Las Vegas Review-Journal: Plan aims to speed up public transit

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Plan aims to speed up public transit

Express rides would link outer, inner valley

By FRANCIS McCABE
REVIEW-JOURNAL


Most Las Vegans have never warmed to the idea of public transportation. Of course, that was before $4.23 a gallon for regular gasoline became the norm at valley stations.

Because of high fuel prices, state transportation officials have noted, traffic on major roadways such as Interstate 15 has dropped, and bus ridership is up more than 700,000 fares from the same period last year.

As more commuters turn to alternate modes of transportation, planners for the Regional Transportation Commission will unveil today a plan meant to change the perception about public transit in the valley.

"The whole idea is how to speed the service up and make it faster," said Jacob Snow, general manager for the Transportation Commission.

While developing the plan, Snow said, surveys and focus groups showed many commuters viewed the current transit system as slow and unreliable.

The main challenge planners faced was to get commuters who live in the outer portions of the valley to come out from behind the wheels of their cars and get them to take public transit to their jobs -- most of which are located in the resort corridor, from downtown Las Vegas to the Strip.

To do this, planners want to set up express stations in the outer valley, which commuters could drive to. They would park and hop on an express bus that will have few, if any, stops, heading to the inner valley. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.lvrj.com/news/24307362.html