossing 

and Quarry Road. The proposed structure would consist of a series of vertical piers and the 

elevated structure approximately 40 feet above the freeway. While the elevated structure 

would be consistent with the transportation-related corridor, it would create additional areas 

of shadows for short durations as motorists travel at 70 mph. The existing overhead power 

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lines, visible under existing conditions (top photo in Figure 20), would be removed and replaced 

underground; this would enhance the view but not enough to change the visual quality. The 

high desert landscape and rolling terrain in the middle- and foreground would remain 

unchanged. 

The proposed elevated railway structure would reduce the vividness and intactness of the view 

to low due to the presence of an overhead structure, which would encroach into the view. The 

unity would remain unchanged. The overall visual quality of KOP-1 would rank as low. 

Existing Condition, KOP-1 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Visual Simulation, Build Alternative, KOP-1 Rating 

Vividness: Low 

Intactness: Low 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Low 

Figure 20. Key Observation Point 1, Victor Valley 

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Key Observation Point 2, Victorville 

Figure 21 shows a view from KOP-2. It represents a view, looking northeast, from the 

perspective of a motorist on the I-15 northbound on-ramp crossing over the Mojave River and 

its floodplain. As illustrated by the photo simulation (bottom image in Figure 21), the Project 

would moderately interrupt scenic views to the west of the Mojave River and its broad 

floodplain of unique vegetation. Due to the moderate interruption and blockage of scenic BLM 

Class II and Class IV views, the vividness would reduce to low. The intactness and unity would 

remain at average because the railway in the median would be another built, transportationrelated element within the existing I-15 corridor. The visual quality would remain ranked as 

average. 

Existing Condition, KOP-2 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Visual Simulation, Build Alternative, KOP-2 Rating 

Vividness: Low 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 21. Key Observation Point 2, Victorville 

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5.1.2.2. Section 2, Cajon Pass 

Key Observation Point 3, Hesperia 

Figure 22 shows a view from KOP-3 near Hesperia. It represents a motorist’s view from 

southbound I-15, south of Joshua Street, looking southwest toward the existing Joshua Street 

overcrossing and distant San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains. 

As illustrated in the visual simulation (bottom image in Figure 22), the Project would add an atgrade platform for the Hesperia station in the I-15 median. Concrete barriers and fencing would 

separate the station area from the freeway. To access the station, rail passengers would use the 

existing sidewalks on the Joshua Street bridge to reach the proposed vertical connection at the 

mid-span of the bridge and then descend to the station platform at grade. The bridge and 

station would have architectural vertical elements (e.g., elevators, overhead canopies, stairway, 

and catenary poles) to support passenger circulation and train operation. Sidewalks on the 

existing bridge would connect passengers to a surface parking lot for rail passengers that would 

be built on the west side of I-15. 

Integration of the proposed built elements into the view would maintain an average ranking for 

the vividness and intactness of the visual character and a low ranking of unity because the 

station would be another built, transportation-related element close to the existing overpass 

structure at Joshua Street. The duration of the view would be short considering the speed at 

which traveling motorists are passing by. The visual quality rank would remain average for 

KOP-3 and would not be considered a visual impact. 

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Figure 22. Key Observation Point 3, Hesperia 

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Existing Condition, KOP-3 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Low 

Visual Quality: Average 

Visual Simulation, Build Alternative, KOP-3 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Low 

Visual Quality: Average 

Key Observation Point 4, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

Figure 23 represents the view from KOP-4. It shows a view of a motorist traveling northbound 

on I-15, looking northeast alongside the Old Spanish Trail toward Cajon Summit. In Figure 23, 

the water tower is visible in the distance on the left side of the freeway. To provide space for 

the railway in the I-15 median on the west side of the northbound lanes, the Project would cut 

into the embankments and would add retaining walls, where necessary, as illustrated in the 

bottom image of Figure 23. The Project would construct a bridge over the railway to provide 

CHP and emergency access between the northbound and southbound lanes of I-15. 

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The railway would be another visual element of the transportation network, and the cut and 

associated retaining walls would affect the rolling terrain in the viewshed, but the effects would 

not be enough to reduce the vividness or intactness. The proposed overpass structure and 

associated structural walls to support the CHP access would be additional built, transportationrelated elements and would interrupt the visual coherence of the view looking north; they 

would reduce the unity of the view to low. The visual quality rank would remain average, so the 

Project would not result in a visual impact at KOP-4. 

