Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region

THE MISSION GROUP 1250 SIXTH AVENUE • SUITE 214 • SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA 92101 TEL (619) 232-1776 • FAX (619) 374-2785 • WWW.MISSIONGROUPONLINE.COM Presentation to the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region Getting from Here to There Alan Hoffman alan@missiongrouponline.com 11 June 2009 © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 1

Connectivity: The Double Challenge Connect as many places that Place access where it needs matter in as few years as to be, not “near” where it possible needs to be GOAL: GOAL: Shape regional growth and The system really becomes solve regional problems useful and convenient © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 4

Transit & Land Use: Weak Strategy If you haven’t made transit Don’t expect transit to a convenient means of travel shape urban growth, as the among key regional centers auto will remain the defining and destinations… transportation mode. If transit systems are unable to provide superior connectivity among a core set of points, they are unlikely to shape the future growth of that region. © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 5

Transit & Land Use: Strong Strategy If you figure out a way to hook …then transit can begin to your principle centers together shape urban growth, given the as directly, rapidly, and usefulness of that system to frequently as possible… its region. Cities that develop strategies to connect their component parts as quickly as possible create truly useful transit systems—and markets tend to respond to such usefulness. © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 6

LRT/Heavy Rail & Most BRT Especially Effective: Challenges: Dense Corridors Available Right-of-Way Extensive Feeders Operating Subsidies Relatively Short Trips Serving Dispersed Zones Special Events Serving the Periphery Well-Located Stations Costs of “Getting Closer” Redevelopment Zones Getting Residents to Ride Transit-Dependents Attracting Choice Riders © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 17

Streetcar Supports Linear (Not Nodal) Development Excellent for Local Distribution & Short Trips Often Confused with Light Rail © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 19

Calgary: Forcing Ridership Some Transit-Adjacent, Poor integration with but Little True surrounding land uses Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Little Impact Requires Extensive Outside the Downtown: Feeder System Challenge to Planners © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 27

Findings from Market Research ATLANTA SAN DIEGO 1/6 2/3 will use transit 1/6 will prefer if and when it never use transit meets their needs: transit “… quickly “…and I “Get me and don’t want to feel from point A make me good about to point B…” wait…” it.” A B NEXT VEHICLE: < 10 minutes Network System Customer Structure Performance Experience (Connectivity) (Time) © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 29

Building Effective Transit “… quickly “…and I “Get me and don’t want to feel from point A make me good about to point B…” wait…” it.” Network System Customer A Structure B Performance 1(;7 9(+,&/( Experience (Connectivity) (Time)V PLX H QW How Can We How Can We How Can We How Can We How Do We How Do We How Do We How Do We Make Transit Make Transit Ensure People Ensure People Connect the Connect the Reduce Wait Reduce Wait Faster than Faster than Will Respond Will Respond Region? Region? Time? Time? Driving? Driving? to It? to It? If transit can be not merely convenient or useful, but indispensable, it can add to quality of life—and create real value. © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 30

To get to LAX from Panorama City via Rapid Transit: 1. Local Bus 2. Metro Orange Line BRT 3. Metro Red Line Heavy Rail 4. Metro Blue Line Light Rail 5. Metro Green Line Light Rail 6. Shuttle Bus Stopping at all stops! © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 35

