Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study

Home , Decatur Boulevard, Jones Boulevard, Las Vegas Boulevard, The Harmon, Tropicana Avenue

P O R T A T N S I O N R A C T O L M A M I N S O I S I G O E N R

OF SOUTHERN NEVADA TROPICANA AVENUE CORRIDOR STUDY

Submitted By: MARCH 2008 THE Louis Berger Group, INC. TROPICANA AVENUE CORRIDOR STUDY THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter Page No. Chapter Page No.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... ES-1 6.0 ROADWAY IMPROVEMENT ALTERNATIVES ...... 69 1.0 INTRODUCTION ...... 1 6.1 Construction of Intersection Improvements ...... 69 6.1.1 Construction of Dual Left Turn Lanes...... 69 1.1 Overview of the Tropicana Avenue Corridor 6.1.2 Construction of Right Turn Lanes...... 69 Within the Regional Transportation Network ...... 1 6.1.3 Additional Intersection Improvements ...... 72 1.2 Corridor Description ...... 3 6.1.4 Summary of Alternative 1.3 Planning Process ...... 7 Intersection Improvements ...... 73 1.4 Organization of Report ...... 7 6.2 Construction of Raised Median...... 79 2.0 PURPOSE AND NEED...... 8 6.3 Widening of Tropicana Avenue...... 80 6.3.1 Construction of a Fourth Westbound Lane 3.0 PLANNING FRAMEWORK ...... 10 On Tropicana Avenue from I-15 to 3.1 Transportation Studies and Projects...... 10 Decatur Boulevard ...... 81 3.2 University of Nevada at Las Vegas 6.3.2 Widening of Tropicana Avenue to 8 Lanes Comprehensive Campus Master Plan ...... 13 From Swenson Street to Maryland Pkwy ...... 81 3.3 Land Use and Zoning...... 16 6.3.3 Summary of Proposed Widening of 3.3.1 Current Land Use and Tropicana Avenue...... 84 Proposed Developments...... 16 6.4 Grade Separations...... 84 3.3.2 Zoning ...... 30 6.4.1 Dean Martin Drive Grade Separation ...... 84 6.5 I-15 Southbound Slip Ramp to Dean Martin Drive ...... 89 4.0 EXISTING TRANSPORTATION 6.6 Harmon Avenue Extension Over the UPRR...... 91 SYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS ...... 31 6.7 University of Nevada at Las Vegas...... 91 4.1 Roadway Characteristics ...... 31 6.8 McCarran Airport...... 93 4.2 Traffic Volumes and Level of Service...... 34 7.0 TRANSIT IMPROVEMENT ALTERNATIVES...... 94 4.2.1 Existing Traffic Volumes...... 34 4.2.2 Existing Level of Service ...... 34 7.1 Alternatives to Provide Enhanced Bus Service 4.2.3 Left Turn Storage ...... 45 On Tropicana Avenue...... 98 4.2.4 Right Turn Storage...... 45 7.2 Monorail Extension ...... 103 4.3 Travel Speeds ...... 52 7.3 UNLV CAT Bus Transfer Station ...... 103 4.4 Safety ...... 52 8.0 PEDESTRIAN REALM...... 104 4.5 Transit Service ...... 56 4.5.1 Existing Transit Service...... 56 9.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS...... 106 4.5.2 Transit System Performance...... 60 9.1 Proposed Roadway Improvements...... 106 4.6 Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities...... 64 9.2 Proposed Transit Improvements...... 109

9.3 Estimated Costs for Proposed Improvements ...... 112 5.0 PROJECTED YEAR 2030 TRAFFIC AND LEVEL OF 9.3.1 Estimated Cost for Roadway Improvements . 112 SERVICE WITHOUT IMPROVEMENTS ...... 65 9.3.2 Estimated Costs for Transit Improvements ... 112

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LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page No. Figure Page No.

1-1 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Location Map ...... 2 4-12 CAT Route 201 Annual Ridership...... 60 1-2 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Regional Roadway Network ...... 4 4-13 Rout 201 Westbound – Daily Boardings, Alightings, and 1-3 Spanish Trail Gated Residential Community Coach Load ...... 61 Along W. Tropicana Avenue ...... 3 4-14 Route 201 Eastbound – Daily Boardings, Alightings, and 1-4 The Orleans Hotel and Casino...... 5 Coach Load ...... 62 1-5 MGM Grand Hotel and Casino at Las Vegas...... 5 4-15 Route 201 – Hourly Ridership...... 63 1-6 Thomas & Mack Center at UNLV...... 6 4-16 Pedestrian Crossings along Tropicana Avenue ...... 64 1-7 Whitney Library ...... 6 5-1 Tropicana Avenue 2030 Projected Peak Hour Volumes ...... 66 2-1 Clark County Resident and Visitor Population 1980-2035...... 9 5-2 Tropicana Avenue 2030 Projected Increase/Decrease 3-1 Las Vegas Monorail...... 10 In Peak Hour Volumes...... 67 3-2 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Planned Projects 6-1 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Locations Where On the TIP and RTP...... 11 Construction of Dual Left Turn Lanes Are Proposed...... 70 3-3 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study – Planned Regional 6-2 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Locations Where Transit Projects ...... 12 Construction of Right Turn Bays are Proposed ...... 71 3-4 UNLV Master Plan...... 15 6-3 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Locations of Proposed 3-5 Tropicana avenue Corridor Study – Existing and Future Additional Intersection Improvements...... 74 Land Use (Sheets 1 through 11) ...... 17 6-4 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Summary Locations of 3-6 Single-Family Residential Land Uses along W. Tropicana...... 28 Proposed Intersection Improvements...... 75 3-7 The Orleans Hotel and Casino...... 28 6-5 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Proposed 3-8 New York New York Hotel and Casino ...... 29 Intersection Improvements (Sheets 1 & 2) ...... 76 3-9 Office Commercial Land Uses along E. Tropicana Avenue...... 29 6-6 Typical Raised Median – Six-Inch Concrete Median with 3-10 Current Base Zoning Along Tropicana Avenue Corridor ...... 33 Left-Turn Pockets for Driveways………...... 79 4-1 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Lane Configuration 6-7 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Location of Proposed And Intersection Control (Sheets 1 & 2)...... 32 Raised Medians ……………...... 82 4-2 Tropicana Avenue November 2006 Peak Hour 6-8 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Location of Proposed Traffic Control ...... 36 Raised Medians ……………...... 83 4-3 AM Peak Hour Turning Movement Traffic (Sheets 1 & 2)...... 37 6-9 Dean Martin Grade Separation- Option 1...... 86 4-4 PM Peak Hour Turning Movement Traffic (Sheets 1 & 2)...... 39 6-10 Dean Martin Grade Separation – Option 2 ...... 87 4-5 Tropicana Avenue near Rainbow Boulevard Weekday 6-11 Dean Martin Grade Separation – Option 2 ...... 88 Distribution of Traffic ...... 41 6-12 I-15 Southbound Slip Ramp to Dean Martin Drive 4-6 Tropicana Avenue near Las Vegas Boulevard Weekday Option with Polaris Avenue Connection ...... 90 Distribution of Traffic ...... 42 6-13 Harmon Avenue Extension over the UPRR with 4-7 Tropicana Avenue near Eastern Avenue Weekday Connections to Valley View Boulevard...... 92 Distribution of Traffic ...... 43 7-1 CAT Route 201 Population and Average Daily Boardings ...... 95 4-8 Tropicana Avenue Crashes by Type (12/2003-6/2006) ...... 55 7-2 CAT Route 201 Population versus Average Daily Boardings.... 96 4-9 Existing CAT Bus Routes...... 56 7-3 CAT Route 201 Headway/Ridership Correlation ...... 97 4-10 Route 201 Bus Stop Location Map ...... 57 8-1 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Off-Set Sidewalk ...... 105 4-11 Route 201 Bus Stops at Major Intersections (Sheets 1 & 2)...... 58

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LIST OF TABLES

Table Page No. Table Page No.

3-1 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Projects on the 15 7-1 Tropicana Corridor Study Existing Route 201 TIP and RTP...... 14 CAT Bus Service Operating Conditions...... 98 3-2 Community Facilities in the Tropicana Avenue Corridor...... 16 7-2 Tropicana Corridor Study Alternative 1 – Enhanced Route 201 CAT Bus Service Operating Conditions ...... 99 4-1 Level of Service Criteria for Unsignalized Intersection ...... 35 7-3 Tropicana Corridor Study – Predicted Year 2030 4-2 Level of Service Criteria for Signalized Intersection ...... 35 Route 201 Cat Bus Service Operation Conditions 4-3 Tropicana Avenue Existing Levels of Service...... 44 Without Enhancements...... 99 4-4 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Adequacy of Left Turn 7-4 Tropicana Corridor Study Alternative 1 – Predicted Bays in the AM Peak Hour (Sheets 1 & 2)...... 46 Year 2030 Enhanced Route 201 Cat 4-5 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Adequacy of Left Turn Bus Service Operating Conditions...... 100 Bays in the PM Peak Hour (Sheets 1 & 2)...... 48 7-5 Tropicana Corridor Study Alternative 2 – BRT & CAT 4-6 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Adequacy of Right Turn Bus Service Operating Conditions...... 101 Bays in the AM Peak Hour ...... 50 7-6 Tropicana Corridor Study Alternative 2 – BRT & CAT 4-7 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Adequacy of Right Turn Bus Service Operating Conditions...... 102 Bays in the PM Peak Hour ...... 51 4-8 2007 Weekday Travel Speeds on Tropicana Avenue...... 53 4-9 NDOT Crash Statistics for Tropicana Avenue...... 54 9-1 Tropicana Corridor Study Proposed Combined Limited 4-10 CAT Route 201 Headways...... 57 Stop and CAT Bus Service Operation Conditions A-Limited Stop (Express) Buses...... 110 5-1 Projected Year 2030 Intersection Level of Service on 9-2 Tropicana Corridor Study Proposed Combined Limited Tropicana Avenue without Improvements...... 68 Stop and Cat Bus Service Operating Conditions B-Bus Rapid Transit...... 111 6-1 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Level of Service and 9-3 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Estimated Cost of Reduction in Delay with Proposed Proposed Intersection Improvements...... 113 Intersection Improvements...... 78 9-4 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Estimated Cost of 6-2 Estimated Travel Time and Travel Speeds on Tropicana Roadway Improvement Alternatives...... 114 Avenue with Proposed Intersection Improvements...... 79 9-5 Estimated Cost to Provide Facilities for Proposed 6-3 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Level of Service and Limited Stop Bus Service...... 115 Reduction in Delay with a Fourth Westbound Lane from Decatur Boulevard to I-15 ...... 85

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A. Introduction For most of its length, Tropicana Avenue • Arville Street; provides for three lanes of traffic in each • Valley View Boulevard; direction within right-of-way which is The Tropicana Avenue Corridor is a • Dean Martin Drive; generally 100 feet in width. Between I-15 regionally important east-west • Las Vegas Boulevard; and Swenson Street, additional right-of- transportation route that provides access • Koval Lane; way (120+ ft.) provides four through lanes to the Las Vegas Resort Corridor, • Maryland Parkway; in each direction. McCarran International Airport, the • Eastern Avenue;

University of Nevada at Las Vegas • Pecos Road; and, Tropicana Avenue is served by Route (UNLV), and residential and commercial • Sandhill Road. 201, one of the most heavily used bus areas across the Las Vegas Valley. The routes in the Citizen’s Area Transit (CAT) Tropicana Avenue Corridor examined in Traffic on Tropicana Avenue continues to system. Along Tropicana Avenue, Route this study extends approximately 15 miles grow as resort development, commercial 201 provides connections to the Las east-west across the Las Vegas Valley development, UNLV and McCarran Vegas Monorail, the Deuce double- from Hualapai Way to Boulder Highway. Airport continue to grow. As a roadway, decker bus service along Las Vegas Tropicana Avenue does not have the Boulevard, and the planned Boulder The Las Vegas Resort Corridor, centered capacity to accommodate a substantial Highway bus rapid transit (BRT) service. around Las Vegas Boulevard, extends increase in traffic. Analysis of Tropicana from the Downtown area of the City of Avenue reveals a number of existing Las Vegas south to Russell Road. The B. Purpose and Need problems including: Las Vegas Resort Corridor serves as the region’s Central Business District with the • One-third of the major The objective of this study is to develop highest concentration of employment and intersections are severely recommendations to improve the person- economic activity in the Las Vegas congested during peak hours; carrying capacity of Tropicana Avenue to Valley. Tropicana Avenue is one of only • An absence of right-turn pockets serve the growing needs of the six major arterial streets which traverse so that right-turn traffic inhibits the community. the Resort Corridor from east to west. flow of through traffic;

Along Tropicana Avenue, daily traffic • Several high volume left turn Tropicana Avenue has links to all of the volumes approach 100,000 vehicles per locations do not have dual left turn north-south arterial streets and freeways day in the Resort Corridor. Thirteen pockets; and, serving the Las Vegas Valley including I- major intersections are congested during • The absence of bus pull-outs. 15, I-215 and I-515. Tropicana Avenue is peak hours: located entirely within unincorporated

Clark County. From Dean Martin Drive to • Fort Apache Road; The Regional Transportation Commission’s Boulder Highway, Tropicana Avenue is CAT Bus Route 201 carries over 3 million • Rainbow Boulevard; under the jurisdiction of the Nevada passengers annually. Buses operate in • Jones Boulevard; Department of Transportation (NDOT). mixed flow without bus pull-outs and are • Decatur Boulevard; ______THE Louis Berger Group, INC. ES-1 TROPICANA AVENUE CORRIDOR STUDY THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION subject to the same congestion delays as During peak periods, buses on Tropicana to Tropicana Avenue, such as the automobile traffic. Approximately ten Avenue travel in the outside lane at Harmon Avenue Extension and the percent of the commuters using speeds 10 to 35 percent slower than Tropicana Avenue – Flamingo Road Tropicana Avenue during peak hours are automobiles due to blockage of the outer Connector, are expected to be more bus passengers. lane by right-turning traffic. effective in improving regional traffic flow Consequently, buses, which presently than wholesale upgrades to Tropicana Without improvement, the level of service average 12 miles per hour during peak Avenue. on Tropicana Avenue is expected to periods, with stops, would be unable to deteriorate substantially. Based on maintain scheduled frequencies without a Proposed Improvements identified herein projected year 2030 peak hour traffic, the substantial increase in the number of at the concept level should be evaluated number of congested intersections will buses serving the route. further as planned development unfolds increase so that 27 out of 36 major and as improvements to other regional intersections along Tropicana Avenue will roads are undertaken. C. Improvement Alternatives be congested during peak hours by the year 2030. Opportunities for major improvements to C.1 Proposed Roadway