Existing Condition, KOP-4 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Visual Simulation, Build Alternative, KOP-4 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Low 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 23. Key Observation Point 4, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

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Key Observation Point 5, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

Figure 24 represents the view from KOP-5. It shows a view of a motorist traveling northbound 

on I-15, looking north alongside the Old Spanish Trail toward Cajon Summit. To provide space 

for the railway in the median of I-15, west of the northbound lanes, the Project would cut into 

the embankments and would add retaining walls, where necessary. The Project would 

construct a bridge over the railway to provide CHP and emergency access between the 

northbound and southbound lanes of I-15, as illustrated in the bottom image of Figure 24. 

The railway would be another visual element of the transportation network, and the cut and 

associated retaining walls would affect the rolling terrain in the viewshed, but the effects would 

not be sufficient to reduce the vividness or intactness. The proposed overpass structure and 

associated structural walls to support the CHP access would be additional built transportationrelated elements and would interrupt the visual coherence of the view looking north; they 

would reduce the unity of the view to low. The overall visual quality rank would remain 

average; therefore, the Project would not result in a visual impact at KOP-5. 

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Figure 24. Key Observation Point 5, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

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Existing Condition, KOP-5 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Visual Simulation, Build Alternative, KOP-5 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Low 

Visual Quality: Average 

Key Observation Point 6, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

Figure 25 represents the view from KOP-6. It shows a view of a motorist traveling northbound 

on I-15, looking north toward the split of northbound and southbound I-15 as it climbs toward 

the summit of Cajon Pass. The view is vast of the surrounding San Gabriel and San Bernardino 

Mountains, and the SCE Boulder Dam–San Bernardino transmission lines are clearly visible in 

the middleground. 

As illustrated in the visual simulation (bottom image in Figure 25), the Project would add 

several transportation-related elements to the view. The Project would construct a raised 

access road on the east side of I-15, an elevated railway with retaining walls in the I-15 median, 

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and a new overpass structure to support CHP and emergency vehicle access between the 

northbound and southbound lanes of I-15. As a result, the Project would affect and partially 

block vast views of the mountains and rolling terrain. The effects would reduce the vividness to 

average due to the contrasting elements to the vast landscape. The intactness would remain 

average due to the integration of the Project into an existing transportation network. The unity 

of the view would be reduced to low due to the lack of visual coherence and compositional 

harmony of the landscape. The visual quality rank would reduce to average, and the Project 

would result in a visual impact at KOP-6. 

Existing Condition, KOP-6 Rating 

Vividness: High 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: High 

Visual Quality: High 

Visual Simulation, Build Alternative, KOP-6 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Low 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 25. Key Observation Point 6, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

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Key Observation Point 7, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

Figure 26 represents the view from KOP-7 near the summit of Cajon Pass. It shows a typical 

view of a recreational hiker looking southeast. I-15 northbound and southbound lanes are 

clearly visible, and the Cajon Valley is in the background. The view represents a cultural 

viewshed and looks toward the natural formation of the Mormon Rocks and the historic AT&SF 

line; Coyote’s Nose is in the middleground, located east of the northbound freeway. The 

mountain ranges and variations in topography are the dominant elements in the view beyond 

the freeway. 

As illustrated in the visual simulation (bottom image in Figure 26), the railway would be at 

grade and in the I-15 median next to the northbound lanes. As shown, the Project would have a 

minimal effect on the visual integrity of the view. Views toward the mountains and Coyote’s 

Nose would be maintained. The vividness would remain high due to the wide range of views. 

The intactness and unity would remain as average because, although the Project would add a 

new transportation element, it would be integrated with the existing freeway and would 

appear as another element in the transportation network. The visual quality rank of average 

would not change; therefore, the Project would not result in a visual impact at KOP-7. 