Build It…But Do They Ride? June 30, 2007 Near the rails but still on the road Research casts doubt on the region's strategy of pushing transit-oriented residential projects to get people out of cars. A dozen of the county's most powerful civic leaders— including the mayor of Los Angeles, L.A. City Council members and county supervisors—touted the latest and glitziest new development in Hollywood: the planned W Hotel and apartments at the storied corner of Hollywood and Vine. This project, they pledged at the groundbreaking earlier this year, would restore a sagging neighborhood while also minimizing traffic—an important promise in increasingly gridlocked Hollywood. “People could live here and never use their cars,” declared MTA Chief Executive Roger Snoble at the February event. It’s a vision expressed frequently by local government officials, quarter mile of transit stations between 2001 and 2005. who see building large mixed-use developments next to mass transit But there is little research to back up the rosy predictions. lines as a key solution for not just the region's traffic congestion but Among the few academic studies of the subject, one that looked at also its spread-out geography and reputation for being unfriendly to buildings in the Los Angeles area showed that transit-based pedestrians. development successfully weaned relatively few residents from In Los Angeles alone, billions of public and private dollars have their cars. It also found that, over time, no more people in the been lavished on transit-oriented projects such as Hollywood & buildings studied were taking transit 10 years after a project opened Vine, with more than 20,000 residential units approved within a than when it was first built. © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 37

Mission Valley Mission Valley, because of Mission Valley, because of Actual land area within its shape, appears to be a its shape, appears to be a 5-minute walk of station linear corridor, and hence linear corridor, and hence well-servicable by light rail. well-servicable by light rail. ¼ mile radius of Station In fact, Mission Valley is In fact, Mission Valley is much thicker than a tradi- much thicker than a tradi- Major non-retail tional transit corridor. All tional transit corridor. All employment but a small share of non- but a small share of non- retail employment is within retail employment is within a 1/4 mile radius of a a 1/4 mile radius of a station, let alone 1/6 mile. station, let alone 1/6 mile. © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 39

“Choice Riders” on the Trolley % of Trolley Riders Who “Had an Auto Available” for Their Trip 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 1995 2003 © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 42

Rapid Transit Long- Range Strategy Program Fixed-Guideway Transit June 2009 45

Characterizing the Transit Challenge “The Box” Residential density “The Core” Most employment “Beyond the Box” Lower housing density but 2/3 of residents Fixed-Guideway Transit June 2009 46

2005 EmploymentDensity 2005 Population Density Characterizing the Transit Challenge “The Box” Higher residential densities but only 1/3 of region’s residents Fixed-Guideway Transit June 2009 47

2005 Employment Density Characterizing the Transit Challenge “The Box” Residential density “The Core” 45% of regional employment Fixed-Guideway Transit June 2009 48

Characterizing the Transit Challenge “The Box” Residential density Grid Transit “makes sense” “The Core” Most employment Frontdoor vs. Backdoor “Beyond the Box” Lower housing density How to “collect” people? Fixed-Guideway Transit June 2009 49

2 mile radius LAS VEGAS REGIONAL EXPRESS TRANSIT SYSTEM The ACExpress Network is the region’s rapid express system. It connects specially-located stations (mostly Beyond the Box) with the key stations in the Core. ACExpress stations will be designed to appeal to both auto-access and transit- access markets. They are located so that most residents of the urbanized areas Beyond the Box are within two miles of a station. Station Fixed-Guideway Transit Stop June 2009 50

LAS VEGAS REGIONAL EXPRESS TRANSIT SYSTEM Fixed-Guideway Transit June 2009 51

/$6 9(*$6 5(*,21$/ (;35(66 75$16,7 6<67(0 Fixed-Guideway Transit June 2009 52

Rapid Transit Connectors /$6 9(*$6 5(*,21$/ 5$3,' 75$16,7 Fixed-Guideway Transit June 2009 53

Streetcar Opportunities Approximate Streetcar Opportunity Zone Fixed-Guideway Transit June 2009 54

Idealized Infrastructure Freeway-Based Arterial Treatments Intense Treatments, including possibly grade separation Fixed-Guideway Transit June 2009 55

Idealized Transit Infrastructure Projects (Grade Separations) Fixed-Guideway Transit June 2009 56

Idealized Transit Infrastructure Projects (Grade Separations) Staging The advantage of transit- supportive grade separations is that, properly done, they can be staged and produce immediate benefit for not just one route or direction but multiple routes traveling in multiple directions, like this example at Sahara and Las Vegas Boulevard. Fixed-Guideway Transit June 2009 57