Tropicana Avenue are limited due to the Improvements Increased congestion along Tropicana intensity of development along the Avenue in the year 2030 would be Corridor. Rather than proposing a major, The Tropicana Avenue Corridor can be expected to increase the travel time for cost prohibitive capacity enhancement divided into five major segments based automobiles along Tropicana Avenue by program, this Study is recommending: on land use and transportation 12 minutes in the AM peak hour and by characteristics: 33 minutes in the PM peak hour. As a result: • Targeted roadway improvements to reduce delay in specific areas; and, • Hualapai Way to Decatur Boulevard; • In the morning, travel time along • A change in the type of bus service • Decatur Boulevard to I-15; the 15-mile Tropicana Avenue provided along Tropicana Avenue would be expected to increase to include Limited Stop Service. • I-15 to Koval Lane; from 34 minutes to 46 minutes • Koval Lane to Maryland Parkway; with average morning travel These improvements are intended to: and, speeds decreasing from 27 to 20 • Maryland Parkway to Boulder miles per hour. • Reduce delay for automobiles and Highway. buses; and, • In the evening, travel time along Proposed roadway improvements in each the 15-mile Tropicana Avenue • Increase bus ridership. of these segments are discussed below. would be expected to increase Figure E-1 illustrates the proposed from 37 minutes to one hour and While these improvements will provide a improvements within each segment of the 10 minutes with average evening measure of congestion relief, planned Tropicana Avenue Corridor. travel speeds decreasing from 25 programs to construct and upgrade to 13 miles per hour. roadways which provide alternate routes

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Hualapai Way to Decatur Boulevard Specific improvements identified in this Road all provide viable alternative routes. report which would be effective in Harmon Avenue is planned for While this segment of Tropicana Avenue improving traffic flow and reducing delay construction in this area and will provide offers a straightforward route from the include: a new alternative route from the west side

Western Valley into the Resort Corridor, of I-15 into the Resort Corridor located • The installation of a six-inch within one mile of Tropicana Avenue. In McCarran Airport and UNLV, Flamingo concrete median. The concrete Road, Hacienda Avenue, Russell Road addition, Sunset Road, located two miles median would separate south of Tropicana Avenue, is under and the Southern Beltway all provide eastbound and westbound traffic viable alternate routes for motorists which design and planned for construction flow and provide median refuge between Decatur Boulevard and Las can result in lower travel times. Because for turning vehicles. Median of the availability of these alternate Vegas Boulevard and will provide a fifth openings would be designed to alternative route from the west side of I- routes, improvement of Tropicana allow left turns into driveways but Avenue in this segment is not the only 15 into the Resort Corridor. to prohibit left turns out of option for improving travel times for driveways; motorists. Ongoing and planned Like the segment of Tropicana Avenue improvements to Russell Road, the • The construction of two left-turn further to the west, with existing and Southern Beltway, and Sunset Road are lanes on Tropicana Avenue at the planned alternate routes available, expected to increase the future Durango Drive, Buffalo Drive, and improvement of this segment of attractiveness of these routes compared Decatur Boulevard Intersections; Tropicana Avenue is not the only option. to Tropicana Avenue by providing However, unlike the western segment, • Construction of right-turn pockets motorists with less congested alternate the segment of Tropicana Avenue from on Tropicana Avenue at Rainbow routes. Decatur Boulevard to I-15 is expected to Boulevard and at Decatur undergo major land redevelopment which Boulevard; and, At the present time, the Tropicana will increase traffic demand. Accordingly, Avenue intersections at Rainbow • Providing bus pull-outs on for the segment of Tropicana Avenue Boulevard, Jones Tropicana Avenue at Buffalo Drive from Decatur Boulevard to I-15, a multi- Boulevard, and Decatur Boulevard are (westbound), Rainbow Boulevard, staged approach should be considered to severely congested. However, minor Jones Boulevard, and Decatur accommodate traffic demand. improvements on Tropicana Avenue Boulevard. including the addition of right- and left- First, specific improvements proposed to turn pockets and bus pull-outs, combined Decatur Boulevard to I-15 improve traffic flow include: with planned improvements to Russell • The installation of a six-inch Road, Sunset Road, and the Southern Again, while this segment of Tropicana concrete median. The concrete Beltway should avoid the need for major offers a straightforward route from the median would separate capacity improvements on Tropicana eastbound and westbound traffic Avenue between Hualapai Way and Western Valley into the Resort Corridor, flow and provide median refuge Decatur Boulevard. McCarran Airport and UNLV, Flamingo for turning vehicles. Median Road, Hacienda Avenue and Russell openings would be designed to ______THE Louis Berger Group, INC. ES-4 TROPICANA AVENUE CORRIDOR STUDY THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION

allow left turns into driveways but Third, suggested regional enhancements Tropicana Avenue in this segment to prohibit left turns out of include: include: driveways; • Construction of Harmon Avenue • The construction of triple left turns • The construction of two left-turn as planned, crossing over the on southbound Koval Lane at lanes at the Decatur Boulevard, Union Pacific Railroad on a bridge Tropicana Avenue; Arville Street, Valley View structure with connections to • Lengthening the westbound right Boulevard, and Dean Martin Drive Flamingo Road and Tropicana turn lane on Tropicana Avenue at (eastbound) Intersections; Avenue via Valley View Koval Lane; Boulevard; • The construction of right-turn • The construction of the proposed pockets on Tropicana Avenue at • Construction of a bridge overpass Tropicana Avenue – Flamingo Decatur Boulevard, Arville Street, for Tropicana Avenue over Dean Road connector east of Koval Valley View Boulevard, and Dean Martin Drive, with a connection Lane; and, Martin Drive; linking Dean Martin Drive to Tropicana Avenue; and, • The construction of northbound • The construction of the proposed Monorail extension to the Airport dual left-turn lanes at Arville • Constructing an I-15 southbound as a privately funded project. Street; ramp to Dean Martin Drive from the existing Flamingo Road off- • The construction of two left-turn ramp, with a possible connection Koval Lane to Maryland Parkway lanes southbound on Valley View to Polaris Avenue. Boulevard at Tropicana Avenue; In this segment, Tropicana Avenue is the

and, only route for east-west vehicular traffic I-15 to Koval Lane because Harmon Avenue, Hacienda • Providing bus pull-outs on Avenue and Russell Road, the east-west Tropicana Avenue at Decatur In this segment, traffic disperses to streets north and south of Tropicana Boulevard, Valley View Resort Corridor destinations or passes Avenue, are discontinuous. Contributors Boulevard, and Dean Martin through to access I-15, McCarran Airport to traffic in this segment are tourists Drive. or UNLV. Flamingo Road, Harmon traveling to and from the Airport,

Avenue, Hacienda Avenue and Russell students, faculty and staff commuting to Second, the segment of Tropicana Road provide viable alternative routes for UNLV and event traffic at the UNLV Avenue from Decatur Boulevard to I-15 crossing or accessing I-15, Las Vegas Thomas & Mack Center. should be considered for an upgrade Boulevard and Koval Lane. However, from a 100-foot wide street to a 120-foot due to the location of the Airport and Improvements which would be effective in wide street in the County Master Plan. UNLV, which block alternate routes, improving traffic flow in this segment Adopting a 120-foot wide street in this traffic concentrates at Koval Lane include: segment would allow for the addition of intersections. one through lane in the westbound • The installation of a six-inch direction from I-15 to Decatur Boulevard. Planned road Improvements which would concrete median from Swenson be effective in improving traffic flow on Street to Maryland Parkway. The concrete median would separate ______THE Louis Berger Group, INC. ES-5 TROPICANA AVENUE CORRIDOR STUDY THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION

eastbound and westbound traffic only access to the Thomas & Mack Center • The construction of two left-turn flow and provide median refuge for is from Tropicana Avenue. Providing lanes on Sandhill Road at turning vehicles. Median openings access to the parking lot from Harmon Tropicana Avenue; and, would be designed to allow left Avenue and relocating the Wilber Street turns into driveways but to prohibit driveway could improve traffic flow into the • The construction of three left-turn left turns out of driveways; Thomas & Mack Center. lanes on eastbound Tropicana Avenue at the I-515 Northbound • The construction of a westbound Ramp. Maryland Parkway to Boulder right-turn bay on Tropicana Avenue at Swenson Street; Highway C.2 Proposed Transit • The construction of a northbound The intersections of Maryland Parkway, Improvements right-turn bay on Swenson Street at Eastern Avenue, Pecos Road, and Tropicana Avenue; Sandhill Road are severely congested. A fleet of 13 buses is used to serve the • The construction of right-turn bays Improvements which would be effective in Tropicana Avenue CAT BUS Route 201 on Tropicana Avenue at Maryland improving traffic flow in this segment during peak periods. As congestion Parkway; include: grows and travel times on Tropicana Avenue double over the next 20 years, an • Widening of Tropicana Avenue to The construction of two left-turn • estimated 20 buses will be required to four lanes eastbound from lanes on Tropicana Avenue at maintain the existing service with 15- Swenson Street to Maryland Sandhill Road, at the I-515 minute peak period headways operating Parkway and to four lanes Southbound Ramp (westbound), at in mixed flow. At the same time, it is westbound from Maryland Parkway Mountain Vista Street and at desirable to increase bus service in order to Wilbur Street; Boulder Highway; to attract more riders and reduce • The construction of the proposed The construction of right-turn bays automobile usage in this congested Tropicana Avenue – Flamingo • on Tropicana Avenue at Maryland corridor. Road Connector east of Koval Parkway, Eastern Avenue, the I- Lane; 515 Northbound Ramp Table E-1 shows the operating • The construction of the proposed (westbound), and Mountain Vista characteristics of a proposed peak period Monorail extension to the Airport; Street (eastbound); Limited-Stop Bus service combined with and, CAT Bus Service for Tropicana Avenue. • The construction of two left-turn • Changes in access to the Thomas The characteristics of a proposed Limited lanes on Pecos Road at Tropicana Stop Bus alternative would be as follows: & Mack Center parking lot. Avenue;

The UNLV Master Plan calls for expanded • The construction of a northbound • Limited-Stop Buses would only parking at the Thomas & Mack Center. By right-turn bay on Pecos Road at provide limited stop service, adding parking garages at the Thomas & Tropicana Avenue; stopping only at the major mile Mack Center, UNLV would be able to streets. accommodate more students and more visitors to the special events center. The ______THE Louis Berger Group, INC. ES-6 TROPICANA AVENUE CORRIDOR STUDY THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION

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• Limited-Stop Buses would operate By providing overlapping Limited-Stop estimate at a concept development stage in mixed flow on Tropicana Avenue. Bus Service with regular CAT Bus to provide a basis for scoping of further Service, the number of vehicles in service studies. All right-of-way costs are rough • Limited-Stop Buses would operate during peak periods would increase from estimates based on County Assessor’s with 15-minute headways during 13 to 17, the number of service hours records of recent property sales and are peak periods and would not operate provided would increase from 5,900 to not based on appraisals. during off-peak periods. 7,000 service hours per month and • In addition to the Limited-Stop monthly ridership would be expected to Table E-2 provides a summary of the Buses, regular CAT Bus service increase from 290,000 to 340,000, while roadway alternatives discussed in this would be provided along Tropicana the average operating cost per passenger study with order of magnitude cost Avenue operating at all stops with would only increase from $1.83 to $1.85. estimates. 15 to 30-minute headways during Construction of bus pull-outs and both peak and off-peak periods. enhanced bus shelters at major mile Table E-3 provides the estimated costs to streets including off-board fare collection provide intersection improvements, bus • Overlapping Limited-Stop and CAT systems and amenities like those pull-outs and bus-stop amenities for a Bus Service would provide an provided at BRT Stations would be proposed Limited-Stop Bus Service on effective headway averaging 7.5 to recommended to attract riders and speed Tropicana Avenue. 10 minutes during peak periods. the boarding process. In addition to facilities costs, the Limited-Stop service would provide or Construction of right turn bays at the proposed Limited-Stop Bus Service include: major mile streets, while providing would increase bus service on Tropicana • A 25% increase in travel speed as congestion relief benefits for automobile Avenue by 1,400 service hours per Limited-Stop Buses bypass minor drivers, would also provide transit month. At a cost of $90 per service transit stops; benefits as the right turning vehicles are hours, the proposed Limited-Stop Bus separated from the outside mixed use Service would increase the operating cost • Bus pullouts at Limited-Stop lane. of providing bus service on Tropicana locations (one-mile streets); and, Avenue by $126,000 per month or $1.5 • Improved bus shelters with C.3 Estimated Costs for million annually. automated ticketing at Limited-Stop Proposed Improvements It is assumed that the proposed extension locations (one-mile streets). of the Monorail to the Airport would be Cost estimates provided in this Study are privately funded. intended to provide a preliminary

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Table E-2 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Estimated Cost of Proposed Roadway Improvement Alternatives

Estimated Alternative Construction Cost Right-of-Way Cost Total 1. Intersection Improvements (from Table 9-2) $9,490,000 $10,950,000 $20,440,000

2. Raised Median (7.5 miles @ $ 750,000/mile) $5,625,000 --- $5,625,000

3. Construction of a fourth westbound lane from Decatur Boulevard to I-15 (Including replacement of the UPRR Bridge over Tropicana $18,500,000 $20,000,000 $38,500,000 Avenue)

4. Construction of a fourth eastbound and a fourth westbound lane $9,000,000 $9,000,000 --- from Swenson Street to Maryland Parkway (from RTP) (from RTP)

5. Construction of a Tropicana Avenue Grade Separation over Dean

Martin Drive:

Option 1 $16,800,000 $50,000,000 $66,800,000 Option 2 $13,200,000 $40,000,000 $53,200,000 Option 3 $15,700,000 $40,000,000 $55,700,000

6. Construction of a southbound Slip Ramp from the Flamingo Road $2,300,000 $4,000,000 $6,300,000 southbound off-ramp to Dean Martin Drive.

