 |
in Southern Nevada |
|
in Southern Nevada |
Southern Nevada is similar to other major metropolitan areas in that traffic and transportation are major issues. Traffic congestion and drive times have markedly increased in the last several years. In 1990, the average Las Vegas Valley work trip took 16 minutes and this increased to 34 minutes in 1996. However, Southern Nevada road systems continue to operate at service levels that exceed conditions in other large cities.
In recent years, we have seen numerous improvements to the Southern Nevada transportation system. Examples include the Desert Inn Super Arterial, significant progress on the beltway, grade separated pedestrian crossings of the Las Vegas Strip, and rapid expansion of the Regional Transportation Commission’s CAT (Citizens Area Transit) bus fleet. I-15 Improvements continue to be made, the “Spaghetti Bowl” is currently under reconstruction, and plans are underway for U.S. 95 improvements to the northwest. Many of these projects have been made possible by the 1991 voter approved Question 10. Question 10 authorized collection of six funding measures to be used for transportation system improvements including:
- ¼¢ Sales Tax
- 5¢ Gasoline Tax
- New Residential and Commercial Development Tax
- 1% Vehicle Privilege Tax
- 4¢ Jet Fuel Tax
- 1% Hotel Room Tax
These revenue sources establish a basis for continued transportation improvements. Beltway plans have been accelerated to have an interim facility in place by 2003. Continued grade separated east/west crossings of the Strip are planned. I-15 will be widened into California and numerous other projects are underway or planned. While aggressive road system improvement plans are in place, there are indications that these will not be enough to provide a network with reasonably expected or even tolerable peak hour drive times.
Southern Nevada also faces uncertainties and potential transportation system expansion constraints resulting from Federal Air Quality Regulations. At the same time, given planned and underway resort construction, we need to anticipate visitor volume increases from the current 30 million per year to well above 40 million per year while adding over 1 million new residents. Ease of movement within the resort corridor will be crucial to maintaining Southern Nevada’s attractiveness as a resort destination. If there is one factor that can contribute toward addressing the need for people movement while achieving air quality compliance, it is mass transit. We must find ways to strike appropriate balances between transportation systems, development patterns, air quality considerations, and funding sources.
A multi-faceted approach to addressing transportation needs must be continued. Accelerated road system improvements need to be combined with programs designed to reduce the number of vehicle trips. These programs include:
Transportation System Management (TSM)
TSM includes actions to enhance roadway operations and capacity.
Specific TSM items that are or need to be recognized in RTC, NDOT, and local jurisdiction plans include:
- Intelligent transportation system measures and facilities for the freeway system
- Access management standards
- Continued grade-separated pedestrian crossings along Las Vegas Boulevard.
- State of the art transportation control upgrades to the traffic signal network
Transportation Demand Management (TDM)
TDM programs are designed to reduce total vehicle trips by reducing the amount of single occupancy vehicles commuting during peak hours. TDM programs need to be developed in partnership with potentially affected parties.Mass Transit
Mass transit is a key component in reducing vehicle trip demands on the road system and in meeting air quality standards. The relatively brief five year history of the Regional Transportation Commission CAT bus system has been characterized by dramatic increases in service and ridership. CAT ridership is now at over 41 million passengers per year including 105,000 residential route passengers per day. Paratransit options are also available. Future challenges include finding ways to encourage greater proportions of Southern Nevada vehicle trips by alternative methods to the automobile.Extensive planning efforts have been undertaken in regard to fixed guideway systems by the Regional Transportation Commission and the private sector. Because of the massive investment these systems require, development of a privately funded system is encouraged. Further study of a public system from a need/benefit/cost standpoint is needed.
Land Use
Better linkages between land use and transportation planning need to be incorporated into the plans of Southern Nevada governmental entities. Plans should increasingly promote jobs/housing balance in order to lessen the need for commuter trips. This can be done through policies and actions that direct more housing to current concentrations of jobs and more jobs to outlying areas. Also, alternative development forms that decrease automobile dependence by providing walking/bicycling alternatives and transit friendly design need to be explored.Airport
A primary element of the Southern Nevada transportation system is McCarran International Airport. McCarran is one of the dozen busiest airports in the United States, serving over 30 million passengers annually and providing a crucial support link for the Southern Nevada economy. The Clark County Department of Aviation has done a commendable job of keeping airport facilities ahead of the growth curve during rapid expansions in visitor volumes and resident population. Avoiding air traffic constraints is a primary objective for Southern Nevada. This will require the continued coordinated development of the Las Vegas valley’s airports and airspace, and the foresight to look beyond the immediate valley for potential new airport sites to meet demand over the long-term.The SNSPA Needs Assessment Committee has identified continued street and highway construction as a priority for meeting transportation system needs. The Committee also recognized the need to develop TSM and TDM measures while continuing to provide mass transit through the bus system. A publicly financed resort corridor fixed guideway system was not supported at this time because of the massive capital needs. The committee believes that further study and public involvement in the decision making process is warranted before a commitment to a publicly financed fixed guideway system is made.
The SNSPA Infrastructure Finance Committee has found that there are sufficient revenue sources to meet 10-year street and highway construction needs. However, short-term financing may be needed to accelerate projects in early years of the 10-year Capital Improvements Plan. Other short term lags in bringing facilities on line are apparent. Construction lags can occur in several ways including the relative recency of Question 10 with associated time for the funding sources to build. At the same time, local entities must have all funds in place before design, bid, contract, and construction procedures can be commenced. A legislative change to permit “design/build” construction practices for projects that have stable revenue sources can reduce lag time by up to 20%.
