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Monday, Aug. 25, 2008 | 4:02 p.m.
Sun archives
- March 4, 2007 -- Light rail option is derailed
- Aug. 26, 2005 -- Residents speak out on RTC’s light rail plan
CARSON CITY – State Sen. Michael Schneider is pushing a plan for a Clark County light rail system.
“The ridership on rails is greater than on buses,” said Schneider, D-Las Vegas, adding that it’s needed to relieve Las Vegas Valley traffic jams.
He has asked for a bill to be drafted for the 2009 Legislature to require cities and Clark County to work together to use existing rights of way for the rail system. An existing rail spur passes through Boulder City, Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas. It also passes McCarran International Airport.
Schneider has been working with the Regional Transportation Commission on the bill.
Rail systems in Salt Lake City, San Diego and San Francisco are successful and Schneider said he thinks Southern Nevada is ready for a similar project.
If the fares wont cover the operating costs we don't need it. This is just another pipe dream that sucks money from taxpayers. If it costs more than people are willing to pay to ride it, it isn't an alternative, its just another state program.
It's about time. Public transit, for locals and visitors, in Las Vegas, is terrible. Light rail rapid transit, with lots of cars, running frequently, to popular destinations, is necessary. It will not pay for itself, but then again, neither do roadways, which cost a fortune in taxes. The benefits, as proven in countless cities around the country and the world, are myriad. Get started!
The question is NOT whether fares cover construction. They won't.
The question is this:
How many cars can light rail pull off roads? Not only now, but in the future.
Look at the US 95 corridor to the Northwest as an example.
Let's say there's 150,000 cars on U.S. 95 today, and it would cost $2 billion for a light rail system that would draw 50,000 riders daily.
Could you realistically expand the capacity of US 95 from 150,000 to 200,000 cars daily for less than $2 billion? (Given the construction costs for the last widening project, as well as estimates for I-15 widening and I-515 widening, I'd guess no.)
Nonetheless — I don't think US 95 is the corridor for this. I think Flamingo or Tropicana would be a better light rail corridor than the freeways — those are streets that just can't carry any more cars, plain and simple. It's time to think of another option for carrying more people through those corridors.
Any cheap ideas?
Best idea ever! Although, I'll probably die of old age before it's actually completed.
It's not just about the numbers - which certainly look more favorable with high gas prices - it's about the kind of city we want to have. Get people out of their cars to mingle on a modern, urban rail system and watch the humanity of the valley flourish. Granted, it won't all be wonderful, but there will be an authentic metropolitan flavor for sure.
This is a great idea because gas will only get higher.
And lets put it where people will use it. The monorail is a joke because it was done only to make gaming happy and as usual, based only on tourist issues. But, if they would actually put a light rail out to areas where the workers are who need to use it to go to work, or shop......they might actually get some people out of their cars and using it, and make enough ticket money to at least attempt to pay for part of it.