7. Construction of a Dean Martin Drive to Polaris Avenue Connector $1,200,000 $5,000,000 $6,200,000

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Table E-3 Estimated Cost to Provide Facilities For Proposed Limited Stop Bus Service

Number of Locations Right Turn Bays Bus Pullouts Stations Rainbow Blvd. 2 2 Jones Blvd. 2 2 Decatur Blvd. 2 2 Valley View Blvd. 1 2 Las Vegas Blvd. --- 1 Maryland Pkwy. 2 --- Eastern Ave. 2 2 Pecos Rd. 2 2 Nellis Blvd. 2 2 Boulder Hwy. --- 1

Total Required 15 16

Costs per Location Right-of-Way Acquisition $150,000 $110,000 Construction $130,000 $40,000 Platform --- $20,000 Shelter --- $180,000 Platform Marker --- $20,000 Electrical/Lighting --- $40,000 Off-board Fare Collection --- $70,000 Amenities --- $40,000 ITS System --- $30,000

Total Cost per Location $280,000 $550,000

Total Cost $4,200,000 $8,800,000

Grand Total $13,000,000

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1.0 INTRODUCTION Vegas Boulevard, Tropicana Avenue students, faculty and staff. Centrally forms the northern boundary of McCarran located and continuous across the Valley, International Airport and the southern the corridor is a key component of regional The Tropicana Avenue Corridor is a boundary of UNLV. Tropicana Avenue connectivity. regionally important east-west has links to all of the north-south arterial transportation route that provides access streets and freeways serving the Las The purpose of this Study is to identify and to the Las Vegas Resort Corridor, Vegas Valley including I-15, I-215 and I- provide a preliminary evaluation of McCarran International Airport, the 515. The Airport Connector provides a alternatives to improve transportation in University of Nevada at Las Vegas link from the Southern Beltway to the Tropicana Avenue Corridor. (UNLV), and residential and commercial Tropicana Avenue through McCarran areas across the Las Vegas Valley. The Airport. 1.1 Overview of the Tropicana Avenue Corridor examined in Tropicana Avenue this study extends approximately 15 miles Most of the land adjacent to Tropicana east-west across the Las Vegas Valley Avenue is developed. While commercial Corridor within the from Hualapai Way to Boulder Highway. properties dominate much of the Regional Transportation Tropicana Avenue is located entirely within Tropicana Avenue frontage, the Tropicana Network unincorporated Clark County. From Dean Corridor includes extensive residential Martin Drive to Boulder Highway, neighborhoods. As a result, Tropicana Tropicana Avenue is under the jurisdiction Avenue serves high volumes of commuter Tropicana Avenue is one of several of the Nevada Department of traffic as well as commercial and tourist arterials which cross the south-central Transportation (NDOT). traffic. portion of the Las Vegas Valley from east to west (Figure 1-2). Flamingo Road and Figure 1-1 shows the location of Tropicana Tropicana Avenue serves a variety of Russell Road are six lane major arterial Avenue. Between Hualapai Way and travel needs. Many residents of streets which parallel Tropicana Avenue Decatur Boulevard, Tropicana Avenue is subdivisions and apartment complexes and are located, respectively, one mile located in the Spring Valley Planning Area adjacent to Tropicana Avenue view the north and one mile south of Tropicana of Clark County. Between Decatur corridor as an extension of their Avenue. Harmon Avenue and Hacienda Boulevard and Nellis Boulevard, Tropicana neighborhood and use the corridor for Avenue are four lane minor arterial streets Avenue is located in the Paradise access to local retail stores and services. which parallel Tropicana Avenue and are Planning Area of Clark County. From Corridor residents as well as others from located, respectively, one-half mile north Nellis Boulevard to its eastern terminus, throughout the Las Vegas Valley depend and one-half mile south of Tropicana Tropicana Avenue is located in the on Tropicana Avenue for access to the Avenue. Whitney Planning Area of Clark County. Resort Corridor and other employment and commercial centers. Tropicana In the center of the Las Vegas Valley, Avenue provides the most direct Tropicana Avenue provides access to the connection between the Resort Corridor Las Vegas Resort Corridor which is and McCarran International Airport, the centered along Las Vegas Boulevard, the fifth largest airport in the nation. It also principal employment and tourist serves as a major access route to UNLV, destination in the Valley. East of Las the largest university in the state, for

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Flamingo Road, like Tropicana Avenue, 1.2 Corridor Description also a range of retail commercial crosses the entire Valley providing businesses and restaurants generally access to the Resort Corridor and UNLV The Tropicana Avenue Corridor is located in strip shopping centers. and having connections to I-215, I-15 and approximately 15 miles long and Scattered office buildings are also located I-515. Harmon Avenue, Russell Road traverses the central Las Vegas Valley within this segment. Tropicana Avenue and Hacienda Avenue are discontinuous. from east to west. For most of its length, crosses the I-215 Beltway in this Russell Road and Hacienda Avenue do the roadway provides for three lanes of segment. not cross McCarran Airport and Hacienda traffic in each direction within right-of-way Avenue does not cross either I-215 or I- which is generally 100 feet in width. 515. Harmon Avenue is very Between I-15 and Swenson Street, discontinuous, with three separate additional right-of-way (120+ ft.) provides sections, one east of UNLV, one in the four through lanes in each direction. Resort Corridor and one west of Valley View Boulevard. As a result, Harmon Tropicana Avenue is served by Route Avenue does not provide east-west 201, one of the most heavily used bus access into the Resort Corridor. routes in the Citizen’s Area Transit (CAT) system. Along Tropicana Avenue, Route West of the Airport and UNLV, Flamingo 201 provides connections to the Las Road, Hacienda Avenue and Russell Vegas Monorail, the Deuce double- Road serve as alternate routes to decker bus service along Las Vegas Tropicana Avenue. Similarly, east of the Boulevard, and the planned Boulder Airport and UNLV, Flamingo Road, Highway bus rapid transit (BRT) service. Harmon Avenue, Hacienda Avenue and Russell Road serve as alternate routes to The Tropicana Avenue Corridor can be Tropicana Avenue. However, between divided into five major segments as Koval Lane and Maryland Parkway only defined by land use and transportation Flamingo Road serves as an characteristics: Hualapai Way to Decatur Figure 1-3: Spanish Trail Gated Residential uninterrupted alternative to Tropicana Boulevard, Decatur Boulevard to I-15, I- Avenue. 15 to Koval Lane, Koval Lane to Maryland Parkway, and Maryland Tropicana Avenue is served by the The Southern Beltway parallels Parkway to Boulder Highway. Regional Transportation Commission’s Tropicana Avenue two miles to the south CAT Bus Route 201. In addition to from Durango Drive to Paradise Road. Hualapai Way to Decatur Boulevard serving neighborhoods in the Tropicana Because of its higher speed and Avenue Corridor, Route 201 provides convenient connections to Tropicana The western portion of the Tropicana transfers to and from all the north-south Avenue via I-15 and the Airport Avenue Corridor is characterized by bus routes serving the Central Las Vegas Connector, it also serves as an alternate recent development that includes a mix of Valley. route to Tropicana Avenue. single-family and multi-family residences, many of which have attractive landscaping along the roadway. There is THE Louis Berger Group, INC. 3 TROPICANA AVENUE CORRIDOR STUDY THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION

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Decatur Boulevard to I-15 I-15 to Koval Lane encompassing the I-15 interchange and Las Vegas Boulevard. This portion of the Tropicana Avenue This portion of the Tropicana Avenue Corridor includes older development and Corridor is located in the heart of the Las Koval Lane to Maryland Parkway recent redevelopment. It is characterized Vegas Resort Corridor. Four major by a mixture of light industrial, casinos are located at Las Vegas Between Koval Lane and Paradise Road, commercial, and resort development, and Boulevard: New York New York, Tropicana Avenue is bordered by vacant includes some high-density residential Tropicana, Excalibur, and MGM Grand. land on the north and McCarran housing and mixed-use projects. The This central tourist area is also a hub of International Airport on the south. area appears to be in transition with older the transit network and the sidewalks are Between Paradise Road and Maryland commercial and light industrial properties typically crowded with pedestrians. This Parkway, Tropicana Avenue is bordered giving way to resort style developments segment includes the corridor’s highest by UNLV on the north and a mixture of such as the Orleans Hotel and Casino. traffic volumes and highest transit usage, residential offices and commercial land uses on the south.

Figure 1-4: The Orleans Hotel and Casino

Figure 1-5: MGM Grand Hotel and Casino at Las Vegas

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In this segment, Tropicana Avenue is the Maryland Parkway to Boulder Highway Tropicana Avenue crosses I-515, a only route for east-west vehicular traffic freeway that extends from the City of Las because Harmon Avenue, Hacienda The segment of the Corridor from Vegas to the City of Henderson in this Avenue and Russell Road, the east-west Maryland Parkway to Boulder Highway segment. Beyond I-515, Tropicana streets north and south of Tropicana contains mixed commercial and Avenue crosses Boulder Highway, a Avenue, respectively, are discontinuous. residential development along Tropicana major northwest-southeast corridor that is Contributors to traffic in this segment are Avenue, with residential uses behind the planned for BRT service. tourists traveling to and from the Airport, commercial development. Public uses, students, faculty and staff commuting to such as the Whitney Library, are UNLV and event traffic at the UNLV neighborhood oriented. Thomas & Mack Center.

Figure 1-6: Thomas & Mack Center at UNLV Figure 1-7: Whitney Library

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1.3 Planning Process Tad McDowell, UNLV the corridor, identifies the issues and Luis Valera, UNLV needs in the Tropicana Avenue Corridor, The Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study, Stanley Wickliffe, Nevada Power and provides an evaluation of included in the RTC’s 2007 and 2008 Bill Bible, Nevada Resort improvement alternatives. Chapter 1.0 Unified Planning Work Programs, was Association provides an overview of the project. guided by a Technical Advisory Chapter 2.0 includes a discussion of the Committee (TAC) comprised of Monthly project meetings were held to project purpose and need. Existing government entities and local discuss project status and obtain input conditions are discussed in Chapter 3.0. stakeholders. The TAC included from the participating stakeholders in Chapter 4.0 provides an analysis of representatives from the RTC, Clark identifying issues and opportunities for existing transportation conditions. County Department of Public Works, improvements in the corridor. Chapter 5.0 provides an analysis of the Clark County Comprehensive Planning Supplementary coordination meetings No-Action Alternative. Chapter 6.0 Nevada Department of Transportation, were held with additional stake holders identifies and evaluates roadway Clark County Department of Aviation, that have development or redevelopment improvement alternatives. Chapter 7.0 UNLV, Nevada Power, and Nevada plans along the Tropicana Avenue identifies and evaluates transit Resort Association. Members of the Corridor. alternatives. Chapter 8.0 discusses TAC are listed below: pedestrian improvements. Chapter 9.0 This study represents the first phase in provides conclusions and Mohammad Farhan, RTC the planning process. The next step recommendations. Bruce Turner, RTC towards project implementation would be Martyn James, RTC the adoption of specific Sandra Stanko, RTC recommendations into the RTC’s Maria Rodriguez, RTC Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and Fidel Calixto, RTC Transportation Improvement Program Perrin Palistrant, RTC (TIP). Should federal funds be used for Mark Wells, RTC implementation, the project(s) would be Ginny Cebe, RTC ready for advancement into project Tony Letizia, NDOT development and the National Melvin McCallum, NDOT Environmental Policy Act process. Cleveland Dudley, NDOT Jim Ragan, NDOT 1.4 Organization of Report Marcus Majors, CCCP Rod Allison, CCCP The purpose of the Tropicana Avenue Denis Cedeburg, CCPW Corridor Study Report is to identify and Liz Zylka, CCPW recommend a program of transportation Kevin Futch, CCPW improvements along the Tropicana Teresa Arnold, CCDOA Avenue Corridor to best serve the needs Jennifer Folkert, CCDOA of the Corridor. This report provides a • Michael Sauer, UNLV compilation of existing conditions along THE Louis Berger Group, INC. 7 TROPICANA AVENUE CORRIDOR STUDY THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION

2.0 PURPOSE AND NEED

Tropicana Avenue is a major arterial in Tropicana Avenue planned for reveals a number of existing problems the center of the Las Vegas Valley redevelopment, including the including: serving residential neighborhoods, Tropicana and the Wild Wild West commercial centers, the Las Vegas Hotels. • One-third of the major Resort Corridor, McCarran intersections are severely International Airport, and UNLV, all of The Clark County Department of congested during peak hours; which continue to grow. According to Aviation reported an average of • An absence of right-turn the U.S. Census Bureau and Clark 138,000 arriving and departing pockets so that right-turn traffic County, the population of the 31 passengers into and out of McCarran inhibits the flow of through census tracts along the Tropicana Airport in August 2007 and an overall traffic; Avenue Corridor has increased from increase in passengers of 4.9 percent • Several high volume left turn approximately 115,000 in 2000 to from 2006 to 2007. Terminal 3, which locations do not have dual left 147,000 in 2005, with growth occurring is under construction at McCarran turn pockets; and, across the entire corridor. As Figure 2- Airport, will substantially expand the • The absence of bus pull-outs. 1 illustrates, Clark County resident and Airport’s passenger facilities. UNLV daily visitor population has been currently has an enrollment of The Regional Transportation steadily increasing and is expected to approximately 28,000 students and Commission’s CAT Bus Route 201 continue this trend until at least 2035. over 3,300 faculty and staff. The carries over 3 million passengers Population is projected to exceed 3 University issues over 18,000 parking annually. Buses operate in mixed flow million by 2022. The figure also shows permits for commuting students, faculty without bus pull-outs and are subject to that the average number of daily and staff. UNLV has developed a the same congestion delays as visitors to Clark County, many of Campus Master Plan to guide its automobile traffic. Approximately ten whose destinations are the Resort expected future growth. The majority percent of the commuters using Corridor, was approximately 250,000 in of students attending UNLV commute Tropicana Avenue during peak hours 2006 and is projected to top 500,000 to school. Six of the 11 largest are bus passengers. by 2035. employers in Clark County are located within one mile of Tropicana Avenue. The objective of this study is to develop The Las Vegas Resort Corridor recommendations to improve the continues to grow with the $5 billion As a roadway, Tropicana Avenue person-carrying capacity of Tropicana City Center project under construction does not have the capacity to Avenue to serve the growing needs of by MGM Mirage on Las Vegas accommodate a substantial increase in the community. Boulevard north of Tropicana Avenue traffic. Analysis of Tropicana Avenue and other resort properties on

