j wrote on February 24, 2008 12:38 AM: This town is the worst as far as traffic goes. Add to that, the worst drivers ever, and poor to none urban planning.

How to improve? Look at this town from a resident point of view instead of constantly making it a tourist town.

j wrote on February 24, 2008 12:38 AM: This town is the worst as far as traffic goes. Add to that, the worst drivers ever, and poor to none urban planning.



How to improve? Look at this town from a resident point of view instead of constantly making it a tourist town.

Anthony wrote on February 24, 2008 12:09 AM: A buddy of mine tried to take CAT from Summerlin to UNLV 3 times a week. It took THREE hours each way. He'd always ask me what my schedule was and try to bum a ride when he could (I didn't mind since he was a good friend).

The immediate issue with subways is that people think it'll end up like LA's subway system and that it would cost something on the order of $10B if not more.

There is enough blame to go around...

The city and county officials who rubber stamp development without forcing developers to build adequate roads to and from the development.

Incompetent "intelligent transportation" officials who manually manage signal timing (its the 21st century, write an algorithm and connect the signals together via wireless).

NDOT poorly prioritizing projects and money:

-During the 80s and 90s project managers from Reno and Carson City would brag that they'd hadn't been down to Las Vegas to check on projects in years.
-Instead of making Blue Diamond Highway (SR 160) a grade separated highway with interchanges at the 15/Dean Martin, Decatur, Rainbow, Buffalo, Durango, etc etc, they made it a normal road with traffic lights every mile and eventually, half mile. Making everyone coming in from Parumph take Durango north to get on the 215 to get into town instead of stopping for every light...

jl wrote on February 24, 2008 12:07 AM: Mark, shut up. You're a broken record. The illegal immigrants are not the problem when it comes to the inadequate highways and zero public transportation in this city. The reasons are poor planning and the refusal of the public to accept real public transportation, a light rail system. NIMBY. Just push it through already and let them live with it.

mark wrote on February 23, 2008 07:11 PM: Why don't we enforce our immigration laws? That's where the bulk of our population growth comes from. Illegal aliens and their anchor babies. People raved about the empty freeways in LA when the Mexicans took May 5th off.

Brad wrote on February 23, 2008 02:32 PM: As far as mass transit the idea is great, but on one is going to ride a bus that stops every 50 feet when they have to get to work by a certain time. Let one set of buses be dedicated to tourists and the gamblers,that enjoy hopping from casino to casino and the other set for the ones that actually have business on or around the strip or downtown. Until this town actually takes traffic and four dollar a gallon gasoline seriously, we are going to have nothing but the same old same old. But the political machine/casino bosses don't take this seriously at all..They are only concerned about slot machines being occupied and rooms reserved. Their thinking is to hell with traffic..They will get disgusted enough and spend cash at our machines...

Kansasredlegs wrote on February 23, 2008 11:32 AM: State and local governments never seem get it. Just keep widening the roads, that's the answer. The answer is effecient, punctual, readily available and aesthetically pleasing mass transit.

The solution to Las Vegas was provided bu Mr. Bill Flangas in 1995. However, as usual, no forethought by the supposed leaders. The answer to Las Vegas' Traffic Congestion can be found in the LRJ's archives.

Date: November 29, 2005
Author: John L. Smith

Part of story follows:

Subway made more sense than monorail three decades ago, and it still does

Bill Flangas knows his holes in the ground. As a mining engineer at the Nevada Test Site, Flangas spent many of his 37 years at Mercury measuring and drilling the amazing tunnels used for underground atomic bomb testing. He has a professional's appreciation of high-tech boring machines, the sort capable of safely carving through hundreds of feet of earth a day without disturbing activity on the surface.

Now 78 and retired, Flangas is a lot like one of those great digging....

For the rest of the story go to archives.

sick of it wrote on February 23, 2008 11:28 AM: If there are so many people coming into this town why is the housing marketing so bad???? STOP THE BUILDING NOW!

Mamamia wrote on February 23, 2008 11:26 AM: Nevadans would do well to check into the facts about expenditures by our state leaders and demand a reliable accounting for all spending. One way this state could earn more money is to force illegals to pay huge fines and continue to fine them until they apply for legal citizenship, and grant it to those who learn English and pass a police record check. Think on it!

adam wrote on February 23, 2008 11:12 AM: Maybe they shouldn't have killed the las vegas LIGHTRAIL proposal.

Check out
http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/mpo/documents/pdf/devplan/

At a minimum read the recommendations
http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/mpo/documents/pdf/devplan/Part%203%20of%204-Ch%205-6.pdf

Anybody remember the lightrail idea from 2-3 years ago? Of course not, no one was concerned about future commuting issues.

Your mass transit planners decided against a study which suggested otherwise. It seemed that the influential were too concerned about poor people riding a mass transit through their Henderson backyards than solving future commuting problems.

But don't cry, instead we get these high tech "Max" buses (very expensive and don't call them buses please). Anyone one who studies who currently tends to use busing in LV will agree that those who are more likely to ride are those who are primarily very poor and who can not afford a car. People will not give up their car in Vegas in order to use the bus system for mass transit. Especially true at night and in the summer. Remember we are a 24 hour town and summer it often gets 110-120 out in the sun waiting.

Someday, most likely in about 10 years Vegas will have to build lightrail system, there will be no other options. We have decided to delay the costs. It may be too late then because Vegas may no longer be a comptitive city other than for low wages.

How about CARPOOL lanes on all parts of all freeways. Of course, ths will never happpen either.

Also, I have always been an avid biker, Las Vegas is the only city I have every lived in where I didn't feel safe enough to ride my bike. And previously I had been commuting to work on a bike for +15 years.

"Poor planning brings a bleak outlook for mass transit issues in LV in the next 15 years"

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