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Figure 26. Key Observation Point 7, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

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Existing Condition, KOP-7 Rating 

Vividness: High 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Visual Simulation, Build Alternative, KOP-7 Rating 

Vividness: High 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Key Observation Point 8, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

Figure 27 represents a motorist’s view and cultural viewshed from KOP-8. The view is from 

SR 138, west of Cajon Junction, looking east across Cajon Junction toward Coyote’s Nose. The 

dominant elements in this view are the natural formation of Coyote’s Nose in the 

middleground; mountain ranges in the background; AT&SF line, with I-15 behind and above it, 

in the middleground; and SR 138 in the foreground. The view captures some commercial 

development and signage at the base of Coyote’s Nose, near the northbound I-15 lanes. 

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As illustrated in the visual simulation (bottom image in Figure 27), the proposed railway would 

be at grade in the I-15 median and integrated next to the northbound lanes. The AT&SF line and 

Coyote’s Nose would remain dominant in the middleground, SR 138 would remain dominant in 

the foreground, and the Project would have a minimal effect on the visual integrity of the view. 

Views of the mountains and Coyote’s Nose would be maintained. The vividness ranking would 

remain high. The intactness and unity would remain average because, although the Project 

would add a new transportation element, it would be integrated with the existing freeway and 

would appear as another element in the transportation network. The visual quality rank of 

average would not change; therefore, the Project would not result in a visual impact at KOP-8. 

Existing Condition, KOP-8 Rating 

Vividness: High 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Visual Simulation, Build Alternative, KOP-8 Rating 

Vividness: High 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 27. Key Observation Point 8, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

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Key Observation Point 9, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

Figure 28 represents a motorist’s view looking southwest toward Coyote’s Nose from KOP-9 

along SR 138 on the south bound shoulder. The view is a cultural viewshed and looks toward 

and beyond the natural formation of Coyote’s Nose and high desert vegetation to the west (in 

the right half of the photo) and the San Gabriel Mountains in the background. The 

middleground includes a distant view of the historic AT&SF line, along with the interchange of 

SR 138 and I-15 and ancillary temporary gravel parking areas. 

As illustrated in the visual simulation (bottom image in Figure 28), the proposed railway would 

not be noticeable in the view, primarily because of the presence of other existing 

transportation elements. The proposed railway would be at grade in the I-15 median, at the 

same elevation as the I-15 roadway. The natural formation of Coyote’s Nose would remain 

dominant in the foreground, and views of the mountains in the background would be 

maintained. The Project would have a minimal effect on the visual integrity of the view. The 

vividness would remain ranked as high. The intactness and unity would remain ranked as 

average because, although the Project would add a new transportation element, it would be 

surrounded by the existing freeway. The visual quality rank of average would not change; 

therefore, the Project would not result in a visual impact at KOP-9. 

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Existing Condition, KOP-9 Rating 

Vividness: High 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Visual Simulation, Build Alternative, KOP-9 Rating 

Vividness: High 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 28. Key Observation Point 9, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

Key Observation Point 10, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

Figure 29 represents the view, looking northwest toward the Mormon Rocks, from KOP-10 near 

the summit of Cajon Pass. A similar view would be seen by a motorist on I-15 or by a 

pedestrian, bicyclist, or user of an off-road recreational vehicle on the Santa Fe Fire Road, which 

is parallel to the northbound I-15 on-ramp from SR 138. 

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As illustrated in the visual simulation (bottom image in Figure 29), the railway would be at 

grade in the I-15 median, at the same elevation as the I-15 roadway. The freeway elements 

would remain dominant in the foreground, and the Project would have a minimal effect on the 

visual integrity of the view. Views toward the mountains and the Mormon Rocks would be 

maintained. The vividness would remain as average. The intactness and unity would also 

remain as average because although the Project would add a new transportation element, it 

would be surrounded by the existing freeway, which would remain dominant in the foreground. 

The visual quality rank of average would not change; therefore, the Project would not result in 

a visual impact at KOP-10. 

Existing Condition, KOP-10 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Visual Simulation, Build Alternative, KOP-10 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 29. Key Observation Point 10, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

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Key Observation Point 11, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

Figure 30 represents a person’s view from KOP-11, which is at the trailhead of the Pacific Crest 

Trail and the entrance to Crowder Canyon. The view is looking southwest toward I-15 and the 

San Gabriel Mountains beyond, in the distance. At KOP-11, the proposed railway would be 

visible in the I-15 median, as illustrated in the bottom image in Figure 30. The railway would be 

at grade, surrounded by and at the same elevation as I-15. 

