LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Whether you drive a car or ride the bus, traffic makes getting around town a headache for all of us.
But imagine this... being able to jump on a train that could take you from one end of the valley to another in minutes.
A new bill in the Nevada Legislature could make this a reality.
Right now, Assembly Bill 256 is moving through the state legislature and could pave the way for a regional rail system. This is what I spent the day on: talking to locals to learn more about how they feel about added public transportation options.
Locals told me it's desperately needed here.
Las Vegas is booming. It's evident in the stories I've covered on the rising housing demand. That just goes to show that as the city expands, so will the challenges of getting from point A to point B.
"[Las Vegas] Has gotten way too big, way too big," said Sharon Davis, a Las Vegas local who works late shifts. She told me public transit doesn't always operate when it's needed the most.
And for many locals like Don Johns, who spoke with me at a bus stop, traffic congestion and limited public transportation are daily frustrations.
Abel Garcia: How is traffic for you? How is it navigating these streets?
Don Johns: I mean, for one, the streets are too long, you know, and as far as the bus transportation, that takes a little while too, so.
AB 256, backed by Assemblywoman Selena La Rue Hatch, just passed a key committee vote and would create a working group to study for the potential of regional rail systems in Nevada's largest metro areas around Clark and Washoe counties.
Johns said a rail system could ease congestion and make public transportation more reliable.
Abel: How long does traffic take sometimes to get from one point to another?
Don: I'll say about an hour or two, depends, especially on the weekends. The bus seems to run a little later.
"I think we need something more than our bus system, something that does go 24 hours, because a lot of it doesn't," Davis said. "A lot of us work graveyard and you get off in the middle of the night, you're kind of stranded wherever you are and then you have to pay for an Uber, which costs anywhere from, you know, $15 and up to get home, and there goes what money you made that day."
Other cities with similar growth have already invested in rail systems. Take Phoenix, for example, and its light rail system built decades ago now spans more than 28 miles, connecting commuters across their Valley Metro area.
For commuters like Sharon and Don, a similar system in Las Vegas would make a big difference.
Sharon: Just think of San Francisco and the trolleys, you know, they go everywhere.
Don: It'll help a lot of people like me out, not just me, but a whole lot of people out.
Assemblywoman La Rue Hatch told me AB 256 will hit the Assembly floor in the next day or two. Once that happens, we will be sure to let you know.
