A regional transportation planning authority, comprised of local representatives that tilt representation away from the urban core, rejected a voter-approved proposal for light rail in Southern Nevada.
"The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada board recently rejected a plan to build a light rail system along Maryland Parkway, despite public support for the $1 billion proposal," reports Robert Lange and William Brown Jr. That support was expressed during a "variety of long-term planning processes, public meetings and surveys," according to Lange and Brown.
"The commissioners judged light rail too expensive and opted instead to support a bus rapid transit system," according to the article. The commissioners also expressed support for the greater flexibility of a bus route.
Maryland Parkway extends from McCarran International Airport to downtown Las Vegas, connecting the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), The Boulevard Mall, Sunrise Hospital, and other commercial and residential areas, according to the RTCSNV website set up to provide information on the Maryland Corridor project.
Because the public has yet to vote on the project, Lange and Brown suggest that might be a better mechanism for the public to voice support for light rail, if they so choose.
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