OBJECTIVES STRATEGIES A. Place top priority on street and highway construction programs by accelerating existing construction plans. 1. Identify and pursue methods of achieving enhanced regional oversight of transportation system planning and construction.
2. Pursue timely completion of planned improvements to the Southern Nevada freeway system.
3. Pursue timely completion of planned improvements to I-15 in California and Nevada.
4. Implement planned construction of major resort corridor projects which increase east-west travel across the Las Vegas “Strip”.
5. Work with the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) to ensure that state road construction projects in Southern Nevada are funded in proportion to capital construction needs generated by growth in Southern Nevada.
6. Encourage all local and regional entities to privatize and use other measures to accelerate road construction.
7. Pursue legislative changes to allow “design-build” methods of road construction projects that have stable future revenue sources.
B. Expand and implement Transportation Management Systems (TSM) programs. 1. Implement Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) measures.
2. Continue to install grade separated pedestrian crossings along Las Vegas Boulevard.
3. Install state of the art traffic signalization management through up grades to the Las Vegas Area Computer Traffic System (LVACTS).
4. Develop and implement access management programs that improve the efficiency of the existing road network.
5. Develop and implement uniform Improvement Standards across Southern Nevada jurisdictions.
6. Las Vegas Valley local government entities develop a Sawtooth Street Elimination Program (uniform light weight paving programs) by 2000 and substantially complete the program within five years.7. Develop and implement a consistent program across Las Vegas Valley jurisdictions to provide bus turn-outs for bus stops located on arterial streets.
C. Establish Transportation Demand Management Programs (TDM) to decrease peak hour single occupancy vehicle (SOV) trips in Southern Nevada. 1. Study, develop and implement TDM programs in partnership with the Regional Transportation Commission, major employers, unions, Chamber of Commerce, Nevada Resort Association, and other potentially affected parties.
2. Explore creation of a Transportation Management Association through a partnership of the Regional Transportation Commission, major employers and business interests such as the Chamber of Commerce to implement TDM programs.
D. Promote sustainable, livable communities through a multi-faceted planning approach. 1. Encourage the Regional Transportation Commission to do more transportation planning and work with local jurisdictions to establish linkages between transportation, land use, and air quality planning.
2. Adopt policies on a regional basis that encourage jobs/housing balance in land use plans.
3. Adopt policies on a regional basis that encourage pedestrian and transit friendly development.
4. The Clark County Regional Transportation Commission should be allowed to contract directly for the execution of capital projects rather than discharging them exclusively through interlocal contracts when it facilitates accelerated project construction.
5. Long-term capital planning needs to be undertaken in an atmosphere of responding to community needs on a timely and effective basis. It appears, that capital planning for some infrastructure is occurring in a restrictive horizon of available funding, which may inhibit the ability to meet needs. Capital planning should be done independent of revenue projections, then financial planning could be used to identify ways to bridge the gap between identified needs and revenues. If gaps cannot be bridged, needs and/or revenues would then need to be adjusted.
E. Provide a balanced and coordinated mass transit transportation system. 1. Continue to provide a mass transit bus system.
2. Maintain, operate and expand the bus system within the parameters of current revenue sources (current 1/4 cent sales tax, Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funds, farebox and advertising revenues).
3. Identify future mass transit needs and funding strategies to meet these needs.
4. Examine the feasibility and acceptability of supplementing school bus transportation for high school students through public mass transit and weigh potential cost savings.
5. Support and promote efforts to establish AMTRAK and a high speed inter city passenger train system linking the Las Vegas Valley with Southern California.
6. Support the California - Nevada Super Speed Train Commission’s efforts to secure funding for a Magnetic Levitation (meg-lev) demonstration project with the goal of establishing a meg-lev connection between the Las Vegas valley and Southern California.
F. Explore a fixed guideway mass transit system based on economic feasibility. 1. Encourage creation of an independent entity with representatives from the public and private sector to assess the feasibility of a public fixed guideway system.
2. Conduct an independent validation of the regional transportation model through an open, participatory process within two years.
3. If a public fixed guide way system is feasible, the independent private/public partnership should serve as a steering committee for the funding, design, construction and operation of the system.
4. Encourage private sector construction of a fixed guideway system in the resort corridor and coordination/integration with any publicly financed fixed guide way system. Future public expenditures to support operations and maintenance of a privately constructed system and/or public takeover of the system are not supported.
G. Provide state-of-the-art airport/aviation facilities and services adequate to accommodate the needs of Southern Nevada residents and visitors. 1. Through a continuing phased development program, ensure McCarran International Airport has the airfield facilities and capacities adequate to meet increasing air passenger travel demands while ensuring the highest standards for safety and convenience.
2. Market Las Vegas as a domestic and international travel destination, and seek to secure increased seat capacity to sustain future growth.
3. Work to see that aviation’s needs are considered during the development of land use and transportation plans for the Las VegasValley to foster compatible land development within the airports’ environs and to provide sufficient ground access capacity.
4. Develop general aviation and reliever airports which complement McCarran International Airport as elements of the Clark County Airport System.
5. Evaluate and plan for new airport sites which might serve the long-term air passenger and air cargo needs of Southern Nevada.