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3.0 PLANNING FRAMEWORK

3.1 Transportation Studies Regional Fixed Guideway

and Projects The proposed Regional Fixed Guideway project would provide high-capacity, fixed The planned transportation projects that guideway bus rapid transit service to could affect the corridor are described connect Henderson, the Resort Corridor, below and shown in Figure 3-2 and 3-3. downtown Las Vegas, and North Las Vegas. The Regional Fixed Guideway Las Vegas Monorail Extension Plan includes a Downtown Connector, a Resort Corridor Segment, a South Strip An extension of the Monorail to McCarran th Segment and a North 5 Street Segment. International Airport is currently being In the vicinity of the Tropicana Avenue planned and is in the environmental Corridor, the Regional Fixed Guideway review process. The Monorail, shown in would operate along Las Vegas Figure 3-1, is proposed to extend from its Boulevard. Stations are proposed at Rue existing southern terminus at MGM de Monte Carlo, 1100 feet north of Grand to the Airport in order to provide an Tropicana Avenue, and at Reno Avenue, alternate mode of transportation between 1200 feet south of Tropicana Avenue. the Airport and the Resort Corridor, providing a quick and convenient way for Figure 3-1: Las Vegas Monorail Las Valley Transit System visitors to travel to and from McCarran Development Plan Airport. A study focusing on potential Boulder Highway BRT ridership and preliminary engineering is The Las Vegas Valley Transit System underway. The Regional Transportation Commission Development Plan recommends (RTC) of Southern Nevada is currently in enhanced bus service on Tropicana the process of developing a BRT route in Avenue, with additional buses and exclusive right-of-way on Boulder reduced headways. The number and Highway, which would link Henderson to location of bus stops would remain as downtown Las Vegas. This route would currently configured but shelters and intersect Tropicana Avenue in the eastern information displays would be added. portion of the corridor and create an important transfer point for Boulder Highway Corridor residents traveling to and from the Resort Corridor.

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Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study – Planned Regional Transit Projects Figure 3-3

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Regional Transportation Plan and Alternative Transportation Mode Transportation Improvement Program Master Plan One of the principles of the Master Plan The RTC’s 2006-2030 RTP and 2007- The RTC’s Alternative Transportation is to provide a multi-modal circulation 2010 TIP were used to compile a list of Mode Master Plan (ATMMP) highlights system and to strengthen the availability projects planned and programmed that the importance of an effective network of and utilization of alternative transit could impact the Tropicana Avenue bicycle facilities and identifies bicycle modes, including CAT Bus and monorail Corridor. The RTP and TIP were facilities in the study area. Bicycle and systems. The plan accommodates developed by the RTC in cooperation transit use are closely integrated in the approximately 12,900 parking spaces in with NDOT, local planning and public Las Vegas Valley, with the CAT system both garages and surface lots and works agencies, the Clark County carrying over 40,000 bike trips every includes strategies to establish efficient Department of Aviation, and the Clark month. Bicycle use is supported by the vehicular access to campus parking County Department of Air Quality and provision of bike racks on all CAT buses garages. Figure 3-4 shows the location of Environmental Management (DAQEM). and MAX vehicles. Tropicana Avenue is two major parking garages in the The RTP is the long-range plan (20 years not a designated bicycle route. However, southwest section of the campus near and beyond) and the TIP is the short- the plan identifies bicycle routes crossing Tropicana Avenue. In addition, the plan range plan (three years) for transportation Tropicana Avenue. recommends major vehicular entrances improvements. Figure 3-2 illustrates the at existing signalized intersections to locations of the projects in the TIP and 3.2 University of Nevada at provide convenient and safe access to RTP along the Tropicana Avenue major parking facilities. Figure 3-4 Corridor. This wide range of intersection, Las Vegas illustrates one of these vehicular roadway, and transit projects includes Comprehensive Campus entrances located at Tropicana Avenue both those in advanced planning and Master Plan and Wilbur Street. design stages, including some for which funding has been programmed, and The 2004 University of Nevada Las projects in the early planning and Vegas Comprehensive Master Plan conceptual stages. Table 3-1 provides a (UNLV master Plan) provides an list of the projects shown in Figure 3-2. opportunity for UNLV to assess the ability of the campus to accommodate physical The TIP includes a project to construct expansion. The UNLV Master Plan Tropicana Avenue to six lanes from provides a framework to “guide this Hualapai Way to Fort Apache Road. This growth in a consistent and harmonious is the only section of Tropicana Avenue manner with the institutional mission and which is not built out at the present time. the campus’ unique character”. Figure 3- The RTP includes a project to widen 4 provides an overview of the UNLV Tropicana Avenue to 8 lanes between Master Plan. Swenson Street and Maryland Parkway.

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Table 3-1 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Projects on the TIP and RTP

Map TIP RTP Project From To Description Sponsor Fund Source Code 2006-2008 2009-2030

A Hualapai Flamingo Rd. Sunset Rd Construct to 6 lanes Clark County NRS- M $0 $0

B Tropicana Ave. Hualapai Way Ft. Apache Rd. Construct to 6 lanes Clark County Q10 $3,000,000 $1,000,000

C Ft. Apache Rd. Warm Springs Rd. Tropicana Ave. Construct 6 travel lanes Clark County RTC Gas Tax $0 $8,000,000

D Sunset Road CC-215 Durango Dr. Construct 6 lanes Clark Copunty NRS-M $0 $2,400,000

Q10 E Rainbow Blvd. CC-215 SB Tropicana Ave. Widen from 4 to 6 lanes Clark County $10,000,000 $0 STP – CC

F Lindell Rd. Harmon Ave. Tropicana Ave. Construct 4 lane roadway Clark County RTC Gas Tax $0 $2,000,000

G Decatur Blvd. CC-215 SB Tropicana Ave. Widen to 6 lanes Clark County RTC Gas Tax $0 $4,000,000

Valley View Resort Corr. Room H Tropicana Ave. Desert Inn Rd. Widen to 6 lanes Clark County $4,460,000 $5,000,000 Blvd. Tax Valley View City of Las I Desert Inn Rd. Sahara Ave. Widen to 6 lanes NRS-M $0 $0 Blvd. Vegas

J Sunset Road Decatur Blvd. Valley View Blvd. Construct to 6 lanes Clark County NRS-M 0$ $5,817,000

Construct to 6 lanes, I-15 overpass & UPRR K Sunset Road Valley View Blvd. Las Vegas Blvd. Clark County NRS-M $0 $21,500,000 overpass

SR-160 Blue Phase I: Widen from 6 to 8 lanes and add NDOT Bonded L I-15 Tropicana Ave. NDOT $0 $58,200,000 Diamond Rd. auxiliary lanes Funds NDOT State SR-160 Blue Phase 3: Widen from 8 to 10 lanes and add M I-15 Tropicana Ave. NDOT STP CC $0 $98,000,000 Diamond Rd. auxiliary lanes STP Statewide Widen from 6 to 14 lanes NHS N I-15 Tropicana Ave. Sahara Ave. NDOT $1,000,000 $1,200,000,000 Conduct NEPA Process NDOT Bonded

O Harmon Ave. Arville St. Swenson St. Widen 4 to 6 lanes & UPRR overpass Clark County NRS-M $53,500,000 $0

FTA New Starts P Regional Fixed Guideway Henderson North Las Vegas Preliminary Engineering RTC $31,670,000 $26,700,000 RTC Sales Tax Resort Corr. Room Q Paradise Road Tropicana Ave. Desert Inn Rd. Widen to 6 lanes Clark County $8,000,000 $10,000,000 Tax Resort Corr. Room R Tropicana Ave. Swenson St. Maryland Pkwy. Widen from 6 to 8 lanes Clark County $0 $9,000,000 Tax

S McLeod Dr. Tropicana Ave. Patrick Lane Widen to 4 lanes Clark County RTC Gas Tax $0 $933,000

NDOT Bonded T I-515 Foothills Dr. I-15 Widen to 10 lanes NDOT $0 $1,300,000,000 Funds Boulder Hwy Downtown Las FTA Bus Disc. U College Dr. Construct BRT System RTC $25,543,000 $5,600,000 MAX BRT Vegas RTC Sales Tax

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3.3 Land Use and Zoning

3.3.1 Current Land Use and Table 3-2 Proposed Developments Community Facilities in the Tropicana Avenue Corridor

The Tropicana Avenue Corridor lies Figure 3-5 Land Use/Type of Facility Name within the Spring Valley, Paradise, and Sheet No. Facility Whitney Planning Areas of 4 School Marion B. Earl Elementary School unincorporated Clark County. Figure 3-5 4 Religious Christ the King Catholic Church shows existing and planned future land 4 School Helen Jydstrup Elementary School use along the Tropicana Avenue Corridor 5 Government Clark County Fire Department from the Spring Valley, Paradise and 5 Utilities Southwest Gas Whitney Land Use Plans. As Figure 3-5 6 Utilities Southern Nevada Water Authority shows, the land uses along Tropicana 6 Utilities Las Vegas Valley Water District Avenue are diverse, with a wide range of 6 Religious Shrine – The Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church residential, commercial, light industrial, 7 Transportation McCarran Airport and public/government uses. The Future 7 Government Clark County Government Offices Land Use maps in Figure 3-5 also 7 School University of Nevada – Las Vegas illustrate the locations of planned mixed- 7 Government U.S. Post Office use developments along the Tropicana 8 School University of Nevada – Las Vegas Avenue Corridor. 8 Religious Tropicana Christian Fellowship 8 Religious Church of Jesus Christ – Latter Day Saints Community facilities along Tropicana 8 Religious Jewish Community Center Avenue are listed in Table 3-2 and 9 Park/Recreation Paradise Park 9 Religious Our Lady de la Vang Church identified in Figure 3-5. 9 School Clark County School District Offices 9 School Kinder Care 9 Religious Community Lutheran Church 10 School Ullom Elementary School 10 Government U.S. Post Office 11 Library Las Vegas-Clark County Library – Whitney Library 11 School Whitney Elementary School 11 Park/Recreation Whitney Park

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Along the Tropicana Avenue Corridor, land is developed, with a few exceptions of vacant, undeveloped property at the following locations: several parcels between Hualapai Way and Fort Apache Road; the southeast quadrant of the I-215 Interchange; the northwest quadrant of the Tropicana Avenue/Decatur Boulevard intersection where the Flamingo Wash Channel is located; the north side of Tropicana Avenue from Koval Lane to Paradise Road; and small parcels east of Boulder Highway.

The western portion of the Corridor is located in Spring Valley, which extends from Hualapai Way to Decatur Boulevard.

In this segment of the Corridor, land use Figure 3-6: Single-Family Residential Land Uses is predominantly single-family residential (see Figure 3-6). There are future The central portion of the corridor is planned tourist and commercial land uses within the Paradise Planning Area, which and mixed-use developments for the extends from Decatur Boulevard to Nellis currently vacant areas by Hualapai Way, Boulevard. Between Decatur Boulevard Grand Canyon Drive, and the I-215 and I-15, the area is predominantly Beltway. commercial and light industrial. Tropicana Avenue is fronted by a diverse There are several residential developments mix of restaurants, retail establishments, lining Tropicana Avenue, including the motels, and storage facilities. The upscale Spanish Hills and Spanish Trails Orleans Hotel and Casino (see Figure 3- between Durango Drive and Rainbow 7) and the Wild West Gambling Hall Boulevard. Further east, by Jones (which has been purchased by Station Boulevard, there are several apartment Casinos for redevelopment) are located and condominium complexes and a in this section of Tropicana Avenue. mobile home park. The Flamingo Wash Channel crosses Tropicana Avenue just The Union Pacific Railroad crosses over west of Torrey Pines Drive and extends Tropicana Avenue just west of Valley east on the north side of Tropicana View Boulevard. Behind the frontage Avenue past Jones Boulevard to Decatur properties there are additional storage Figure 3-7: The Orleans Hotel and Casino facilities, professional offices, and light- Boulevard. Much of the land surrounding industrial uses. the channel is vacant.

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The Las Vegas Boulevard Resort The University of Nevada at Las Vegas Corridor (the Las Vegas Strip) is centered occupies the north side of Tropicana along Las Vegas Boulevard east of I-15. Avenue from Swenson Street to Maryland The New York New York (see Figure 3- Parkway. The UNLV Thomas and Mack 8), Excalibur, Tropicana, and MGM Center, the largest indoor arena in Grand Hotels comprise the properties Southern Nevada, is located on the within the four quadrants of the Tropicana northeast corner of Tropicana Avenue Avenue/Las Vegas Boulevard and Swenson Street. Additional buildings intersection. associated with UNLV are located between the Thomas and Mack Center and Maryland Parkway.

Retail establishments, shopping centers, mini-storage facilities, and professional offices line the majority of both sides of Tropicana Avenue between Maryland Parkway and Pecos Road (see Figure 3-9). Behind the commercial development are single-family homes, apartment complexes, and condominiums. Paradise Park is situated just behind a shopping center at McLeod Drive.

Single-family homes front Tropicana Avenue between Pecos Road and I-515 on the south side and between Sandhill Road and I-515 on the north side. On the north side of Tropicana Avenue and east Figure 3-8: New York New York Hotel and Casino of Pecos Road, there is a mix of land uses – neighborhood shopping, Figure 3-9: Office Commercial Land Use along McCarran Airport occupies the south side churches, Clark County School District E. Tropicana Avenue of Tropicana Avenue from Koval Lane to offices, and a day care facility. Retail Paradise Road. Opposite the airport establishments and apartment complexes property, there are large parcels of line Tropicana Avenue between I-515 and vacant land, most of which are currently Boulder Highway. Single-family homes planned for mixed-use developments. are situated behind these land uses.

