Transcript Learning From Phoenix: Why Build Light Rail in the Las Vegas Valley?

LEARNING FROM PHOENIX: WHY BUILD
LIGHT RAIL IN THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY?
ROBERT LANG, PH.D. | PROFESSOR & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
BROOKINGS MOUNTAIN WEST | THE LINCY INSTITUTE
GREENSPUN COLLEGE | UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS
My Academic Background
Urban Planning Chair/
Professor at Virginia
Tech in Alexandria, VA
Urban/Public Affairs
Professor at UNLV’s
Greenspun College
Ex. Director & Senior
Fellow in DC at The
Brookings Institution
What’s in This Talk?
Case Study from the
Phoenix Metro System:
A “Windshield Survey”
The Case for Light Rail:
Traffic Congestion and
Economic Development
A Version of the Phoenix
Metro System Could Work
in Las Vegas
Phoenix Metro Windshield Survey
Created on 12/30/2015 by
Robert Lang by Filming
the Phoenix Metro Rail
Purpose is to Show
Streetscapes and Land
Uses Near Light Rail
Also Shows the Feel, Flow,
and Look of a Ride on the
Phoenix Metro
Phoenix Metro Windshield Survey
Method: Observe Out Any
Windshield and Report on
What You See
The Recordings by Video
and Photos are Shot on
an iPhone 6S
Urban Planners Use This to
Document the Evolving
Urban Street Scene
Why Study The Phoenix System?
The System is the Most
Relevant for What Las
Vegas is Planning
Phoenix is Physically
More Like Las Vegas than
Denver or Salt Lake City
I Did a Sabbatical in 2006
at ASU and saw the Metro
System Begin to Emerge
First Up: Video Shot Along Central Ave
Dubbed the “Innovation
Corridor” a Mixed-Use,
Walkable, Urban Space
Three Videos Show the
Train Moving North from
Downtown to Midtown
Video Records Over the
Driver’s Shoulder in Real
Time at Front of Train
New York City
Video 1: Downtown to Midtown
Video 2: Downtown to Midtown
Video 3: Downtown to Midtown
What You See: Multifamily Housing
What You See: More Housing
What You See: Offices
What You See: Dorms, Hotels, Offices
What You See: Rail/Air/Car Connections
Who Did I Meet on the Train?
Millennials: People Who
Live, Work, Play and go to
College Along the Line
Seniors: Many of Whom
Live in the East Valley
and Avoided Driving
Park & Ride Commuters:
Downtown Workers who
Left Cars at End Stations
Now Lets Look at Congestion
What Force Most Limits
Growth Capacity in the
Las Vegas Tourist
Economy?
Is it the Airport? The
Convention Center?
The Number of Rooms?
Or Could it be Surface
Transportation
Congestion?
Basic Concepts: Street Forms
Basic Concepts: Car/Transit/Bike
Basic Concepts: Grid vs. Superblock
Superblock vs. Grid: Las Vegas
Street Form—Traffic Flow—Density
If the Street System is Not Designed to Carry “High
Load” or Does NOT Contain Multiple Diffusion
Points, Every Increment of New Built Density Will
Add a Greater Increment in Traffic Congestion.
If the Street System in Urbanizing Space is NOT
Supported by Rail-Based Transit, Every Increment
of New Built Density Will Add a Greater Increment in
Traffic Congestion.
Midtown Manhattan versus Las Vegas Strip: New
York Can Manage Much Greater Crowd/Commuters/
Tourists Per Square Mile Than Las Vegas Because it
Has a Complete Grid and Rail-Based Transit.
Congestion-Relief Cost/Impact Matrix
Enhancement
Type
Infrastructure
Change
Scale and Type
of Impact
Estimated
Cost Range
Reprogram
Traffic Flows
for Events
Redo Traffic
Signals; Time
Maintenance
Marginally
Improves
Traffic Flow
$
A Million or
Less
Widen Key
Intersections/
Roadways
Add More Turn
Lane Capacity
On Streets
Modestly
Reduces
Congestion
$$
Tens of
Millions
Break Up
Superblocks
w/Street Grid
Cut Relief
Streets Out
East of Strip
Significantly
Improves
Traffic Flow
$$$
A Hundred
Million or More
Construct
Integrated Rail
Transit
Link Key
Assets by a
Rail System
Expands
Capacity for
Moving People
$$$$
Hundreds of
Millions
Biggest Metros in the Mountain West
Phoenix, Denver, Las
Vegas, and Salt Lake
City: Three of Four Have
Integrated Rail Systems
that Link to the Airport
Every Big Metro in the
West, But Las Vegas, is
Actively Building Rail
Between Key Assets
Such as Convention
Centers, Downtowns,
Ball Parks and Airports
Las Vegas Monorail Map, 2015
Note the Limited Number of Stops and the Disconnect
With Key Regional Assets Such as McCarran Airport
Las Vegas Strip—Transit Map
Current Map of All
Monorail Transit Along
the Las Vegas Strip
There is a Single FeeBased System East of
The Strip and 3 Separate
Free Systems West of
The Strip Attached to
MGM Properties
The 4 Systems are NOT
Integrated and None
Reach McCarran Airport
Big Picture: Economic Development
Congestion is Limiting
Tourism but There are
Other Reasons for Rail
First is Real Estate
Investment Along Rail
Lines—Phoenix
Estimates $7 Billion
Along the Rail Line One
Sees Construction Sites
and Land Preparation
Big Picture: Economic Development
Beyond Construction
and Real Estate is the
New Industry Mix
Consider the Phoenix
Innovation Corridor:
Rail Attracts Tech
A Key Reason is
Workforce—Millennials
Want Walkable Places
Questions?
We Have Some Time
for Q & A for Both
Talks
Just Raise Your Hand
and We Will Get You a
Mike
Please Keep the
Questions Short and
Direct
Thank
You
https://www.unlv.edu/brookingsmtnwest/special-events/light-rail