Policy Paper: Why do we need Light Rail in Las Vegas?

About the Issue

The greater Las Vegas area has over 2 million residents and around 40 million visitors stop by every year. Our population continues to grow, but we do not have the water to keep expanding out into the community. We have several large entertainment venues within an extremely constricted space – Allegiant Stadium, the new A’s stadium, T-Mobile Arena, and the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It is difficult for tourists to get in and out of events, with waiting times commonly over 90 minutes, and rideshares costing $50 or more to go only a few miles.  We can start by building light rail to connect the airport with the Strip and Allegiant Stadium.

Economic Benefits

Building light rail creates tens of thousands of construction jobs, and each station can employ hundreds of employees when combined with transit-oriented development to build healthy communities with walkable housing, space for businesses to grow, and access to parks and recreational opportunities. The Las Vegas Valley is full of undeveloped land that we can use to build housing and create jobs.

Environmental Benefits

Each train car removes more than 500 cars from the road. Cars are the biggest source of pollution in Las Vegas and are leading to asthma attacks, premature deaths, and increasing temperatures. To reverse climate change and stop Lake Mead from falling, we need to show that we can lower pollution by building transit. 

How to Pay for It

Existing bonds can be used to connect light rail to the airport. This can be leveraged off of US Department of Transportation Capital Investment grants to pay up to 60% of the project’s costs.