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East of Nellis Boulevard, located in the On the west side of the Corridor, General Along Tropicana Avenue there are Whitney Planning Area, there is the Business and General Commercial several locations designated as Mixed- Whitney Library, part of the Las Vegas- zoning is located by the I-215 Beltway Use overlay districts (MUDs). The most Clark County Library District. At Boulder and at all major intersections. Other intense mixed-uses are allowed between Highway, a major commercial corridor, areas are zoned for Residential land Arville Street and Koval Lane. Other less there is a hotel, shopping centers, and uses. The section of the Tropicana intense MUD locations along the Corridor Whitney Elementary School. Vacant Avenue Corridor between Decatur are: between Decatur Boulevard and parcels of land near this intersection are Boulevard and I-15 is zoned for Arville Street; between Paradise Road slated for commercial and “residential Manufacturing land uses and the section and Eastern Avenue; between Hualapai urban center” development. between I-15 and Koval lane is zoned for Way and El Capitan Way; and, at Boulder Limited Resort and Apartment. The Highway. 3.3.2 Zoning Airport and UNLV are zoned for Public Facility and other land east of Swenson Base zoning in the Tropicana Avenue Street is generally zoned Residential with Corridor generally reinforces the existing General Business frontage along and planned land uses (see Figure 3-10). Tropicana Avenue.

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4.0 EXISTING TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS

4.1 Roadway Characteristics

Based on the Nevada Department of Tropicana Avenue has a raised median 15 and from Maryland Parkway to Boulder Transportation roadway functional from Maryland Parkway to Boulder Highway. classification of the Las Vegas urbanized Highway and from I-15 to Swenson area, Tropicana Avenue is classified as a Street. The medians in the vicinity of Las From I-15 to Swenson Street the right-of- principal arterial from Rainbow Boulevard Vegas Boulevard also act as a pedestrian way width has been increased to at least to Nellis Boulevard. West of Rainbow barrier to encourage use of the 120 ft. to accommodate the present Boulevard and east of Nellis Boulevard, it pedestrian bridges at Las Vegas roadway configuration which includes is classified as a minor arterial. Boulevard. West of I-15, there are raised four lanes in each direction plus turning medians only at major intersections, with lanes. The right-of-way width is 110 feet Figure 4-1 shows the lane configuration an open, two-way left turn median in between Swenson Street and Maryland of Tropicana Avenue. Tropicana Avenue between. About half of the major Parkway. The Winchester/Paradise Land is generally six lanes wide, providing intersections along Tropicana Avenue are Use Plan, adopted August 3, 2005, three through lanes in each direction. striped to provide dual left-turn lanes. identifies Tropicana Avenue as a 120+ ft. Between I-15 and Swenson Street right-of-way arterial between I-15 and eastbound and between Wilbur Street (at There are very few dedicated right-turn Swenson Street and as a 100+ ft. right-of- UNLV) and I-15 westbound, Tropicana lanes. way arterial street everywhere else. Avenue provides four through lanes in each direction. West of the I-215 Existing right-of-way was obtained from Forty intersections between Hualapai Beltway, Tropicana Avenue is not yet the Clark County GIS data base. Way and Boulder Highway are signalized; built out but is planned for six lanes. Tropicana Avenue has a right-of-way therefore, the average spacing between width of 100 feet from Hualapai Way to I- signalized intersections along the 15-mile corridor is less than four tenths of a mile.

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4.2 Traffic Volumes and Level of Service

4.2.1 Existing Traffic Volumes to 106,000 vehicles per day and do not experienced by the drivers. Level-of- decrease on weekends. Figure 4-6 service (LOS) describes the quality of Peak hour traffic counts were taken in shows traffic volumes between I-15 and traffic operating conditions and is rated November 2006 at 37 key intersections Las Vegas Boulevard over a 24-hour from “A” to “F”. LOS A represents the along Tropicana Avenue. Figure 4-2 weekday period. Eastbound traffic most desirable conditions with free-flow provides a summary of the AM and PM averages 2,500 vehicles per hour movement of traffic with minimal delays. peak hour traffic counts taken on continuously from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. LOS F generally indicates severely Tropicana Avenue. Figures 4-3 and 4-4 Westbound (outbound) traffic has a congested conditions with excessive show existing AM and PM peak hour prolonged afternoon peak from 2:00 PM delays to motorists. Intermediate grades turning movements, respectively. to 7:00 PM which reaches a maximum of of B, C, D, and E reflect incremental over 3,000 vehicles per hour between increases in the average delay. Figures 4-5, 4-6 and 4-7 show 24-hour 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM. traffic counts taken on Tropicana Avenue The LOS rating deemed acceptable on a typical weekday in September 2006 At Eastern Avenue, traffic volumes on varies by community, facility type, and at Rainbow Boulevard, Las Vegas Tropicana Avenue range from 52,000 to traffic control device. At unsignalized Boulevard, and Eastern Avenue, 56,000 vehicles per day. Figure 4-7 intersections LOS E and better is often respectively. shows a sharp morning peak of inbound accepted for low to moderate traffic (westbound) traffic between 8:00 AM and volumes where the installation of a traffic At Rainbow Boulevard, weekday traffic 9:00 AM and a slightly higher and longer signal is not warranted by the conditions volumes on Tropicana Avenue vary afternoon peak of outbound traffic at the intersection or the location has between 42,000 and 64,000 vehicles per between 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM at been deemed undesirable for day. Figure 4-5 shows a sharp morning Eastern Avenue. Peak hour traffic signalization for other reasons, e.g., the peak of inbound (eastbound) traffic approaches 2,000 vehicles per hour both close proximity of an existing traffic signal between 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM and a inbound and outbound. or the presence of a convenient slightly lower and longer afternoon peak alternative path. Table 4-1 shows the of outbound traffic between 4:00 PM and 4.2.2 Existing Level of Service LOS and ranges of delay for unsignalized 6:00 PM at Rainbow Boulevard. Peak intersections. hour traffic approaches 3,000 vehicles Intersections within the study area were per hour inbound in the morning and evaluated based on the methodologies For signalized intersections, LOS and 2,500 vehicles per hour outbound in the outlined in the Highway Capacity Manual average delay relate to all vehicles using afternoon. (HCM), 2000 Edition, published by the the intersection (see Table 4-2). Most Transportation Research Board. The urban cities have adopted LOS D as the At Las Vegas Boulevard, traffic volumes operating conditions at an intersection minimum desirable rating for a signalized on Tropicana Avenue range from 88,000 are graded by the “level-of-service” intersection.

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Table 4-3 shows the existing level of service and overall intersection delays during the AM and PM peak operating periods at the study intersections on Tropicana Avenue.

Along Tropicana Avenue, during the AM peak hour six intersections operate at level of service E or F:

• Decatur Boulevard; • Arville Street; • Valley View Boulevard; • Koval Lane; • Maryland Parkway; and, • Eastern Avenue.

The corridor fares worse during the PM peak period. Thirteen major intersections along the corridor currently operate at LOS E or F during the PM peak hour:

• Fort Apache Road; • Rainbow Boulevard; • Jones Boulevard; • Decatur Boulevard; • Arville Street; • Valley View Boulevard; • Dean Martin Drive; • Las Vegas Boulevard; • Koval Lane; • Maryland Parkway; • Eastern Avenue; • Pecos Road; and, • Sandhill Road.

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4.2.3 Left Turn Storage Tables 4-4 and 4-5 show which 4.2.4 Right Turn Storage intersections provide adequate storage Tables 4-4 and 4-5 identify the following for left turns at the present time. From Tropicana Avenue has only fourteen left turn conditions on Tropicana Avenue Hualapai Way to I-15 and from Swenson right-turn bays at the thirty-seven key at key signalized intersections in the AM Street to Maryland Parkway, Tropicana intersections studied. Fewer than one in and PM peak hour, respectively: Avenue does not have a raised median. five key right-turn locations has a right- In these areas, traffic backs up beyond turn bay. Tables 4-6 and 4-7 identify the • Number of left-turn lanes; the channelizing dividers, but does not following right turn conditions on • Length of left-turn bay; block traffic, at the following intersections: Tropicana Avenue at the intersections • Existing peak hour left-turn which have right-turn storage bays in the volume; and, • Fort Apache Road AM and PM peak hours, respectively: • Queue length required to store • Durango Drive existing peak hour left-turn • Buffalo Drive • Number of right turn lanes; volumes. • Torrey Pines Road • Length of right turn bay; • Jones Boulevard • Existing peak hour right turn Only about half of the key intersections • Decatur Boulevard volume, and along Tropicana Avenue have dual left • Cameron Road • Queue length required to store turn lanes. As shown in the tables, the • Arville Street existing peak hour right turn following thirteen intersections have • Valley View Boulevard volumes. substantial peak hour left-turning volumes • Dean Martin Drive (greater than 100 vehicles per hour) but As the tables show, in the AM peak hour, • Wilbur Street do not have dual left turn lanes: only seven existing key right-turns have • Maryland Parkway adequate right turn storage bays to • Durango Drive From I-15 to Swenson Street and from accommodate the right turn volumes in Buffalo Drive • Maryland Parkway to Boulder Highway, the AM peak hour and, in the PM peak • Decatur Boulevard left turns are restricted to breaks in the hour, only three existing key right-turns • Cameron Road raised median. The following intersections have adequate right turn storage bays to • Arville Street have inadequate storage lanes. As a result, accommodate the right turn volumes in • Valley View Boulevard left turn queues block the inside through the PM peak hour. As a result, right turn • Dean Martin Drive lane impeding traffic flow: queues block the inside through lane • Duke Ellington Drive impeding traffic flow at 96 percent of the • Wilbur Street • MGM Entrance key intersections along Tropicana • Spencer Street • Duke Ellington Street Avenue. Put another way, the eastbound right-turn bay at Hualapai Way and the • Sandhill Road • Paradise Road westbound right-turn bay at Cameron • I-515 Southbound • Spencer Street • Sandhill Road Road are considered to be adequate, • Mountain Vista Street while right-turn movements contribute to • I-515 Southbound • Boulder Highway congestion at all other locations along • I-515 Northbound Tropicana Avenue. • Mountain Vista Street

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Table 4-4 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Adequacy of Left Turn Bays in the AM Peak Hour

Left Turn Cycle Length Required Total Existing Total Adequate Storage Intersection Direction No. of Lanes Volume (vph) (sec) Storage Length Storage Length Length? Hualapai Eastbound 63 1 140 126 400 Yes Fort Apache Eastbound 324 2140 231 300 Yes Westbound 445 2140 302 225 No CC-215 SB Ramp Westbound 64 2140 64 200 Yes CC-215 NB Ramp Eastbound 78 2140 74 300 Yes Durango Eastbound 184 2140 145 350 Yes Westbound 106 1140 187 300 Yes Buffalo Eastbound 213 1140 326 125 No Rainbow Eastbound 202 2140 156 425 Yes Westbound 134 2140 113 450 Yes Torrey Pines Eastbound 40 1140 91 200 Yes Westbound 49 1140 105 200 Yes Jones Eastbound 173 2140 138 200 Yes Westbound 120 2140 103 225 Yes Decatur Eastbound 207 1140 318 500 Yes Westbound 323 1140 460 375 No Cameron Eastbound 181 1140 286 225 No Westbound 71 1140 138 300 Yes Arville Eastbound 211 1140 323 200 No Westbound 174 1140 277 200 No Wynn Eastbound 94 1140 171 200 Yes Westbound 18 1140 52 225 Yes Valley View Eastbound 267 1140 393 250 No Westbound 132 1140 222 275 Yes Polaris Eastbound 64 1140 128 200 Yes Westbound 56 1140 116 200 Yes Dean Martin Eastbound 91 1140 166 175 Yes Westbound 299 2140 216 225 Yes I-15 SB Ramp Westbound 171 2140 137 250 Yes I-15 NB Ramp Eastbound 622 2140 404 450 Yes

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Table 4-4 (continued) Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Adequacy of Left Turn Bays in the AM Peak Hour

Left Turn Cycle Length Required Total Existing Total Adequate Storage Intersection Direction No. of Lanes Volume (vph) (sec) Storage Length Storage Length Length? Las Vegas Blvd Eastbound 314 2140 225 650 Yes Westbound 222 2140 169 550 Yes Island/MGM Westbound 47 2140 51 150 Yes Duke Ellington/MGM Eastbound 459 2140 311 275 No Westbound 129 1140 218 200 No Koval Eastbound 434 2140 296 350 Yes Westbound 314 2140 225 350 Yes Paradise Westbound 339 2140 240 350 Yes Swenson Eastbound 364 2140 255 575 Yes Wilbur Eastbound 200 1140 310 175 No Westbound 22 1140 60 150 Yes Maryland Eastbound 516 2140 343 200 No Westbound 58 2140 60 300 Yes Spencer Eastbound 107 1140 188 200 Yes Westbound 24 1140 64 175 Yes Eastern Eastbound 233 2140 176 400 Yes Westbound 270 2140 198 400 Yes McLeod Eastbound 29 1140 72 200 Yes Westbound 38 1140 87 200 Yes Pecos Eastbound 134 2140 113 325 Yes Westbound 411 2140 282 325 Yes Sandhill Eastbound 131 1140 221 200 No Westbound 114 1140 198 200 Yes I-515 SB Ramp Westbound 82 1140 154 150 No I-515 NB Ramp Eastbound 610 2140 397 350 No Mountain Vista Eastbound 72 1140 139 175 Yes Westbound 143 1140 237 175 No Nellis Eastbound 136 2140 114 325 Yes Westbound 47 1140 102 225 Yes Boulder Eastbound 116 1140 201 500 Yes Westbound 35 1140 83 250 Yes

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Table 4-5 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Adequacy of Left Turn Bays in the PM Peak Hour

