As the city booms, transit must take new directions Every weekend, Las Vegas moves a Super Bowl?s-worth of people into and out of the 4.2-mile Strip. The result is often gridlock; the city hit an all-time traffic record of 109,200 vehicles per day in 2015, according to ridership data from Green Chips, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting sustainability in the region.
The Strip is one of the most tourist-rich stretches of real estate in the country?and for most of its existence, Vegas has simply struggled to keep up with the pace.
?This city has just boomed in the last three decades,? says Clark County Commissioner Larry Brown. ?From a transportation infrastructure standpoint, we?ve spent the majority of our time catching up with the private sector.?
But consistent growth has forced a city known for sprawl to start to change its ways. Last year, voters approved a measure that ties fuel taxes to inflation, a move that will address the region?s $6 billion shortfall in road infrastructure. In addition, the Regional Transportation Commission approved a new long-term plan to expand light rail down the Maryland Parkway and massively expand bus service. In mid-March, the RTC submitted a proposal to build a multibillion-dollar light rail system that would connect the Strip with McCarran International Airport.
The Strip has limited transit solutions, most of them privately funded by the gaming industry. A series of free trams that travel from casino to casino allows tourists t...