As at KOP-11, the Project would add another transportation element to the view of a heavily 

developed transportation corridor, and the Project would have little effect on the view. The 

vividness of the view would remain average, the intactness would remain low, and the unity 

would remain average. The visual quality rank of average would not change; therefore, the 

Project would not result in a visual impact at KOP-11. 

58 VISUAL QUALITY TECHNICAL REPORT, OCTOBER 2022 
Figure 30. Key Observation Point 11,Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

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Existing Condition, KOP-11 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Low 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Visual Simulation, Build Alternative, KOP-11 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Low 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Key Observation Point 12, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

Figure 31 represents the view, looking west, from KOP-12, which is near a trailhead parking 

area off Cleghorn Ridge Road. A similar view would be seen by a motorist on Cleghorn Ridge 

Road or a person at the trailhead. At KOP-12, the proposed railway would be visible in the I-15 

median, as illustrated in the visual simulation (bottom image in Figure 31). The railway would 

be at grade, surrounded by and at the same elevation as I-15. 

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The railway (including associated elements such as the catenary poles and wires) would be 

noticeable because it would contrast against the background mountain views. However, 

because the railway would be in the midst of an already developed transportation corridor, the 

Project would have little effect on the view. The Project would slightly reduce the intactness of 

the view from KOP-12; the rank would change from average to low. The vividness of the view 

would remain average, and the unity would remain average. The overall visual quality would 

remain average, indicating the Project would not result in a visual impact at KOP-12. 

Existing Condition, KOP-12 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Visual Simulation, Build Alternative, KOP-12 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Low 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 31. Key Observation Point 12, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

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Key Observation Point 13, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

Figure 32 represents the view looking northwest from KOP-13 toward SR 138 and the El Cajon 

Pass summit of I-15 in the background. A similar view would be seen from a recreational vehicle 

on nearby gravel roads or by a recreational hiker nearby. The view looks across I-15 in the 

distance toward the cultural viewpoint KOP-7 with the dry creek beds in the foreground. 

As illustrated in the visual simulation (bottom image in Figure 32), the highway elements would 

remain dominant in the foreground, and the Project would have a minimal effect on the visual 

integrity of the view. Views toward the mountains would be maintained. The vividness would 

remain ranked as average. The intactness and unity would also remain ranked as average 

because, although the Project would add a new transportation element in the distant 

background, the cultural viewshed would remain unchanged. The visual quality rank of average 

would not change; therefore, the Project would not result in a visual impact at KOP-13. 

VISUAL QUALITY TECHNICAL REPORT, OCTOBER 2022 61 
Figure 32. Key Observation Point 13, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

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Existing Condition, KOP-13 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Visual Simulation, Build Alternative, KOP-13 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Key Observation Point 14, Cajon Pass/San Bernardino National Forest 

Figure 33 represents the view looking north from KOP-14. The view represents a view of a 

motorist traveling northbound on I-15. Mountainous terrain is on each side of I-15. The San 

Gabriel Mountains and valleys come into view as a motorist continues traveling north. 

The Project would construct a bridge and associated ramps to provide CHP and emergency 

vehicle access. The bridge and associated ramps would be additional transportation-related 

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elements within the I-15 corridor. The bridge would interrupt the continuous view of the 

topography and mountain ranges in the middleground and background, as illustrated in the 

bottom image in Figure 33 and, as a result, would lower the memorable and harmonious visual 

experience of the vividness to average. The intactness and unity would remain average because 

the crossing would be another built, transportation-related element within the existing 

transportation corridor. The visual quality would remain average at KOP-14. 

Existing Condition, KOP-14 Rating 

Vividness: High 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Visual Simulation, Build Alternative, KOP-14 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 33. Key Observation Point 14, Cajon Pass, San Bernardino National Forest 

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5.1.2.3. Section 3, Greater Los Angeles 

Key Observation Point 15, Rancho Cucamonga 

Figure 34 represents the view of a pedestrian or motorist from KOP-15. The view is toward the 

east from the intersection of the southbound on- and off-ramps along Foothill Boulevard in 

Rancho Cucamonga. As illustrated in the visual simulation (bottom image in Figure 34, the 

Project would add an elevated structure on columns (viaduct) that would parallel the west side 

of the I-15 southbound off-ramp to Foothill Boulevard, then it would cross over Foothill 

Boulevard. The rail alignment would be within the I-15 right-of-way but next to the property 

line of private commercial properties. 