Left Turn Cycle Length Required Total Existing Total Adequate Storage Intersection Direction No. of Lanes Volume (vph) (sec) Storage Length Storage Length Length? Hualapai Eastbound 52 1 160 121 400 Yes Fort Apache Eastbound 301 2160 243 300 Yes Westbound 579 2160 426 225 No CC-215 SB Ramp Westbound 87 2160 89 200 Yes CC-215 NB Ramp Eastbound 163 2160 146 300 Yes Durango Eastbound 181 2160 159 350 Yes Westbound 171 1160 304 300 No Buffalo Eastbound 161 1160 289 125 No Rainbow Eastbound 156 2160 141 425 Yes Westbound 233 2160 196 450 Yes Torrey Pines Eastbound 63 1160 139 200 Yes Westbound 142 1160 262 200 No Jones Eastbound 187 2160 164 200 Yes Westbound 434 2160 332 225 No Decatur Eastbound 223 1160 378 500 Yes Westbound 579 1160 852 375 No Cameron Eastbound 172 1160 305 225 No Westbound 72 1160 154 300 Yes Arville Eastbound 228 1160 385 200 No Westbound 138 1160 256 200 No Wynn Eastbound 74 1160 157 200 Yes Westbound 24 1160 70 225 Yes Valley View Eastbound 131 1160 245 250 Yes Westbound 189 1160 330 275 No Polaris Eastbound 52 1160 121 200 Yes Westbound 63 1160 139 200 Yes Dean Martin Eastbound 173 1160 307 175 No Westbound 253 2160 210 225 Yes I-15 SB Ramp Westbound 250 2160 208 250 Yes I-15 NB Ramp Eastbound 516 2160 386 450 Yes

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Table 4-5 (continued) Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Adequacy of Left Turn Bays in the PM Peak Hour

Left Turn Cycle Length Required Total Existing Total Adequate Storage Intersection Direction No. of Lanes Volume (vph) (sec) Storage Length Storage Length Length? Westbound 415 2160319 350 Yes Paradise Westbound 516 2160 386 350 No Swenson Eastbound 273 2160 224 575 Yes Wilbur Eastbound 67 1160 146 175 Yes Westbound 40 1160 100 150 Yes Maryland Eastbound 554 2160 410 200 No Westbound 163 2160 146 300 Yes Spencer Eastbound 114 1160 220 200 No Westbound 95 1160 191 175 No Eastern Eastbound 358 2160 281 400 Yes Westbound 290 2160 235 400 Yes McLeod Eastbound 73 1160 156 200 Yes Westbound 34 1160 89 200 Yes Pecos Eastbound 346 2160 273 325 Yes Westbound 235 2160 198 325 Yes Sandhill Eastbound 143 1160 263 200 No Westbound 132 1160 247 200 No I-515 SB Ramp Westbound 124 1160 235 150 No I-515 NB Ramp Eastbound 1034 2160 714 350 No Mountain Vista Eastbound 228 1160 385 175 No Westbound 146 1160 267 175 No Nellis Eastbound 291 2160 236 325 Yes Westbound 99 1160 197 225 Yes Boulder Eastbound 183 1160 321 500 Yes Westbound 52 1160 121 250 Yes

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Table 4-6 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Adequacy of Right Turn Bays in the AM Peak Hour

Right Turn Cycle Length Required Total Existing Total AdequateStorage Intersection Direction No. of Lanes Volume (vph) (sec) Storage Length Storage Length Length? Hualapai Eastbound 47 1 140 102 400 yes 215-SB Ramp Eastbound 264 1 140 389 400 yes Durango Westbound 109 1 140 191 150 no Cameron Westbound 42 1 140 94 300 yes Valley View Eastbound 234 1 140 352 150 no I-15 NB Westbound 888 2 140 1106 1200 yes Las Vegas Blvd Eastbound 489 1 140 655 400 no Las Vegas Blvd Westbound 214 1 140 327 400 yes Koval Westbound 283 1 140 412 250 no Paradise Eastbound 926 2 140 1148 500 no Wilbur Westbound 346 1 140 488 300 no I-515 SB Eastbound 211 1 140 323 350 yes I-515 NB Westbound 667 1 140 858 200 no Boulder Highway Eastbound 103 1 140 183 300 yes

Note: This table lists all of the existing right-turn bays along Tropicana Avenue

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Table 4-7 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Adequacy of Right Turn Bays in the PM Peak Hour

Right Turn Cycle Length Required Total Existing Total AdequateStorage Intersection Direction No. of Lanes Volume (vph) (sec) Storage Length Storage Length Length? Hualapai Eastbound 52 1 140 121 400 yes 215-SB Ramp Eastbound 384 1 140 597 400 no Durango Westbound 146 1 140 267 150 no Cameron Westbound 74 1 140 157 300 yes Valley View Eastbound 282 1 140 459 150 no I-15 NB Westbound 1545 1 140 2058 1200 no Las Vegas Blvd Eastbound 335 1 140 531 400 no Las Vegas Blvd Westbound 301 1 140 485 400 no Koval Westbound 546 1 140 810 250 no Paradise Eastbound 954 1 140 1328 500 no Wilbur Westbound 134 1 140 250 300 yes I-515 SB Eastbound 464 1 140 703 350 no I-515 NB Westbound 456 1 140 692 200 no Boulder Highway Eastbound 308 1 140 308 300 no

Note: This table lists all of the existing righ-turn bays along Tropicana Avenue

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4.3 Travel Speeds 4.4 Safety

Table 4-8 provides measured travel The Nevada Department of Approximately half of all crashes speeds during weekday AM and PM peak Transportation (NDOT) provides vehicle along Tropicana Avenue were rear- hours on Tropicana Avenue. Speeds crash data, including information about end type of collisions. Angle type of were measured by driving along types of crashes and fatalities. In the collisions comprised another 39 Tropicana Avenue between the Boulder Tropicana Avenue Corridor, a total of percent of all crashes. These types of Highway and Durango Drive, in each 3,902 crashes occurred from December collisions are typical of congested direction, and recording the time required 2003 through June 2006. Nearly 3000 of urban streets with a proliferation of to traverse sections of the roadway. these crashes occurred at intersections driveways and cross-streets. Figure Measurements were made along the corridor. simultaneously in both the middle lanes 4-8 illustrates the different types of and in the outside lanes to determine the Over this time period, Las Vegas crashes along Tropicana Avenue. effect of delays caused by right-turning Boulevard had the greatest number of vehicles blocking the outside through crashes (199) with Koval Lane, Paradise lane. Road, Decatur Boulevard, Eastern Avenue, and Jones Boulevard each During peak traffic periods it takes an having over 140 crashes (see Table 4-9). average of 31 minutes for an automobile Another four intersections had over 100 to drive the 13 miles from the Boulder crashes during the December 2003 Highway to Durango Drive with an through June 2006 time period. A total of average speed of 25 miles per hour. In ten fatalities, three of which occurred at the AM peak hour, travel in the outside Swenson Street, and over 1,500 injuries lane required an additional 2 to 3 minutes have resulted. Fatalities have also (10% longer) with the average speed occurred during this time period at the I- reduced by only 1 to 2 miles per hour. In 215 Beltway, Buffalo Drive, Jones the PM peak hour, travel in the outside Boulevard, Valley View Boulevard (two), lane required an additional 6 to 12 and Spencer Street (two). The most minutes (20% to 35% longer) with the injuries have been reported at Paradise average speed reduced by 4 to 7 mph. Road (103). The analysis shows that traffic in the outside lane, the lane used by buses, experiences substantial delays due to the lack of right-turn bays throughout the Corridor

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Table 4-8

2007 Weekday Travel Speeds on Tropicana Avenue

AM PEAK HOUR Westbound Eastbound Westbound Eastbound Travel Speed (MPH) Travel Time Travel Time Travel Speed Distance (Minutes) (Minutes) (MPH) Middle Outside Middle Outside Middle Outside Middle Outside Lanes Lanes Lanes Lanes Lanes Lanes Lanes Lanes Boulder Hwy to Maryland Pkwy 5 miles 10 17 12 16 30 18 25 19 Maryland Pkwy to Las Vegas 2 miles 6 6 6 6 20 20 20 20 Blvd Las Vegas Blvd to Decatur Blvd 2 miles 10 12 6 7 12 10 20 17 Decatur Blvd to Durango Dr 4 miles 8 11 6 7 30 22 40 34 13 Total 34 46 30 36 23 17 26 22 miles

PM PEAK HOUR

Westbound Travel Time Eastbound Travel Time Westbound Travel Speed Eastbound Travel Speed (Minutes) (Minutes) (MPH) (MPH) Distance Middle Outside Middle Outside Middle Outside Middle Outside Lanes Lanes Lanes Lanes Lanes Lanes Lanes Lanes Boulder Hwy to Maryland Pkwy 5 miles 12 12 9 11 25 25 33 27 Maryland Pkwy to Las Vegas Blvd 2 miles 3 5 4 5 40 24 30 24 Las Vegas Blvd to Decatur Blvd 2 miles 6 6 7 7 20 20 17 17 Decatur Blvd to Durango Dr 4 miles 7 7 11 11 34 34 22 22 Total 13 miles 28 30 31 34 28 26 25 23

Peak period bus travel speed = 12 mph (65 minutes) Off-peak bus travel speed = 15 mph (52 minutes)

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4.5 Transit Service

4.5.1 Existing Transit Service

CAT Route 201 provides service on ¾ 107 – Boulder Highway Tropicana Avenue from Durango Drive to ¾ 108 – Paradise Road Route 201 has 15-minute peak period Jimmy Durante Boulevard. Route 201 is headways and operates 24 hours a day ¾ 109 – Maryland Parkway crossed by 13 connecting bus routes, as (see Table 4-10). During peak periods listed below and shown in Figure 4-9, and ¾ 110 – Eastern Avenue the route uses twelve 60-ft. articulated passes near the Las Vegas Monorail Station ¾ 111 – Green Valley Parkway / coaches with seating capacity for 60 at the MGM Grand. Pecos Road and combined seating and standing ¾ 114 – Mountain Vista Street capacity of 80. The route length is 15.9 ¾ Deuce – Las Vegas Boulevard ¾ 115 – Nellis Boulevard miles eastbound with an average ¾ 101 – Rainbow Boulevard eastbound weekday run time of 1 hour ¾ 102 – Jones Boulevard In addition, three Silver State bus lines 12 minutes and 13.7 miles westbound ¾ 103 – Decatur Boulevard whose usage is limited to senior citizens with an average westbound weekday run time of 1 hour 6 minutes. ¾ 104 – Valley View Boulevard – routes 710, 711, and 712 – run along Tropicana Avenue for some segment of ¾ 105 – Dean Martin Drive their routes.

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There are 65 stops on the eastbound route and 54 stops on the westbound route. (Note: In October 2007, a thirteenth coach was added to serve Route 201 during peak hours in order to maintain adequate on-time performance due to increasing peak period traffic.)

Figure 4-10 shows the locations of the Route 201 bus stops. Figure 4-11 includes photos of the transit stops along Tropicana Avenue at the major cross streets. The Appendix includes an inventory of the amenities and conditions of the 90 bus stops that are located along Tropicana Avenue.

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Of the ninety inventoried bus stops along • Westbound – west of Tenaya Way: Road and Eastern Avenue stops. Tropicana Avenue, 60 percent feature at bus sign is partially covered with Approximately 2000 passengers ride the least one bus shelter and one bench. Of paint. bus through the Resort Corridor in each these, there are four locations with two bus direction on a typical day. shelters and at least two benches – 4.5.2 Transit System Performance Maryland Parkway eastbound, Maryland Parkway westbound, Las Vegas Boulevard As shown in Figure 4-12, annual ridership westbound, and Duke Ellington Way on Route 201 has doubled over the last 10 eastbound. Two bus stops have one years. Route 201 comprises about five shelter and two benches – Rainbow percent of total CAT system-wide Boulevard eastbound and Jones boardings. The highest number of Boulevard eastbound. Twelve of the 90 boardings and the highest coach load bus stops have a bench but no shelter and points are located in the Resort Corridor, 24 bus stops have neither. In addition, 82 as illustrated in Figures 4-13 and 4-14. percent have at least one trash receptacle. Most of the bus stops are clearly Westbound boardings on Route 201 identifiable with bus shelters, benches (Figure 4-13) build from the Andover Drive and/or prominent signs. The following five bus stop, with Maryland Parkway having bus stops are not clearly marked: the highest number of boardings, followed by the Las Vegas Boulevard and Eastern • Eastbound – between Spencer Avenue stops. The stations with the Street and Burnham Avenue: graffiti highest numbers of westbound alightings on sign and pole; are Las Vegas Boulevard, Maryland Parkway, Jones Boulevard and Koval • Eastbound – east of Topaz Street: Lane. sign is very small;

• Eastbound – east of Pearl Street: no As shown in Figure 4-14, eastbound sign and small bus line sticker on boardings are highest at the Las Vegas pole; Boulevard stop, followed by the Maryland Parkway, Jones Boulevard, and Decatur • Eastbound – east of Rollingwood Boulevard stops. The largest numbers of Drive: bus sign on same pole as No eastbound alightings occur at the Maryland Parking sign; and, Parkway, Las Vegas Boulevard, Pecos

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An analysis of hourly passenger 2005 in favor of increased local bus distribution was conducted to identify the service on Route 201 providing 15-minute peak periods of transit usage in the headways between buses operating over corridor. A morning peak occurs from 6 an extended, continuous, 13-hour peak AM to 9 AM, but ridership is greater during period. an afternoon peak from 2 PM to 6 PM, as shown in Figure 4-15. The East Tropicana Express bus service was marginally successful considering the In an effort to augment service and limited number of service hours provided. increase ridership during peak periods, the The West Tropicana Express bus service RTC implemented express bus service on was quickly discontinued due to low portions of Tropicana Avenue in the early ridership attributable to limited service 2000’s. An East Tropicana Express hours and a circuitous route which operated from February 2000 to October included diversions to Russell Road on the 2005. The East Tropicana Express east end and Flamingo Road on the west operated between Las Vegas Boulevard end. and Boulder Highway providing Limited- Stop service every 30 minutes with stops at the one-mile streets for three peak hours in the morning and four peak hours in the evening. A West Tropicana Express operated from February 2000 to May 2001.

The West Tropicana Express operated between Las Vegas Boulevard and Buffalo Drive providing Limited-Stop service every 30 minutes with stops at the one-mile streets for three peak hours in the morning and four peak hours in the evening.

