(Blue Diamond Road) Corridor Study - Regional Transportation ...

5. Alternative Development RTC SR-160 Corridor Study
Exhibit 5-9 provides a summary matrix of potential modes to alignments identified as
suitable for mass transit investment. Of the seven total corridors considered (four radial
corridors and three cross-town corridors), three corridors within the study area have strong
potential for new transit service or transit service improvements.
5.3.1 Light Rail/DMU
Consistent with the previous discussion, light rail transit and DMU are suited for alignments
with:
Right-of-way for track,
Direct access to a large parcel of land for a maintenance facility,
Corridors with high demand for transit service, and
Nodes with pedestrian access to high demand.
Among the radial alignments, traffic volumes for all radial corridors are moderate, with
heavy volumes predicted over the next fifteen years as Major Projects reach their
development cap and the population of Enterprise increases. Given this fact, differentiation
among corridors will be based on the factors mentioned above.
The Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) is the only corridor with existing rail right-of-way.
However, Union Pacific has recently withdrawn interest in allowing passenger rail service on
this railroad subdivision. Given continued interest in a regional fixed guideway system that
connects both the southern and northern part of the Valley to the heart of the Las Vegas
Strip, there may be opportunities to widen streets such as Silverado Ranch to accommodate
fixed guideway connecting to Las Vegas Boulevard or I-15. These roads are new, allowing
for allocation of the required right-of-way for a future light rail investment.
With the possible exception of Las Vegas Boulevard South, none of the radial alignments
appear to have demographics and dense built environment needed to support a fixed
guideway system. Rainbow Boulevard, Durango Drive, and Decatur Boulevard currently
have segments that are four to six lanes wide, but none have the type of compact
development associated with corridors that support fixed guideway transit. Even if such
densities existed, devoting space within these corridors for a fixed guideway rail envelope
cannot be accomplished without extensive right-of-way acquisition. Given the rural
preservation character and the residential nature of adjacent land uses, these corridors are
better suited for a more flexible mass transit treatment that will not materially impact
vehicle circulation.
In the study area, no cross-town alignments are deemed to be appropriate for light rail or
DMU, due to generally low levels of demand, suburban residential densities, and few activity
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