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Analysts aboard for rail hub
Vegas the logical spot for such development, Brookings says
Chris Morris
Thursday, Oct. 8, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Las Vegas offers more direct connections than most
Rank - Metro area - Connections
- 1. Atlanta - 145
- 2. Chicago - 133
- 3. Denver - 127
- 4. Dallas-Fort Worth - 124
- 5. Minneapolis-St. Paul - 122
- 6. Detroit - 114
- 7. Houston - 109
- 8. Charlotte - 98
- 9. Las Vegas - 97
- 10 New York-Northern New Jersey - 96
- 14. Salt Lake City - 84
- 15. Phoenix - 83
- 35. Albuquerque - 35
- 49. Tucson - 22
- 57. Boise City - 18
- 64. Colorado Springs - 15
- Source: Brookings Institution
On-time
Intermountain West airports deliver some of the best on-time performances in the nation. Experts attribute this to clear skies and plenty of open space around airports.
% arriving on time - % departing on time - average delay (in minutes)
- Salt Lake City - 86%-88.6%-50.3
- Phoenix - 83.1% -83.7%-48.6
- Albuquerque - 83%-86.1%-49.1
- Boise City - 82.6%-87.3%-51
- Tucson - 82.1%-88.6%-49.1
- Las Vegas - 81.4-81.4-51.1
- Denver - 80.4%-80.9%-53.9
- Colorado Springs - 79.9%-86.6%-53.9
- Intermountain West - 82.3%-85.4%-50.7
- Top 100 metros - 78.8%-84.5%-56.7
- National 76.1%-81.1%-56.8
- Source: Brookings Institution
Sun Archives
- Six Questions for Robert Lang (9-10-2009)
- The potential for prosperity in Las Vegas (9-9-2009)
- Experts: Despite downturn, Las Vegas has hope (9-8-2009)
- Washington think tank with ideas for the West starts UNLV partnership (9-8-2009)
- UNLV forms partnership with Brookings Institution (9-2-2009)
Brookings Institution Annoucement
The Brookings Institution and UNLV announced its new Mountain West Initiative Tuesday morning at UNLV's Greenspun Hall.
A new analysis of air travel in the Intermountain West suggests Las Vegas would be an ideal hub for a high-speed rail network and — because of the heavy load of travelers between McCarran International Airport and Southern California — is primed for a high-speed rail link connecting the two regions.
The report, prepared by the centrist Brookings Institution, points out that McCarran is one of the busiest short-haul airports in the country, shuttling millions of travelers to and from Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, Salt Lake City and other Western cities. About 3.7 million passengers shuttled between Las Vegas and Los Angeles in the year ending March 2009.
The data would seem to provide fresh evidence for advocates of high-speed rail. Transportation experts say high-speed rail makes the most sense for two large, tightly linked metropolitan areas 200 to 500 miles apart.
“Your region has come late to the high-speed rail scrimmage, but this evidence suggests that there’s a legitimate claim to be made,” said Mark Muro, a co-author of the report and a senior fellow at Brookings, which recently formed a partnership with UNLV.
The high-speed rail debate has kicked up since the election of President Barack Obama, whose administration budgeted $8 billion in seed money for a series of rail links across the country, including one from here to Southern California, which provides as much as one-third of Vegas tourist traffic on a given weekend.
The Las Vegas-L.A. rail idea has been mocked by some Republicans, who called it the “Disney Train” or the “Gambling Train,” though the volume of air and car traffic from here to Southern California would seem to suggest that if high-speed rail should be built anywhere, it’s here, Muro said.
“Our point here is that the criteria in corridor decisions are unfolding in a highly political, quite rhetorical, facts-come-last environment, and that the evidence ought to be considered,” Muro added.
Stephen Van Beek, president of the Eno Transportation Foundation, a transportation think tank, agreed: “Vegas is the right type of market for high-speed rail.”
For now, however, a rail link to Southern California, which has been discussed for decades, faces significant obstacles.
There are two competing visions for high-speed rail here. This summer Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced his support for DesertXpress, the proposed 150-mph, privately operated train — to be financed in part with government loans — that would travel to Victorville, the high-desert community 80 miles from Los Angeles.
