LAKE ELSINORE -- Five years of participation on a regional coalition focused on transportation have culminated in Mayor Bob Magee being named the agency's chairman.

Magee was recently elected to the post by colleagues on the Riverside County Transportation Commission, which consists of representatives from all 26 cities in the county, and each of its five supervisors. The commission has a $631 million budget for road, transit and rail projects, as well as transportation planning and administration, according to a release from the city.

Magee said County Supervisor Jeff Stone, the previous chairman, nominated him for the office, and commission members who were present unanimously approved the appointment.

"It's a bit overwhelming to have that type of honor bestowed and the responsibility to literally be representing over 2 million people in the area on the issue of transportation," Magee said.

The commission is responsible for transportation projects that include rail, bus, freeways and local roads from the Orange County line to the Colorado River. It meets as a whole once a month at the County Administrative Center in Riverside, and has six committees that hold their own meetings.

Magee was first elected to the Lake Elsinore City Council in 2003 and is now in his second term. Soon after he was elected, the council named him as its representative to the commission. He has been on the executive committee since 2006, most recently serving as the committee's first vice chairman.

One veteran commission member with an appreciation for the challenges Magee will face is Temecula City Councilman and Stone staff member Ron Roberts, who served as the commission's chairman four years ago.

"It entails a lot more lobbying, especially in this next year," Roberts said. "A lot of our funding comes from the federal government and the state. We've been given a lot of money for improvements, but the state's taken most of it back and we're waiting to see what's going to happen with the federal government."

With Interstate 15 running through the middle of Lake Elsinore, Magee has had plenty of experience on transportation issues, Roberts said.

Magee said serving on the commission gives representatives an opportunity to be directly involved in transportation funding decisions.

"If you're an active participant, you can help match the funding sources that the commission has with the needs that your community has," Magee said.

As an example, he cited the commission's role in funneling nearly $800,000 to Lake Elsinore for the installation of sidewalks.

"We've improved the safety of children walking to and from school because of that," he said.

Also, the city obtained $2 million to overhaul the Interstate 15/Highway 74 interchange, a project now under way, he said.

He said he is looking forward to the challenge of trying to bring commuter rail service down the I-15 corridor. While plans are in the works for extending Metrolink rail service along I-215, Magee believes the I-15 corridor ought to be served by rail as well.

"It has been shown statistically that expanding Metrolink service gets cars off 91," said Magee of the major freeway connecting western Riverside County with Orange County.

Contact staff writer Michael J. Williams at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2635, or mwilliams@californian.com.