During this time, local service on Route 201 was also available along Tropicana Avenue with peak period service every 20 minutes. During the period of time when the express bus service was available, the express bus routes provided approximately 10 percent of the service hours and carried approximately 10 percent of the riders with an effective headway of 15 minutes between buses during seven peak hours. The express service was discontinued in

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4.6 Pedestrian and Bicycle Bicycle use is an important alternative Bicycle paths are planned along the Facilities mode of travel and a key component of Boulder Highway, I-515 and I-215 crossing transit ridership in the Valley. All CAT Tropicana Avenue. Tropicana Avenue has buses have racks on the front of the been designated a “Bicycle Compatible Tropicana Avenue has a five-foot wide vehicles, while MAX vehicles are equipped Street” west of Rainbow Boulevard. attached sidewalk adjacent to all with interior racks. developed parcels along its 15-mile length. Current County standards require that the Tropicana Avenue is not, however, a few remaining undeveloped parcels and designated bicycle route. Tropicana properties which are redeveloped to be Avenue is crossed by bicycle routes on developed with an off-set sidewalk. Hualapai Way, Durango Drive, Buffalo Drive, and Jones Boulevard. The sidewalks along Tropicana Avenue are heavily used. In the area between Decatur Boulevard and Koval Lane, the public sidewalks provide pedestrian access to and between resort developments. In other parts of the Corridor the public sidewalks link residential and commercial areas. Along the entire Corridor, the public sidewalks provide access to the numerous transit stops serving residential areas, employment areas and the UNLV.

At-grade pedestrian crossings are provided at signalized intersections. At Las Vegas Boulevard, pedestrian bridges provide access to the resort properties on all four corners while pedestrian barriers prohibit at-grade crossings and direct pedestrians to the pedestrian bridges, which are equipped with elevators and escalators. The Whitney Library is served by an at-grade mid-block marked cross- Figure 4-16: walk. Figure 4-16 shows these two Pedestrian Crossings along pedestrian crossings along Tropicana Tropicana Avenue Avenue.

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5.0 PROJECTED YEAR 2030 TRAFFIC AND LEVEL OF SERVICE WITHOUT IMPROVEMENTS

Figure 5-1 shows projected year 2030 service E or F during peak hours in the During peak periods, buses on AM and PM peak hour traffic volumes year 2030. Tropicana Avenue travel in the outside on Tropicana Avenue. Projected traffic lane at speeds 10 to 35% slower than volumes were obtained from the RTC’s Table 5-1 also shows the calculated automobiles due to blockage of the TRANSCAD traffic forecasting model. increase in delay at signalized outer lane by right-turning traffic. Figure 5-2 shows the increase or intersections which would be expected Consequently, buses which presently decrease in the projected year 2030 with the projected increase in peak average 12 mph during peak periods peak hour traffic volumes compared to hour traffic. Increased congestion with stops would be unable to maintain existing (year 2006) traffic counts. along Tropicana Avenue in the year scheduled frequencies without a Traffic volumes are projected to 2030 would be expected to increase substantial increase in the number of increase substantially along most of the travel time for automobiles along buses serving the route. Tropicana Avenue. The projected Tropicana Avenue by 12 minutes in the increase in traffic can be attributed to: AM peak hour and by 33 minutes in the PM peak hour. As a result: • Continued redevelopment of land along the Corridor to higher • In the morning, travel time along density uses; and, the 15-mile Tropicana Avenue would be expected to increase • The inability of alternate routes from 34 minutes to 46 minutes to absorb regional traffic growth. with average morning travel

speeds decreasing from 27 mph Without improvement, the level of to 20 mph. service on Tropicana Avenue is expected to deteriorate substantially. • In the evening, travel time along Table 5-1 shows the projected year the 15-mile Tropicana Avenue 2030 level of service and intersection would be expected to increase delay at signalized intersections along from 37 minutes to one hour Tropicana Avenue calculated using the and 10 minutes with average SYNCRO Model. At the present time, evening travel speeds 13 out of 36 major signalized decreasing from 25 mph to 13 intersections along Tropicana Avenue mph. are operating at level of service E or F. Based on projected year 2030 peak hour traffic, the projected increase in traffic will cause 27 out of 36 major intersections to operate at level of

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Table 5-1 Projected Year 2030 Intersection Level of Service on Tropicana Avenue without Improvements

Existing Year 2030 No Action Alternative Intersection Delay Intersection with Level of Service Intersection Delay Level of Service Intersection Delay Difference Tropicana Avenue (LOS) (seconds per vehicles) (LOS) (seconds per vehicles) (seconds per vehicle) AM Peak PM Peak AM Peak PM Peak AM Peak PM Peak AM Peak PM Peak AM Peak PM Peak Hualapai Way B B - - D D 45 47 - - Fort Apache Road D E 50 74 F F 117 160 +67 +86 CC 215 SB C C 27 22 C C 30 30 +3 +8 CC 215 NB B C 14 23 B D 20 38 +6 +15 Durango Drive D D 43 43 E F 57 134 +14 +91 Buffalo Drive B C 19 29 C E 28 66 +9 +37 Rainbow Blvd D E 55 63 F F 88 159 +33 +96 Torrey Pines Road B C 18 24 E F 66 88 +48 +64 Jones Boulevard D F 45 97 E F 69 183 +24 +86 Decatur Boulevard E F 67 332 F F 129 283 +62 -49 Cameron Road D C 23 26 B C 13 25 -10 -1 Arville Street E F 62 122 C F 31 110 -31 -12 Wynn Road B C 13 26 A C 8 26 -5 0 Valley View Boulevard F E 143 71 F F 180 204 +37 +133 Polaris Avenue C B 21 19 C C 29 30 +8 +11 Dean Martin Drive C E 33 57 E F 67 137 +34 +80 I-15 SB C C 23 23 C F 31 116 +8 +93 I-15 NB C C 35 33 E D 59 38 +24 +5 Las Vegas Boulevard D E 45 72 F F 110 290 +65 +218 Island Way C D 31 40 C E 32 73 +1 +33 Duke Ellington Way C B 21 19 B C 19 23 -2 +4 Koval Lane F F 168 100 F F 121 187 -47 +87 Paradise Road C C 29 31 C E 35 80 +6 +49 Swenson Street D D 44 41 F E 105 60 +61 +19 Wilbur Street B C 13 32 B E 17 68 +4 +36 Maryland Parkway E E 63 60 F F 144 220 +81 +160 Spencer Street C B 21 15 C B 28 15 +7 0 Eastern Avenue E F 67 86 E F 74 158 +7 +72 McLeod Drive B C 19 28 C D 25 43 +6 +15 Pecos Road D E 37 57 E F 74 204 +37 +147 Sandhill Road C E 32 71 F F 109 226 +77 +155 I-515 SB D D 40 40 D F 40 95 0 +55 I-515 NB C C 35 24 F D 95 52 +60 +28 Mountain Vista Street D D 42 46 D E 43 65 +1 +19 Nellis Boulevard D D 40 51 D E 52 72 +12 +21 Boulder Highway D D 49 51 D F 51 92 +2 +41 Note – Assumed full build-out for Hualapai Way with dual left lanes and exclusive right-turn lanes for all approaches.

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6.0 ROADWAY IMPROVEMENT ALTERNATIVES

This section discusses alternatives to Two additional intersections are operating 6.1.2 Construction of Right Turn improve Tropicana Avenue Corridor by at a poor level of service (E or F) and Lanes upgrading the roadway. have peak hour left turn volumes exceeding 100 vehicles per hour in a Very few intersections along Tropicana single left turn lane. These additional 6.1 Construction of Avenue have right-turn bays. At intersections would benefit from Intersection intersections without right turn bays, right construction of dual left turn lanes, turning traffic must yield for pedestrians Improvements although the benefits would be lower and and as a result block through vehicles therefore are assigned a secondary that use the outer lane. Figure 6-2 shows priority: 6.1.1 Construction of Dual Left locations where construction of right turn

Turn Lanes bays to free up a through lane would be • Dean Martin Drive (eastbound) effective in reducing intersection delay. Half of the major signalized intersections • Sandhill Avenue (18 out of 36) on Tropicana Avenue have The following eight intersections are single left turn lanes rather than dual left Finally, there are five intersections which operating at a poor level of service (E or turn lanes. Figure 6-1 shows locations are operating at an adequate level of F) and have peak hour right turn volumes where adding a second left turn lane can service (D or better) today but are exceeding 200 vehicles per hour. reduce intersection delay and would be a projected to fail in the future and have Accordingly, these intersections would straightforward way to reduce intersection peak hour left turn volumes exceeding benefit the most and are assigned the congestion. 100 vehicles per hour. At these highest priority for construction of right locations, construction of dual left turn turn bays: The following three intersections are lanes is desirable and is assigned as a operating at a poor level of service (E or third priority. • Rainbow Boulevard

F) and have peak hour left turn volumes • Jones Boulevard • Durango Drive exceeding 200 vehicles per hour in a • Decatur Boulevard • Buffalo Drive (eastbound) single left turn lane. Accordingly, these • Arville Street • I-515 Southbound Ramp three intersections would benefit the most • Valley View Boulevard (westbound) and are assigned the highest priority for (westbound) • Koval Lane (see below) constructing dual left turn lanes on • Mountain Vista Street • Maryland Parkway Tropicana Avenue: • Boulder Highway • Eastern Avenue

• Decatur Boulevard

• Arville Street and

• Valley View Boulevard

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At Koval Lane, the westbound to • At the Arville Intersection, Arville Construction of triple left turn lanes northbound right-turn bay is only 250 feet Street has dual left turns southbound southbound on Koval Lane is in length with an existing right turn and single left turns northbound. The desirable. volume exceeding 500 vehicles in both north bound left turn volume exceeds the AM and PM peak hours. The 200 vehicles per hour. While the • At the Swenson Street Intersection, westbound right-turn bay should be intersection operates at level of northbound Swenson Street operates substantially lengthened to avoid blocking service C at the present time, it is with a shared outer through/right turn the outer through lane. projected to fail in the future so that lane. This intersection operates at construction of a second northbound level of service D today but The following seven intersections are left turn lane is desirable. experiences long queues and is operating at an adequate level of service projected to fail in the future. The (D or better) today but are projected to • At the Valley View Boulevard northbound right turn volume on fail in the future and have peak hour right- Intersection, Valley View Boulevard Swenson Street exceeds 450 vehicles turn volumes exceeding 200 vehicles per has only one through lane per hour in the AM peak hour so that hour. At these locations construction of southbound. The intersection is a northbound right turn bay is right-turn bays is desirable and is operating at level of service F today desirable. assigned a secondary priority: and expansion of the north leg of the intersection to provide two through • At the Pecos Road Intersection, • Durango Drive (eastbound) lanes, dual left turn lanes, and a right- Pecos Road has single left turn lanes • Buffalo Drive (westbound) turn bay is desirable. and does not have right turn bays. • Torrey Pines (westbound) This intersection is operating at level • I-15 Southbound Ramp • At the I-15 Northbound Ramp, the of service E in the PM peak hour. PM (eastbound) intersection is operating at level of peak hour left turn volumes exceed • Swenson Street (westbound) service C today but projected to 300 vehicles per hour (northbound) • I-515 Northbound Ramp deteriorate to level of service E in the and northbound right-turn volumes (westbound) and AM peak hour in the future. The are nearly 300 vehicles per hour. • Mountain Vista Street eastbound peak hour volume exceeds Accordingly, dual left turn lanes (eastbound) 600 vehicles per hour in the AM. This northbound and southbound on high left turn volume indicates that Pecos Road and a right turn bay 6.1.3 Additional Intersection three eastbound left turn lanes would northbound on Pecos Road are desirable. Improvements be desirable. This would require widening of the Tropicana Avenue

Bridge over I-15. • At the Sandhill Avenue Intersection, While construction of dual left turns and Sandhill Avenue has single left turn right turn bays on Tropicana Avenue at • At the Koval Lane Intersection, Koval lanes. This intersection is operating congested intersections is desirable, Lane has dual left turns southbound. at level of service E in the PM peak Figure 6-3 shows several additional This intersection operates at level of hour. The PM peak hour southbound improvements which would be desirable service F today and the southbound left turn volume on Sandhill Avenue is to reduce delay at specific intersections. left turn volume is nearly 700 vehicles nearly 300 vehicles per hour and dual Specifically: per hour during the PM peak hour. THE Louis Berger Group, INC. 72 TROPICANA AVENUE CORRIDOR STUDY THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION

left turns on Sandhill Avenue would In total, intersection improvements are intersection improvements. With the be desirable. proposed at 21 of the 36 major proposed intersection improvements, 26 intersections along Tropicana Avenue. out of 36 major intersections would still • At the I-15 Northbound Ramp, the Figure 6-5 shows the additional lanes be expected to operate at level of service intersection is operating at level of proposed with the proposed intersection E or F in the year 2030. However, all of service C today, but is projected to fail improvements. the intersections proposed for in the future. Eastbound left turn improvement would benefit from reduced volumes exceed 600 vehicles per In most cases, additional right-of-way delay. hour in the AM peak hour. These would be required from developed corner high left turn volumes indicate that properties to construct addition turning As shown in Table 6-2, in the AM peak three eastbound left turn lanes would lanes. The only intersection that is hour, the proposed improvements would be desirable. projected to operate at level of service F be expected to cumulatively reduce travel in the year 2030 and which is not time delays along Tropicana Avenue by 6.1.4 Summary of Alternative proposed for intersection improvement is over 4 minutes. In the PM peak hour, the Intersection Improvements Las Vegas Boulevard. The Tropicana proposed improvements would be Avenue/Las Vegas Boulevard expected to cumulatively reduce travel Figure 6-4 shows all of the intersections Intersection has four through lanes, dual time delays along Tropicana Avenue by where improvements would be effective left turns and right turn bays eastbound nearly eight minutes. In both the AM and in reducing delay by: and westbound and triple left turn lanes PM peak hour, the proposed and right turn bays northbound and improvements would be expected to • Construction of dual left turn lanes; southbound. The intersection passes increase average travel speeds by 2 100,000 vehicles per day in the east-west mph. While this seems like a small value, • Construction of right-turn bays; and, direction alone and it would be it represents a 10% increase in projected impractical to enlarge the intersection travel speed in the morning and a 15% • Construction of additional intersection further. increase in projected travel speed in the improvements. evening attributable solely to intersection

Table 6-1 shows the level of service and improvements. reduction in delay with the proposed

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Table 6-1 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Level of Service and Reduction in Delay with Proposed Intersection Improvements

