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twitterBill introduced to bring light rail system to Clark County
Published Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2009 | 3:19 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009 | 11:33 a.m.
Sun archives
CARSON CITY – A light rail system connecting Henderson and the proposed new airport in Ivanpah, south of Las Vegas, could be a gold mine, says Sen. Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas.
Schneider has introduced Senate Bill 115 to require local governments to work cooperatively to establish a fixed guideway corridor from Henderson to North Las Vegas. Local governments would determine the route and to the “extent practicable, acquire and use any rights-of-way necessary.”
The light rail system could be fueled by solar power from Boulder City, he said.
The bill would establish three interconnected corridors in Clark County along the Union Pacific Railroad.
One would run between Nevada State College and the South Strip Intermodal Transportation Terminal off Sunset Road. Another would run from the South Strip terminal to the downtown Las Vegas transportation terminal, and the third would run between the downtown Las Vegas terminal and the proposed North Las Vegas regional campus of UNLV.
The bill requires the corridor to include, to the extent possible, the Henderson branch of the Union Pacific Railroad.
A proposal by the Regional Transportation Commission in 2007 to build a 33-mile light rail along that branch was strongly opposed by Green Valley residents who live along the right-of-way. The RTC board changed its priorities for mass transit in the Las Vegas Valley in light of the opposition.
The bill does not mention the proposed Ivanpah airport, but Schneider suggested after he introduced the bill that it could extend that far.
Clark County is struggling to meet federal air quality standards and the system could aid in that effort, as well as relieve traffic congestion, he said.
The bill was referred to the Senate Energy, Infrastructure and Transportation Committee.
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I like to smoke dope, too, but this is the nuttiest article I have read in years. So we simply build a rail system from NLV to Ivanpah, using solar power from Boulder City. No problem. Man, the monorail is a complete disaster, and it was built with private money. And won't ever be able to get to McCarran Airport, a couple of miles away. Sure, the government can build a better system. Can you say Yucca? Clark County Courthouse? The only thing we can build here is subdivisions on top of toxic waste areas. Right, Henderson? Next will be the 3 Billion dollar waterpipe by the SNWRA-the PMS-the Pat Mulroy Scheme to suck water from far, far away....
Another democrat wanting to spend billions to make his area a gold mine? Why do all the GREAT ideas involve taking my money and yours and spending it on someone's dream to get reelected?
Did he really say Solar? Doesn't he know the solar produced near BC goes to Cali? Why doesn't he just propose putting a wind farm at Trop and Paradise; makes about enough sense.
If it is a cloudy day then the train will not run.
This might help:
1. Light rail is not a monorail, so get over yourself. It is used successfully in 100's of cities, including those hotbeds of liberal thought like Dallas, Central Georgia, and Utah's greater Salt Lake area.
2. Solar thermal in Boulder City is being purchased by NV Energy from Acciona(though the plant there is not ideal and was built by a bunch of folks not from Nevada)... but nonetheless, it's a good idea and you could always back the system up with energy from the grid.
3. I think it's fair to say that Senator Schneider was implying the project would be a "gold mine" for the community, not himself. He was just re-elected in 2008, but I'm guessing he'd like to stay there, so sure, this could help him get re-elected.
4. This would be nothing like the proposed pipeline, which is a non-sustainable and ill-conceived plan. Our air shed in the valley has been in non-attainment for some time and asthma rates continue to climb. A light rail would relieve congestion and improve air quality.
Cheers
Actually the LV Monorail is more successful in passenger count on a per mile bases of line then San Diego, and many of the other cities light rail you quote. Also a monorail while costing more to construct per linear mile of line it does not need additional land or right of ways as it can be built elevated above existing roads. While light rail constuction is realitively cheap the land costs for the additional right of ways needed often inflate the costs to similary match the overall project costs of a monorail.
In fact the LV Monorail actually turns an operational profit. The failure in comparing the monorail to any of the light rail projects you named is that those were all built by the government. In turn they don't need to pay back their original construction costs.
You eliminate those costs from LV Monorail and it would be more successful then many of the publicly built light rails named.
"If it is a cloudy day then the train will not run."
So we are to believe the engineers will never consider a cloudy day as a possibility? Somebody should tell them Jim. And frankly, I think you are just the man to do it!
I would pay to be on their end of the call when you do it! It would be worth it to see their faces when you spit those Einstonian words out.
A light rail systems might be just what this infrastructurally backwards town needs. Not only does it connect our communities without increasing traffic, it provides jobs. Look at Portland--they have a huge light rail system and Tri-Met is one of the cities biggest employers. If you cant see how projects like these elevate and modernize the community and create jobs, then you are ignorant.
Maybe it's just me but it appears that our country (and perhaps the rest of the world)is in very deep trouble. Light rail may be a great idea for Las Vegas but only after we have demonstrated that we can pay our current bills (as a country) and have a firm plan to retire the debt. I would ask Sen. Schneider to focus on the immediate problems and put off any discussion of light rail until we are on a more solid footing.