CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill seeking a study of possible rail transit systems for the Las Vegas and Reno areas has advanced out of a Nevada legislative committee.
Assembly Bill 256 would create a Regional Rail Transit Advisory Working Group to conduct a study of rail transit in Clark County, which includes Las Vegas and Henderson, Nev., and Washoe County, which includes Reno. The group would consider the need for rail transit in the two counties, as well as potential funding sources and what public or private entities should be involved in the planning process.
The bill was advanced unanimously by the Assembly Committee on Legislative Operations on March 20.
“Regional rail is a critical need for my constituents and for Nevadans across the state,” Rep. Selena La Rue Hatch (D-Reno), one of the bill’s five primary sponsors, said in a statement. “I am proud to sponsor legislation that lowers costs for working families while also decreasing pollution, boosting our economy, and improving the life of my constituents.”
The working group would include two state legislators, one from each county or a local government within those counties; one from each county’s Regional Transportation Commission; one resident of each county with an interest or expertise in rail transit; one member representing a rail or transit labor union in each county, and one person who represents a private business involved in rail or transit.
Las Vegas has previously considered light rail, with the U.S. Department of Transportation awarding $5.9 million in Bipartisan Infrastucture Bill funds to study a potential 17-mile route along Charleston Boulevard in 2023.
Well said, Charles!
I find it rather fascinating to read the various contrasting articles regarding transit on the Trains site, many of which document the continued fiscal crises in transit agencies throughout the United States and others, such as this one, indicating local/regional interests in developing new rail transit operations. The earlier articles about major pending service cuts on the Pittsburgh LRT lines and the impending financial challenges of the Chicago area transit agencies (CTA/METRA_) are quite revealing and clearly indicate the scope of the problem.
The “business model” for major transit agencies is clearly broken and it’s time for a new one (which may include major service cuts/and-or new service concepts). Given all of the political issues and fiscal challenges at the federal level, it seems clear the continued federal funding spigot going forward won’t be able to continually fund failing local/regional transit agencies ….
Yes, they’re half right, regional rail is a good thing. Now let’s wake up and smell the coffee folks. Let’s get real. Every transit system in America is seeing its capital costs rise, its O+M costs rise, and ridership at best stagnant and in some cases down by half.
The systems that already have sunk their capital costs have no idea how to pay their annual O+M. The proposed new systems that need to fund capital costs should take a breath and think it through.
Rail transit in America is half dead. I don’t like it any more than anyone else reading these pages. Sorry, I’m telling the truth that none of us (me neither) wants to hear.