Supporters of a competing magnetic levitation train haven’t surrendered their hopes for the $12 billion, publicly financed 300-mph line that would carry passengers between Las Vegas and Orange County.
The Brookings report raises other important issues for national and regional transportation officials, chiefly on the issue of air traffic congestion.
Policymakers have some breathing room to confront the issue of congestion because the recession has decreased air traffic. Especially hit is McCarran, where the passenger count has dropped from a peak of nearly 48 million passengers in 2007 to an expected 40 million this year.
An expansion will bring McCarran’s capacity to 53 million passengers in 2012.
But transportation officials say congestion — and long delays that result — will return. The Brookings report suggests “congestion pricing” — higher taxes for flights during peak times and lower taxes for off-peak; more money for the busiest airports, which currently receive a lower proportional share because Congress must distribute money to small airports to get needed political support; as well as quicker implementation of new air traffic control technologies.
Randall Walker, director of Clark County’s Aviation Department, noted that with a national, interconnected aviation system, there are no easy solutions.
He said the airport has never viewed itself as a servant of the airlines, and said he supports the idea of high-speed rail as a transportation option between here and Southern California.
The idea isn’t universally supported, however.
Gabriel Roth, a research fellow at the Independent Institute, said the billions proposed for high-speed rail would amount to a massive taxpayer subsidy for the train’s middle- and upper-income passengers, whereas road and air passengers pay their own way with user taxes, such as the gas tax.
“I’m skeptical of anything for which customers are not prepared to pay. That’s my critique,” he said.
Mass transit advocates reply that drivers and airline passengers receive all kinds of subsidies of their own.
Roth advocates a dedicated, high-speed bus lane as more efficient and cost effective.
Rail advocates point to advantages of a high-speed rail link other than just less congestion. Pete Dronkers of Environment Nevada notes that high-speed rail would create one-fourth the pollution of comparable air travel and one-third that of auto traffic.
Van Beek said that after decades of failing to develop a comprehensive transportation plan that coordinates all modes, now is the time: “What policymakers need to do at a national level and the regional level is look at all alternatives and determine costs and benefits.”
Discussion: 29 comments so far…
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The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
Another boondoggle for contractors.
This it It! Bugsy envisioned this way back in '46 when this town was really becoming hip. A bullet train between southern California and Vegas is a dream come true fo anyone who has driven that miserable interstate across the desert in what always seems to be either heat oppressive, wind driven or freezing cold, Icy..you name it! Lets not even get started about the endless construction back ups, blasting etc... Then there is the traffic nuff said! I applaud a bullet train! get everyone out of their cars and together for some good card games, mabey even a bar car with a little casino on board! Lastly a five hour drive whittled down to approx. 1.5 hours 300 mph? sign me up!!
Comment removed by staff. Contained an advertisement.
For those not familiar with what this 300mph Maglev train exactly is, take a look at these videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8nazrmtu...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJvq-DMez...
This technology is not cheap to build but due to its superior track alignment capabilities and low maintenance and operating costs, the maglev financially surpasses regular high-speed rail in only about 5 years. And that's not considering its value as a tourist attraction and as a compelling display of the true, enterprising American spirit.
Always remember that the word anal--------yst begins with ANAL and that is what we have here. This country of ours is loosing manufacturing jobs daily and here we spend money for enetertainment. First let's fix the problem that pays individuals then we can worry about entertainment. When a country looses manufacturing jobs it looses the rock foundation that it was built on. Back in the 1980s some idiotic moron had the bright idea that we would become the worlds service sector what a huge mistake.
The strength of this nation is innovation, and the enemy of innovation is the Party of No, the party that wants thing to remain the way they were, the party that cheers when America loses. The Republican Party, enemy of American progress.
A high speed bus lane??? That makes way too much sense. They'll never go for it.
I luv the Sun! Makes me laugh.
You can post all the high tech studies you want. Bottom line is nobody is going to take Reid's political train to nowhere (Victorville)...
Randy Walker is not an expert. His opinion is fine to quote but to has no weight or interest.
Old men trying to look into the future with old antique ideas is not too smart.
Doesn't anyone here go to Europe or Asia and see how it's really done? Yes, they know how to do it.