The viaduct would be clearly visible to shoppers and business employees as a new, elevated 

transportation element, but it would still be considered part of the transportation corridor. The 

vividness and intactness of the view would remain average, but, due to the proximity of the 

alignment to sensitive viewers, the unity of the view would be reduced to low. As a result, the 

visual quality would remain average and the Project would not result in a visual impact at 

KOP-15. 

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Existing Condition, KOP-15 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Visual Simulation, Build Alternative, KOP-15 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Low 

Visual Quality: Average 

Figure 34. Key Observation Point 15, Rancho Cucamonga 

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Key Observation Point 16, Rancho Cucamonga/Metrolink Station 

Figure 35 represents the view of a pedestrian at KOP-16, looking north toward a parking lot and 

industrial properties in the foreground and the San Gabriel Mountains in the background. The 

KOP-16 viewshed is from the second level of an office building adjacent to the Rancho 

Cucamonga Metrolink station parking lot. As illustrated in the visual simulation (bottom image 

in Figure 35, the proposed railway would be built on a large retaining wall. The proposed 

retaining wall would be approximately 0.5 mile long and up to 34 feet high. 

The retaining wall supporting the railway, as well as the poles of the catenary system, would 

partially obstruct the view of the mountains but would be an element that is similar in scale to 

that of the adjacent industrial buildings. Although not depicted in the visual simulation in 

Figure 35, the Project would be a visual barrier for pedestrians and motorists in the parking lots 

and for office workers on the lower level of the office building, but the view would be similar to 

that of the nearby industrial buildings. The Project would reduce the vividness of the view to 

average due to the foreground view of buildings and parking lots. The intactness and unity 

would remain average. The visual quality would remain average, and the Project would not 

result in a visual impact at KOP-16. 

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Existing Condition, KOP-16 Rating 

Vividness: High 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Average 

Visual Simulation, Build Alternative, KOP-16 Rating 

Vividness: Average 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Average 

Average Visual Quality: 

Figure 35. Key Observation Point 16, Rancho Cucamonga/Metrolink Station 

Key Observation Point 17, Rancho Cucamonga/Metrolink Station 

Figure 36 represents the view of a pedestrian or motorist looking northeast at KOP-17, which is 

at the Rancho Cucamonga Metrolink station. As indicated by the visual simulation (bottom 

image in Figure 36) and described in the previous section, the Project would add an elevated, 

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retained structure for the railway and station platform, with the catenary system extending 

above. 

The solidity and scale of the elevated railway structure would create a visual sense of enclosure 

on the parking lot at the Metrolink station. The elevated railway structure would be a visual 

barrier for pedestrians, railway patrons, and motorists in the parking lot but its scale would be 

similar to that of the adjacent industrial buildings. The vividness of the view would remain low. 

The intactness would be reduced to low, and the unity would increase to average because of 

the coherent and uniform nature of the elevated railway structure. The overall visual quality 

would remain low, and the Project would not have a visual impact at KOP-17. 

Existing Condition, KOP-17 Rating 

Vividness: Low 

Intactness: Average 

Unity: Low 

Visual Quality: Low 

Visual Simulation, Build Alternative, KOP-17 Rating 

Vividness: Low 

Intactness: Low 

Unity: Average 

Visual Quality: Low 

Figure 36. Key Observation Point 17, Rancho Cucamonga/Metrolink Station 

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Summary of Operation Effects 

Railway 

The proposed railway would have minimal visual conflicts with views of the surrounding desert, 

mountain, and urban landscapes in various areas, as indicated by the previous descriptions of 

impacts at each KOP. The most apparent conflicts would occur where the railway would be 

elevated, such as on a bridge, and outside of urbanized areas where it would intrude on 

distinctive views of the desert environment and distant mountains. 

The railway alignment would in the median of I-15, and most of it would be at grade. It would 

be flanked on both sides by freeway lanes and vehicular traffic. In that setting, the railway 

would have relatively low impacts on visual quality because, to a viewer, it would almost 

appear to be part of the freeway transportation system—in both urban and non-urban settings. 

Although the Project would introduce another transportation element to views, the railway 

would visually blend into the larger transportation element that is the freeway. 

