Traffic computer model gives grim picture of future

Angela Soo

Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2001 | 10:55 a.m.

The future of Southern Nevada's air quality and transportation systems looked grim Tuesday, as a group of community leaders peaked down the road 20 years.

The Regional Transportation Commission Community Coalition, or RTC3, used a sophisticated computer program Tuesday that enabled them to plug in different transportation options to see how those changes would affect air quality, congestion, average speed and cost over the next two decades.

Members first took a look at what adding 1,000 high-speed lane miles in the next 20 years would do. The outlook was not promising.

Although the change had a noticeable effect on congestion, it did little to improve air quality and average speed.

Next they tried adding 250 rail miles. According to the transportation model, there would be an even smaller effect on congestion and average speed, but a slightly higher improvement to air quality.

Air quality will be a primary concern for this group, because millions of federal funds could be forfeited if air quality is not brought to federally mandated standards.

"Transportation is a large component of air pollution," said Jeff van Ee, an environmentalist on the RTC3 board. "We need to get people out of their cars more than ever and using alternative forms of transportation."

If the air quality situation does not improve at an acceptable rate, the RTC may have to take immediate measures that would inconvenience many drivers.

"We might have to start requiring consolidated smog checks, mandatory trip rides and tightening standards on diesel vehicles," RTC General Manager Jacob Snow said.

A consolidated smog check would mean drivers would have to take their cars once a year to a regulated smog check facility instead of a local gas station. The experience would be similar to taking a trip to the DMV, Snow said.

"About 20 percent of the fleet are causing 80 percent of the carbon monoxide problem because of illegal smog checks," Snow said.

Mandatory trip rides would require employers with 20 or more employees to have their workers either car pool or ride the bus. Areas that have a serious problem with a deteriorating ozone layer are required to enact such ridership laws, but Nevada is not at that stage yet, Snow said. "We're mainly struggling with our carbon monoxide problem," Snow said. "But we will eventually have an ozone problem."

Its members were given 11 transportation options from which to choose, including low-speed lanes, extra CAT buses and routes, rapid transit systems, rail lines, bike routes, as well as car pool and traffic signals and signs.