When the Sun wants to give bogus credibility to some hack liberal organization, it calls it "centrist" hoping that we'll take them at their word. For decades, the Brookings Institute has been known as a left-leaning organization. Even the New York Times calls them that. Another nice try, Sun, but I'll be here every time you try to run a line of BS past your readership, to which you regularly condescend.
High Speed Rail is great if you're rich (either a contractor, developer or rider) but bad if you're poor or are a taxpayer (high speed rail tends to service wealthier people on average). High speed rail also fails to make profits almost anywhere it operates requiring millions in taxpayer subsidies.
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_...
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_...
from "High Speed Rail is Not "Interstate 2.0"",
First, before Congress approved the Interstate Highway System, it had a good idea how much it would cost. In contrast, Congress approved $8 billion for high-speed rail without knowing the total cost, which is likely to be at least $90 billion.
Second, highway users paid for interstate highways, whereas high-speed rail will be almost entirely subsidized by general taxpayers who will rarely use it.
Third, interstate highways connect all 48 contiguous states and major metropolitan areas. The FRA's high-speed rail plan consists of six unconnected networks that reach only 33 states and less than two-thirds of the nation's 100 largest urban areas.
Fourth, the average American traveled 4,000 miles on interstates in 2007. High-speed rail proponents optimistically estimate that the average American would ride the FRA's high-speed rail system less than 60 miles per year.
Finally, interstate highways improved social welfare by increasing highway safety. In contrast, far from saving energy and reducing pollution, high-speed rail would actually increase energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions
I really like beautiful Victorville. Sooo much to do there.
How can I get there fast?
I see that the one=note shill for Cato, Patrick_R_Gibbons, is at it again.
"Highway users paid for interstate highways."
BUNK. Federal and state taxpayer dollars paid for federal and state highways.
"interstate highways connect all 48 contiguous states and major metropolitan areas."
Only after the massive project was finished! It certainly did not when they first started pouring asphault.
the average American traveled 4,000 miles... on interstates in 2007...the average American would ride the FRA's high-speed rail system less than 60 miles per year..."
What is that? More slanted Cato crap? See rebuttal to above non-point; it applies here, too.
"far from saving energy and reducing pollution, high-speed rail would actually increase energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions"
What a patently dishonest regurgitator of right-wing pap you are. As if a single vessel efficiently whisking 300 passengers directly from L.A. to Las Vegas is going to consume MORE fossil fuels than all of them coming separately (or even doubled up) in all their gas-guzzling cars and SUV's!! Utter garrrbahhhjjj.
This is the Joke of the Day. Who paid for the so-called "Study?"
They better hurry.....Vegas is going to be a ghost town, ruins of a bad bet, real soon!
Food for Thought:
If you think MAGLEV is a bad idea, then WHY do we keep on working on the BUILD OUT of McCarran...?
(What's wrong -or right- with this picture...
Victorville is the western end of *phase 1* of DesertXPress. The original idea for phase 2 was an extension through Cajon Pass to LA/Anaheim, but it was never more than very vaguely defined.
Now, the most likely concept for phase 2 is a connector to the California HSR starter line, either via a greenfield right of way between Victorville and Palmdale or preferably, one along the existing SR-58 corridor between Barstow and Mojave.
Provided DX choose rolling stock, electrification and signaling/train control systems that are compatible with California HSR - something that federal loan guarantees should require - that would permit *direct* service from Las Vegas to LA, Anaheim, the Central Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area around 2020 and to Sacramento and San Diego a few years later. If the technology is compatible, all DX would need are trackage rights.
Granted, no-one has committed to building a connector or to 100% compatible technology yet, but that is precisely what the city of Las Vegas, Clark county and the state of Nevada - not to mention Californians - should be demanding. Design an integrated HSR network, not isolated rail lines.
There isn't going to be any right of way for maglev west of Colton/Ontario, nor should Nevadans expect California's congressional delegation to support an application for federal funding to bring this fundamentally incompatible technology across the state line.
@Rafael: you're right about the need for an integrated high-speed network.
But you're wrong about the technology: build the network using the far superior maglev technology and then your soo-loved old-style rail will become isolated.
