A peek at future traffic

Angela Soo

Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2001 | 9:50 a.m.

The gathering in a small conference room of the Regional Transportation Commission building stared anxiously last week at a projection screen, waiting to get a glimpse of what Southern Nevada's transportation systems would look like in 2020.

"I can't take the anticipation," said Jim Gans of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Then four graphs appeared on the projection screen to compare how building rail lines would affect air quality, cost, congestion and traffic speed.

The dozen people in the room cast doubtful looks that reflected the question Gans asked aloud.

"Could that be right?"

The graphs showed that buses would do as much to reduce air pollution as commuter rails for less money.

The demonstration was the debut of a computer model being developed by the Regional Transportation Commission over the past nine months for a community-based committee charged with helping the commission plan for the next 20 years.

The Regional Transportation Commission Community Coalition, or RTC3, was formed in December to look at Southern Nevada's transportation challenges from a community standpoint and to recommend possible solutions to the RTC at the year's end.

The group was to meet today at 4 p.m. in the Regional Transportation Commission/ Regional Flood Control District Administrative Building, 600 S. Grand Central Parkway.

A separate working group met last week to finalize the computer model.

The model, a little like the computer game Sim City, "allows them to test the possible outcomes from the changes they want to make without actually putting the changes in place," said Krystyna Stave, an assistant professor of environmental studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "They can test out things before incurring the cost."

Stave is designing the transportation model with her staff and planned to have it ready for today's meeting. But she cautions that the tool should only be used as a framework for discussion.

A few members of the coalition already had their ideas tested during last week's trial.

Those who supported rail lines to reduce congestion and improve air quality were surprised to find that putting more buses on the street could achieve the same effect but cost a lot less, assuming that no federal dollars are used.

They were also able to see how other options, such as an additional high- and low-speed lane on freeways or more bike routes, would affect transportation systems on a large scale.

Jeff van Ee, an environmental representative on the board, supported adding more buses over the next 20 years but was disappointed when the model did not show significant improvements to air quality.

"I'm glad that people are at least appreciating the relationship between air quality and transportation," van Ee said. "It's getting harder and harder to see the mountain now. If you can see the air you breathe, that's not a good thing."

The RTC3 includes representatives from UNLV, unions, local governments, environmental groups, the Clark County School District, the gaming industry, the business community, transportation agencies and RTC officials.

Such a broad coalition, RTC officials hope, will come up with ideas that will gain broad approval.

That's key because Clark County could lose $35 million in federal funding for transportation projects if air quality does not improve, RTC General Manager Jacob Snow said.

"We have these looming sanctions and enormous air quality challenges," Snow said. "It's forced us to get very creative."

The RTC3 also will consider planning ideas that could affect transportation needs.

"It makes sense to build a child-care center, market and shopping center all in the same area so that people don't have to drive a long distance for each stop," said Marcia Holmberg, an environmental studies representative of UNLV.

Jessica Hodge, a Sierra Club representative of the RTC3, said the group now has a better understanding of Southern Nevada's traffic woes.

"The RTC did a lot in educating the members and getting frank open dialogue," Hodge said. "I didn't realize how severe it was. People sit in traffic and don't really understand why or how it's happening."