Brisbane: Quickways “Brisbane is now at the leading edge in urban mass transit… the new busway… will attract international attention for the level of quality and customer focus that [has been] incorporated.” — Hans Rat, Secretary General International Public Transport Association (IUTP) © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 58

Anatomy of a Quickway Full Grade Full Grade Passing Passing Full-on Full-on High- High- Separation Separation Lanes Lanes “Rapid “Rapid Speed Speed from Autos & from Autos & at at Transit” Transit” Road Road Pedestrians Pedestrians Stations Stations Stations Stations Geometries Geometries Access is Access is Stations are Stations are restricted to restricted to directly tied directly tied trained trained to supportive to supportive drivers only drivers only land uses land uses © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 59

What Makes Quickways Different? Operating Costs Ridership Time (Subsidy) (Subsidy) (Revenues) (Revenues) Quickways systematically and continuously reduce transit travel time so as to better manage operating costs and attract large numbers of new riders. © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 60

Brisbane relies on significant use of tunnels to Brisbane relies on significant use of tunnels to produce a Quickway infrastructure that is fast produce a Quickway infrastructure that is fast and direct, reducing bus operating costs and and direct, reducing bus operating costs and attracting more riders due to time savings. attracting more riders due to time savings. © 2005 by The Mission Group 2009 Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 74

Brisbane rejected the use of freeway medians Brisbane rejected the use of freeway medians or roadways for its core Quickways to speed or roadways for its core Quickways to speed access and better locate stations. access and better locate stations. © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 75

at the Busiest Spot Comparison: Peak Ridership during the Busiest Hour in the Peak Direction 7,800 18,000 2,700 6-Lane Freeway Southeast Busway SD (2-lane) Trolley © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 77

Brisbane: Ridership Growth 2008 Ridership: Rail: 60 million 140% Busway: 50 million 120% + 50% 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 2003 2008 © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 78

TOD Planning in Brisbane: Complete urban redesign of districts surrounding rapid transit stations focused on transit and pedestrian connectivity and scalable projects. Major arterials are re-routed and a shopping mall potentially cut in half! Option “A” Option “B” © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 81

Standard “Light Rail Lite” BRT • Many trips involve transfers • Stops at every station on route • Stations need to be far apart to gain running time, but that often means that many areas along the corridors are not within an easy walk of a station. • Passenger loads are often unbalanced, resulting in crowded sections. Quickway Network Structure • Fewer Transfers—More “one seat” rides. • Fewer Stops—Combination of expresses and “split” arterial services, driven by demand. • Faster Trips—Often faster than driving. • Shorter Waits—Higher ridership drives demand. © 2009 by The Mission Group Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region 84

1:13 1:25 Transit Travel 0:26 0:28 Times to 64% 0:46 67% Flamingo & The 0:16 1:30 Strip (June 2008) 65% 0:28 Arrive by 3:45 pm 69% for 4:00 pm shift 0:46 0:46 0:16 0:18 TODAY 65% 61% GOAL 0:30 0:46 TIME 0:10 0:17 67% 63% SAVINGS 1:06 0:39 0:09 0:16 86% 59% Fixed-Guideway Transit June 2009 85

1:13 0:44 1:25 0:35 Transit Travel 0:26 0:17 0:28 0:19 Times to 64% 61% 0:46 67% 46% Downtown 0:16 1:30 0:50 (June 2008) 65% 0:28 0:20 Arrive by 3:45 pm 69% 60% for 4:00 pm shift 0:46 0:46 0:20 0:16 0:18 0:07 TODAY 65% 61% 65% GOAL 0:30 1:19 0:46 0:40 TIME 0:10 0:20 0:17 0:20 67% 75% 63% 50% SAVINGS 0:38 1:06 1:11 0:10 0:39 1:10 0:09 0:18 74% 0:16 0:25 86% 75% 59% 64% Fixed-Guideway Transit June 2009 86

Fixed-Guideway Transit for the Las Vegas Region

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