ROBERT LANG, PH.D. | PROFESSOR & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BROOKINGS MOUNTAIN WEST | THE LINCY INSTITUTE GREENSPUN COLLEGE | UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS LEARNING FROM PHOENIX: WHY BUILD LIGHT RAIL IN THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY?

My Academic Background Urban Planning Chair/ Professor at Virginia Tech in Alexandria, VA Ex. Director & Senior Fellow in DC at The Brookings Institution Urban/Public Affairs Professor at UNLV’s Greenspun College

What’s in This Talk? Case Study from the Phoenix Metro System: A “Windshield Survey” A Version of the Phoenix Metro System Could Work in Las Vegas The Case for Light Rail: Traffic Congestion and Economic Development

Phoenix Metro Windshield Survey Created on 12/30/2015 by Robert Lang by Filming the Phoenix Metro Rail Also Shows the Feel, Flow, and Look of a Ride on the Phoenix Metro Purpose is to Show Streetscapes and Land Uses Near Light Rail

Phoenix Metro Windshield Survey Method: Observe Out Any Windshield and Report on What You See Urban Planners Use This to Document the Evolving Urban Street Scene The Recordings by Video and Photos are Shot on an iPhone 6S

Why Study The Phoenix System? The System is the Most Relevant for What Las Vegas is Planning I Did a Sabbatical in 2006 at ASU and saw the Metro System Begin to Emerge Phoenix is Physically More Like Las Vegas than Denver or Salt Lake City

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 Or Could it be Surface Transportation Congestion? What Force Most Limits Growth Capacity in the Las Vegas Tourist Economy? Is it the Airport? The Convention Center? The Number of Rooms?

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 Fee- Based 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