In urbanized areas, the railway alignment and associated structures would be additional built 

transportation elements within the character of the urban centers, where views are often 

blocked or buffered by buildings, bridges, billboard signs, and other structures. 

Motorists traveling along I-15 and recreational users at key locations would be the primary 

viewers of the railway in non-urbanized areas of the alignment. Near elevated segments of the 

railway, project elements such as barriers, fences, bridges, piers, catenary poles and wires, and 

passing trains would detract from the vividness, intactness, and unity of views from the freeway 

toward the undeveloped desert landscape with low vegetation, rolling hills, and distant views of 

the mountains—but only for a short duration because motorists are traveling at about 70 mph. 

Adjacent to portions of the alignment through the desert, lands are classified by BLM as Class II 

and Class IV lands, for which the intent is to retain the existing visual character. These lands 

primarily occur away from the proposed alignment and are farther north, outside the study 

area for this visual assessment but within the viewsheds included in this study. Project 

elements would contrast in form but would blend in color and texture with the natural desert 

environment and landforms. 

The railway would add built elements to viewsheds in the study area, changing the views and, 

in some areas where the railway would be elevated, decreasing visual quality. The Project will 

implement avoidance and minimization measures, described in Section 5.3.2.1, to avoid and 

minimize the railway’s impacts on visual quality. Overall, the Project would add new visual 

elements to the landscape that would generally be consistent with the existing transportation 

corridor and would not substantially alter existing scenic views of the natural environment. The 

Project would have a negative impact on visual quality at KOP-6. Potential impacts at KOP-1 

through KOP-17 are summarized in Table 1. 

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Table 1. Summary of Visual Quality Effects at Key Observation Points 

Key Observation Point Condition 

Visual Quality Rank 

Vividness Intactness Unity Overall 

Section 1 

KOP-1 

Victor Valley 

Existing Average Average Average Average 

Build Alternative Average Low Average Average 

KOP-2 

Victorville 

Existing Average Average Average Average 

Build Alternative Average Average Average Average 

Section 2 

KOP-3 

Hesperia 

Existing Average Average Low Average 

Build Alternative Average Average Low Average 

KOP-4 

Cajon Pass/San 

Bernardino NF 

Existing Average Average Average Average 

Build Alternative Average Average Low Average 

KOP-5 

Cajon Pass/ 

San Bernardino NF 

Existing Average Average Average Average 

Build Alternative Average Average Low Average 

KOP-6 

Cajon Pass/ 

San Bernardino NF 

Existing High Average High High 

Build Alternative Average Average Average Average 

KOP-7 

Cajon Pass/ 

San Bernardino NF 

Existing High Average Average Average 

Build Alternative High Average Average Average 

KOP-8 

Cajon Pass/ 

San Bernardino NF 

Existing High Average Average Average 

Build Alternative High Average Average Average 

KOP-9 

Cajon Pass/ 

San Bernardino NF 

Existing High Average Average Average 

Build Alternative High Average Average Average 

KOP-10 

Cajon Pass/ 

San Bernardino NF 

Existing Average Average Average Average 

Build Alternative Average Average Average Average 

KOP-11 

Cajon Pass/ 

San Bernardino NF 

Existing Average Low Average Average 

Build Alternative Average Low Average Average 

KOP-12 

Cajon Pass/ 

San Bernardino NF 

Existing Average Average Average Average 

Build Alternative Average Low Average Average 

KOP-13 

Cajon Pass/ 

San Bernardino NF 

Existing Average Average Average Average 

Build Alternative Average Average Average Average 

KOP-14 

Cajon Pass/ 

San Bernardino NF 

Existing High Average Average Average 

Build Alternative Average Average Average Average 

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Key Observation Point Condition 

Visual Quality Rank 

Vividness Intactness Unity Overall 

Section 3 

KOP-15 

Rancho Cucamonga 

Existing Average Average Average Average 

Build Alternative Average Average Low Average 

KOP-16 

Rancho Cucamonga 

Existing High Average Average Average 

Build Alternative Average Average Average Average 

KOP-17 

Rancho Cucamonga 

Existing Low Average Low Low 

Build Alternative Low Low Average Low 

Notes: 

NF = National Forest 

Bold text indicates negative impact. 

