Riverside is at a transportation crossroads. With the 91/I215/60 Freeways intersecting in the city, the city is essentially an inland port moving goods and services via intermodal rail and truck from the coast through Riverside to mainland America. Both BNSF and UPSP have tracks that provide rail service in the Airport, Hunter Park and Sycamore Canyon Industrial Parks. The region has been built on the warehousing, trucking, logistics and distribution industries, which makes transportation an enormous factor in city planning.

Commuting is made easier through a Metrolink station in downtown Riverside and La Sierra. To combat gridlock and improve traffic flow and circulation, Riverside is upgrading its traffic signals to provide synchronization at major signalized intersections, which will reduce travel time on these streets during heavy traffic commuter hours. In an effort to reduce noise pollution from locomotive trains, a pilot program will place automated horn warning system at individual railroad crossings, which will significantly reduce noise levels along a two-mile portion of each crossing.