Maglev is the future. Why are we even having this phony debate? The cabal that wants to put together the Desert Xpress just see's the payoffs, the commissions on secret land deals, and the exorbitant consultant fees they can slice off the project at the front end. Just like all the white elephant monstrosities lining Las Vegas Boulevard (Fountain Bleu, City Center, Trump Tower, etc., etc.), the white collar criminal class rapes the economy going in, and then leaves the last-stage investors and the public holding the bag.
Just say NO to the Desert Xpress!
Americans made a huge mistake by putting all our travel options in one basket. The airlines are really quite fragile as we all know when they were grounded for a week or so back on 9/11.
We can't all just rent cars to drive back home if something like that happens again. We need more travel options that we can build today and for a reasonable price.
None of that budget busting mag-lev crap seeings how the days of spending money like drunken sailors is behind us for a while..
Real travel options like high speed rail.
Why does it have to be the 300 mph mag lev? What's wrong with the 150 mph train - but make it go to Anaheim instead of Victorville. That's a compromise that would ease congestion, cost less, and actually be realistic.
DTJ once again you disappoint me! you must look beyond the predictable corruption which always follows public works projects, I mean, the big dig in Boston, the subway in Los Angeles both are examples of how and where the fiscal mistakes were made ie inspector bribery, outside vendors etc.Officials of this project can and must be held accountable to prevent whenever and wherever possible back room corruption occurs. The bigger and critical picture here is the vital increased tourism, and even possible a way for businesses to locate out here with a new venue of commuting to and from LA. It is nothing but win win for us on both tourism and business diversity which you said yourself must be pursued out here for our recovery. C'mon DTJ get on board!!
lets just build more cars and more lanes on the 15....better yet lets have a wagon train lane that wont cost much becuase wagon train seem more in line with republican thought.. thats about as conservative form of transpotation as you can get besides walking.....
Rocco : I have absolutely no idea what your point is here...
If Maglev is the future, why isn't it implemented in more countries? And why is Germany, the country associated with its origin, not using the system? DesertXpress goes 200 miles into California as opposed to Maglev's first phase -- Primm.
The thing is this, Las Vegas needs this high speed Train! It will bring a steady flow of visitors into the state from California. It takes that miserable 5 hour drive across Interstate 15 down to an hour and a half comfortable ride. It will entice businesses to relocate in Vegas, allow for commuting between Vegas and LA, and also the train ride alone will be an attraction, What a blast it will be to shoot across the Mojave Desert at 300 MPH! Everyone on board for the Bullet Train!!
What about the first and last mile? They will never sell enough tickets to pay for these trains because they provide an level of service that is very inferior to the car.
Put the car on the train!!!
MagLev is the future, like Neutron Accelerators and Fusion electricity generation. We need planners able to read and heed this:
http://www.theoildrum.com/files/Lionel%2...
Brookings, have you anyone in attendance at the ASPO-USA conference in Denver 11-13? Analyze that information and get back to us on your railway policy position. Freight railway capacity with regard to moving perishables, victuals & necessities of life cargo is paramount in motor fuel rationing scenario.
Las Vegas as rail hub is most practical with new rail line running north to Reno, NV. Senators Reid & Ensign should talk to Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) and STUDY the comprehensive Peaking Oil powerpoint program Bartlett has produced on the Energy Emergency.
Miner's canary is Mexican ability to export oil, important to US Southwest Happy Motoring. See "Canterell" and related reports on Mexican Oil export limitations. Worldwide depletion rates on major fields is in this same pattern, and points to inability to raise aggregate output of motor fuel beyond ceiling reached Summer 2008.
Las Vegas SUN Editors are situated to interview Energy Authorities like Matthew Simmons, Richard Heinberg, Boone Pickens and Jan Lundberg. We anticipate faithful action, and accurate report, Ladies & Gentlemen. California HSR Board of Directors are also invited to join this research, and the Maglev crowd too! Let's all get on the same page, if we want to play trains in Las Vegas...
While the politicians dither about on this energy emergency, some private corporate investment has to step up and forward capital for railway expansion, extension, and address dormant agricultural traffic branchline rebuild, return to service. Truck oriented Home Depot, WalMart, UPS & USPS are interested in rail as trucking falters. Did someone say the Mormons have a stake in keeping the cargo moving?