Hesperia Station 

Motorists traveling on I-15 also would be the primary viewers of the Hesperia station and 

associated development. Although the station platform would be in the median of I-15 and at 

the same grade as the freeway, retaining walls, barriers, vertical structures for passengers to 

access the station platform (e.g., elevator towers, stairways, and overhead canopies) would be 

visible components, as described in Section 5.1.2 for KOP-3. The vertical passenger circulation 

elements and existing bridge would partially obstruct views to distant mountains and the desert 

environment but only for a short duration as traveling motorists pass by at freeway speeds, 

limiting the severity of the impacts for viewers on I-15. The Project includes measures, 

described in Section 5.3.2.2, that would minimize visual impacts of the station. 

Rancho Cucamonga Station 

As described in Section 5.1.2, the elevated Rancho Cucamonga station would detract from 

partial views from nearby office buildings (such as at KOP-16) of the distant San Gabriel 

Mountains. The station also would minimally affect views from ground-level viewing locations, 

such as the Metrolink parking lot (KOP-17). The elevated railway structure would create a visual 

sense of enclosure. Visual impacts are summarized in Table 1. The Project includes measures, 

described in Section 5.3.2.3, to avoid and minimize visual impacts of the station. 

Ancillary Facilities 

Ancillary facilities associated with the Project, such as power substations, would be generally 

consistent in visual character with the infrastructure normally seen along major highways such 

as I-15. 

5.1.3. Cumulative Effects 

Overall, the Project would add new visual elements to the landscape. With implementation of 

the avoidance and minimization measures included in the Project, the new visual elements 

would generally be consistent with the existing transportation corridor and would not 

substantially alter existing scenic views of the natural environment. 

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5.2. No Build Alternative 

The No Build Alternative would not result in temporary impacts on visual quality because no 

construction would occur. In the long term, views of heavy traffic on parts of the freeway would 

be longer in duration because traffic congestion is expected to worsen without implementation 

of the Project. Longer periods of congestion would affect views by travelers on the freeway as 

well as those of people viewing the freeway. 

5.3. Avoidance, Minimization, and Mitigation Measures 

5.3.1. Temporary Construction 

Construction management will be the primary measure through industry standard practices to 

maintain an orderly sequence of construction and to properly contain, stockpile, and store 

materials, and to dispose of litter and debris to prevent dispersal onto adjacent properties, local 

streets, and highways. 

It is anticipated that construction crews would work at night. Any night construction lighting 

will be directed toward the work zone to minimize light spillover onto adjacent properties, to 

reduce glare for freeway motorists, and to prevent visible lighting overflow into the natural 

dark sky of the desert at night. Where feasible, construction lighting will be screened from 

viewers with fencing, barriers, glare shields, and landscaping. 

Measures will be implemented to control dust at construction areas, including staging areas 

and temporary access routes. 

Visual screening, such as fences, will be erected along construction and staging areas as 

appropriate. 

Landscaping and native vegetation that is cleared for temporary construction areas (including 

staging and access) will be replaced. Disturbed areas within Caltrans right-of-way will be 

regraded to soften their contours and will be replanted as directed by Caltrans and within six 

months of the completion of construction. 

5.3.2. Operation 

5.3.2.1. Railway, Hesperia Station, Rancho Cucamonga Station, and Ancillary Facilities 

Rail features, including bridge pillars/columns, raised tracks, trains, catenary structures, crash 

barriers, retaining walls, abutments, fencing, and embankments, will be designed to blend with 

or represent the surrounding desert or urban environment. Features will be created or painted 

in muted desert colors. Bright colors and highly reflective materials will be avoided, as feasible. 

Project elements defined in the design process will include visual elements that contribute to a 

sense of place and a memorable experience for motorists, pedestrians, and rail passengers. 

Concrete will be embossed with patterns, where appropriate, that are indicative of the 

surrounding environment and that create a visual link between the railway features and their 

surroundings. 

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Visual screening will be placed on the top of the crash barriers along the railway to limit glare to 

motorists from the trains and train lights. Analysis during the project design process will 

determine specific details for the screening and will determine if screening may not be needed 

in specific areas. 

5.3.2.2. Hesperia Station 

The Hesperia station and associated elements will be developed with architecture that 

complements the surrounding landscape character with flowing lines, form, and muted colors. 

The surface parking lot for the station will be surrounded with native landscaping that softens 

its appearance and helps it blend into its surroundings. The landscaping will include droughtresistant desert plants, rock, and stone. Pedestrian elements such as pathways, structures, and 

signage will be developed to pedestrian scale and will use patterns, colors, and symbols that 

represent and complement the desert landscape. Lighting will be designed to provide an 

adequate sense of safety for the station users, but consideration will also be given to minimize 

glare, obstruction of views, and support dark sky regulations through glare-screening measures, 

downward-cast lighting, motion sensors, and plantings that will assist with glare reduction. 

5.3.2.3. Rancho Cucamonga Station 

The Rancho Cucamonga station and associated elements will be developed with architecture 

that complements the surrounding urban landscape character with flowing lines, form, and 

muted colors. The station and surface parking lot will be landscaped with ornamental and 

native vegetation to soften the appearance of structures and hard surfaces. The landscaping 

will include drought-tolerant trees, shrubs, and groundcovers, as well as rock and stone. 

Pedestrian elements such as pathways, structures, and signage will be developed to pedestrian 

scale and will incorporate patterns, colors, and symbols that represent and complement the 

surrounding landscape. As at the Hesperia station, lighting for the Rancho Cucamonga station 

will be designed to provide an adequate sense of safety for station users, and to minimize glare, 

obstruction of views, and support dark sky regulations. 

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6. References 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM). 1984. Manual 8400 – Visual Resource Management. 

U.S. Department of the Interior. April 5, 1984. 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM). 1986a. Manual H-8410-1 – Visual Resource Inventory. 

U.S. Department of the Interior. January 17, 1986. 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM). 1986b. Manual 8431 – Visual Resource Contrast Rating. 

U.S. Department of the Interior. January 17, 1986. 

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). 2018. National Transportation Statistics. Available: 

https://www.bts.gov/product/national-transportation-statistics. 

California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). 2012. Interstate 10 HOV Lane Project 

Environmental Impact Report. February 17, 2012. 

California Department of Transportation and San Bernardino County Transportation Authority 

(Caltrans and SBCTA). 2018. I-15 Corridor Project Initial Study with Mitigated Negative 

Declaration/Environmental Assessment with Finding of No Significant Impact. December 2018. 

Available: https://www.gosbcta.com/project/i-15-corridor/. 

California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). 2022. Data and Statistics. Available: 

https://www.ots.ca.gov/media-and-research/data-and-statistics/. 

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). 1988. Guidelines for the Visual Impact Assessment of 

Highway Projects. U.S. Department of Transportation. January 1988. 

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). 2015. Guidelines for the Visual Impact Assessment of 

Highway Projects. FHWA-HEP-15-029. U.S. Department of Transportation. January 2015. 

Federal Highway Administration. 2020. Southern California Regional Freight Study. Available: 

https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/freight_analysis/reg_ind_studies/so_cal_study.htm. 

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). 2020. National Environmental Policy Act Reevaluation for 

the DesertXpress Enterprises, LLC Xpresswest High-Speed Train Project, Apple Valley, CA to Las 

Vegas, NV. U.S. Department of Transportation. September 2020. 

I-15 Mobility Alliance. 2017. I-15 Corridor System Master Plan. March 2017. 

Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). 2020a. Connect SoCal – The 2020-2045 

Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy. November 24, 2020. 

Available: https://www.connectsocal.org/Pages/Connect-SoCal-Final-Plan.aspx. 

Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). 2020b. Connect SoCal – Goods 

Movement Technical Report. September 3, 2020. Available: 

https://scag.ca.gov/sites/main/files/file-attachments/0903fconnectsocal_goodsmovement.pdf. 

VISUAL QUALITY TECHNICAL REPORT, OCTOBER 2022 75 
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Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). 2020c. Connect SoCal – Passenger Rail 

Technical Report. September 3, 2020. Available: https://scag.ca.gov/sites/main/files/fileattachments/0903fconnectsocal_passenger-rail.pdf?1606001722. 

United States Census Bureau (U.S. Census Bureau). 2020. 2020 Decennial Census of Population 

and Housing. Available: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 

University of California, Berkeley and Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (UC 

Berkeley and SafeTREC). 2022. Transportation Injury Mapping System. Available: 

https://tims.berkeley.edu/. 

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