Year 2030 No Action Alternatives Year 2030 Improvement Alternatives Intersection Delay Intersection with Level of Service Intersection Delay Level of Service Intersection Delay Difference Tropicana Avenue (LOS) (seconds per vehicles) (LOS) (seconds per vehicles) (seconds per vehicle) AM Peak PM Peak AM Peak PM Peak AM Peak PM Peak AM Peak PM Peak AM Peak PM Peak Hualapai Way D D 45 47 D D 45 47 - - Fort Apache Road F F 117 160 F F 117 160 - - CC 215 SB C C 30 30 C C 30 30 - - CC 215 NB B D 20 38 C D 20 38 - - Durango Drive E F 57 134 D F 52 133 -5 -1 Buffalo Drive C E 28 66 C E 26 57 -2 -9 Rainbow Blvd F F 88 159 E F 78 139 -10 -20 Torrey Pines Road E F 66 88 E F 64 85 -2 -3 Jones Boulevard E F 69 183 E F 70 161 +1 -22 Decatur Boulevard F F 129 283 F F 103 203 -26 -80 Cameron Road B C 13 25 B C 13 25 - - Arville Street C F 31 110 C E 26 70 -5 -40 Wynn Road A C 8 26 A C 8 26 - - Valley View Boulevard F F 180 204 F F 103 176 -77 -28 Polaris Avenue C C 29 30 C C 31 30 - - Dean Martin Drive E F 67 137 E F 67 131 0 -6 I-15 SB C F 31 116 C C 29 35 -2 -81 I-15 NB E D 59 38 E D 58 37 -1 -1 Las Vegas Boulevard F F 110 290 F F 110 290 - - Island Way C E 32 73 C E 32 74 - - Duke Ellington Way B C 19 23 B C 19 23 - - Koval Lane F F 121 187 F F 119 183 -2 -4 Paradise Road C E 35 80 D E 35 80 - - Swenson Street F E 105 60 E D 71 49 -34 -11 Wilbur Street B E 17 68 B E 18 68 - - Maryland Parkway F F 144 220 F F 117 195 -27 -25 Spencer Street C B 28 15 C B 28 14 - - Eastern Avenue E F 74 158 E F 64 137 -10 -21 McLeod Drive C D 25 43 C D 25 43 - - Pecos Road E F 74 204 D F 50 153 -24 -51 Sandhill Road F F 109 226 F F 87 197 -22 -29 I-515 SB D F 40 95 D F 39 94 -1 -1 I-515 NB F D 95 52 F C 89 35 -6 -17 Mountain Vista Street D E 43 65 D E 49 62 +6 -3 Nellis Boulevard D E 52 72 D E 52 74 - - Boulder Highway D F 51 92 D F 50 90 -1 -2 Note – Assumed full build-out for Hualapai Way with dual left lanes and exclusive right-turn lanes for all approaches.

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Table 6-2 Estimated Travel Time and Travel Speeds on Tropicana Avenue With Proposed Intersection Improvements

TRAVEL TIME TRAVEL SPEED AM PM AM PM Year 2007 34 Minutes 37 Minutes 27 mph 25 mph Year 2030 without 46 minutes 70 Minutes 20 mph 13 mph improvements (No Action) Year 2030 with proposed 42 minutes 62 minutes 22 mph 15 mph intersection improvements

6.2 Construction of Raised Median

East of I-15 Tropicana Avenue has a West of I-15 there are no raised medians median configuration. The median raised median everywhere except the except in the immediate vicinity of I-15 consists of a six-inch concrete median short section of roadway between and I-215. with left-turn pockets for access to Swenson Street and Maryland Parkway driveways. Figure 6-7 shows the along the south side of UNLV. Therefore, Accordingly, the construction of a raised locations along the Tropicana Avenue east of I-15 conflicts with traffic turning median is proposed from Hualapai Way Corridor of the proposed raised medians. left in and out of driveways is limited to to I-15 to reduce driveway conflicts and breaks in the median, facilitating the flow smooth the flow of traffic. Figure 6-6 of traffic. depicts the proposed typical raised

Typical Raised Median – Six-Inch Concrete Median with Left-Turn Pockets for Driveways Figure 6-6

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6.3 Widening of Tropicana Avenue

Tropicana Avenue is fully constructed • Is six lanes wide from Wilbur Street Third, increasing the capacity of within available right-of-way for 14 miles to the Boulder Highway. Tropicana Avenue east and west of the from Fort Apache Road to the Boulder Resort Corridor would attract more long Highway. For this entire length, the right- distance east-west trips to Tropicana of-way line is the back of sidewalk except Adding through lanes to Tropicana Avenue. Any increased capacity on at the three interchanges at I-215, I-15 Avenue by widening is generally not Tropicana Avenue would be better and I-515 where the NDOT right-of-way recommended for the following reasons: allocated to accommodating trips to and expands to include the area of freeway between Resort Corridor destinations, control of access and in the area First, it would be cost prohibitive. Each including McCarran Airport and UNLV, approaching the UPRR bridge. The additional through lane added to rather than to through movements. short, one-mile section from Hualapai Tropicana Avenue would require 11 feet Way to Fort Apache Road is in transition of additional right-of-way. Ignoring the Accordingly, rather than planning for a and will be built out in the near future as potential displacement of buildings, general widening of Tropicana Avenue, adjacent developments are completed, parking and landscaping, most of the resources would be better spent on adhering to current County standards for right-of-way required would be improving alternate routes which would sidewalk and landscaping. Within commercial frontage. Each additional 11- draw longer trips away from Tropicana available right-of-way Tropicana Avenue: foot wide lane would require the Avenue. These alternate routes include: acquisition of 1.33 acres of property per • Will be constructed as a six-lane mile. Widening the 13 miles of Tropicana • Completion of Russell Road west of roadway from Haulapai Way to Avenue which are six lanes wide by one I-15; Fort Apache Road as on-going additional lane in each direction to • The Harmon Avenue crossing of land development is completed convert all of Tropicana Avenue to an the UPRR (with connections to • Is six lanes wide from Fort Apache eight-lane roadway would require the Valley View Boulevard); Road to I-15; acquisition of 34.6 acres of property and could be expected to cost in excess of • The Sunset Road crossing of I-15 • Is eight lanes wide from I-15 to $100 million. and the UPRR; Swenson Street; • The widening of I-215; • Is seven lanes wide (four lanes Second, constructing recommended dual • Reconstruction of the Airport westbound and three lanes left turns and right-turn bays at congested Connector Interchange on I-515; eastbound) from Swenson Street major intersections would provide and, to Wilbur Street (the Thomas & targeted capacity enhancements with a fraction of the right-of-way acquisition Mack entrance); and, • The Tropicana Avenue-Flamingo requirements. Road Connector.

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While a general widening of Tropicana redevelops, it is recommended that a onto southbound Maryland Parkway Avenue is not recommended, there are fourth westbound lane be added in this would provide an alternate route to two locations where localized widenings segment to accommodate additional access Russell Road east of the Airport. are proposed as shown on Figure 6-7 traffic generated by redevelopment and and described below. increasing volumes of traffic outbound In the westbound direction, Tropicana from the Resort Corridor in the evening. Avenue has already been widened to 4 6.3.1 Construction of a Fourth lanes between Swenson Street and Westbound Lane on Approximately two acres of right-of-way Wilber Street, allowing traffic exiting the Tropicana Avenue from I-15 would be required to add a fourth travel Thomas & Mack Center to free-flow onto to Decatur Boulevard lane from I-15 to Decatur Boulevard. In westbound Tropicana Avenue. Extending addition, it would be necessary to the widening to four lanes from Wilbur

reconstruct the UPRR Bridge over Street to Maryland Parkway would The section of Tropicana Avenue from I- Tropicana Avenue. facilitate the flow of traffic from 15 to Decatur Boulevard is in transition, southbound Maryland Parkway along the with light industrial and commercial 6.3.2 Widening of Tropicana southern perimeter of the University and properties being redeveloped to into the Thomas & Mack parking lot at resort/tourist uses. The major Avenue to Eight Lanes from Wilbur Street, primarily benefiting the intersections in this area are very Swenson Street to Maryland University. congested and operating at level of Parkway service E or F. During congested peak The existing right-of-way width on hour periods travel speeds on Tropicana Widening of Tropicana Avenue from six Tropicana Avenue from Swenson Street Avenue average 25 to 28 mph. However, lanes to eight lanes from Swenson Street to Maryland Parkway is 110 feet. along the section of Tropicana Avenue to Maryland Parkway is included in the Widening Tropicana Avenue to at least form Las Vegas Boulevard to Decatur Regional Transportation Plan. 120 feet to provide eight through lanes Boulevard, PM peak hour travel speeds would require additional property from the in the westbound direction average only In the eastbound direction, traffic backs University along the north side of 12 mph. This is far lower than the travel up for more than one-half mile from the Tropicana Avenue and additional speeds on any other section of Tropicana Maryland Parkway intersection during the property from the Airport (Paradise Avenue at any time of the day. As PM peak hour. Adding a fourth School site) and private parcels along the property along the segment of Tropicana eastbound lane from Swenson Street to south side of Tropicana Avenue. Avenue from I-15 to Decatur Boulevard Maryland Parkway with a forced right turn

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6.3.3 Summary of Proposed Boulevard and I-15 is only 1.5 miles in crossing over Dean Martin Drive on a Widening of Tropicana length, time savings of this magnitude bridge structure. Avenue would be expected to maintain travel speeds at current levels despite Option 1 (Figure 6-9 shows Dean Martin Tropicana Avenue is designated as a anticipated growth. Drive realigned on the west side of I-15 to 120-foot wide roadway from I-15 to cross under Tropicana Avenue the way Swenson Street. This has been the 6.4 Grade Separations that Frank Sinatra Drive crosses under traditional east-west limit of major resort Tropicana Avenue on the east side of I- 15. South of Tropicana Avenue a and public development along Tropicana Grade separations are generally not connection road would link Dean Martin Avenue. warranted for congested intersections Drive to Tropicana Avenue at Polaris along Tropicana Avenue because: Avenue. With Option 1, the new With Resort Corridor expansion to the alignment of Dean Martin Drive would west of I-15 and UNLV expansion east of • Individual intersection grade pass through the properties on the Swenson Street, it would be appropriate separations are considered as a northeast and southeast corners of to expand the limits of the 120-foot wide last resort measure only after all Tropicana Avenue and Dean Martin Drive roadway designation to include the entire other alternatives have been and the connection road would follow a area from Decatur Boulevard to Maryland exhausted; and, Parkway. This designation would allow flood control channel south of Tropicana the construction of: • Alternate routes are available, Avenue and pass through the resort planned or under construction. property at Polaris Avenue. Proposed • A fourth westbound lane from new alignments would require at least Decatur Boulevard to I-15; The only location along Tropicana five acres of right-of-way, with the Avenue which seems appropriate for existing alignment of Dean Martin Drive • A fourth westbound lane from consideration of a grade separation is the abandoned. Wilbur Street to Maryland Parkway; intersection of Tropicana Avenue and and, Dean Martin Drive as discussed below. Option 2 (Figure 6-10) shows the same realignment and grade separation of • A fourth eastbound lane from Dean Martin Drive at Tropicana Avenue Swenson Street to Maryland 6.4.1 Dean Martin Drive Grade as Option 1, but with connection roads Parkway. Separation from Dean Martin Drive to Tropicana

Avenue following the existing alignment As shown in Table 6-3, a fourth Despite proposed improvements, the of Dean Martin Drive. The connection westbound lane combined with other intersection of Dean Martin Drive and roads would allow right-on/right-off recommended intersection improvements Tropicana Avenue is expected to remain movements to and from Tropicana would improve levels of service and a bottleneck and to adversely affect the Avenue. With Option 2, nearly four acres reduce delay between Decatur Boulevard operations of the I-15 Interchange. of right-of-way would be required on the and I-15 by an estimated two minutes in Several options were identified which northeast and southeast corners of the the AM peak hour and three minutes in would eliminate the existing Dean Martin Dean Martin Drive/Tropicana Avenue the PM peak hour. Considering that the Drive Intersection by constructing a grade Intersection. section of roadway between Decatur separation, with Tropicana Avenue

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Table 6-3 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Level of Service and Reduction in Delay With a Fourth Westbound Lane from Decatur Boulevard to I-15

Year 2030 No Action Alternative Year 2030 Improvement Alternatives1 Intersection Delay Intersection Delay Intersection Delay Intersection with Level of Service Level of Service Difference (seconds per (seconds per Tropicana Avenue (LOS) (LOS) (seconds per vehicle) vehicles) vehicles) AM Peak PM Peak AM Peak PM Peak AM Peak PM Peak AM Peak PM Peak AM Peak PM Peak Cameron Road B C 13 25 B C 14 26 +1 +1 Arville Street C F 31 110 C D 26 50 -5 -60 Wynn Road A C 8 26 A C 7 23 -1 -3 Valley View Boulevard F F 180 204 E F 72 132 -108 -72 Polaris Avenue C C 29 30 C C 29 25 0 -5 Dean Martin Boulevard E F 67 137 E F 64 98 -3 -39

1 Also includes improvements from Table 6-1.

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Option 3 (Figure 6-11) shows Tropicana At Flamingo Road an option has been As an additional option, Figure 6-12 also Avenue raised to go over Dean Martin identified which would serve the same shows a connection road extending from Drive. Both Dean Martin Drive and function on southbound I-15 as the slip Dean Martin Drive at the proposed slip Tropicana Avenue would remain on their ramp to Frank Sinatra Drive serves on ramp to Polaris Avenue north of Hotel Rio present alignments. A connection road northbound I-15, but in the opposite Drive. The connection road would linking Dean Martin Drive and Tropicana direction and serving the properties on provide access to Polaris Avenue from Avenue would be constructed along the the west side of I-15. Specifically, as the north and allow Polaris Avenue to south side of Tropicana Avenue between shown in Figure 6-12 a slip ramp is serve as an alternate route to Dean Dean Martin Drive and Polaris Avenue. proposed from the existing I-15 Martin Drive between Flamingo Road and With Option 3, nearly four acres of right- southbound Flamingo Road off-ramp to Harmon Avenue. Up to one acre of of-way would be required along the south Dean Martin Drive. additional right-of-way would be required side of Tropicana Avenue. for this connection. The Flamingo Road The I-15 southbound Flamingo Road off- and Hotel Rio Drive Bridges over the All three of the above options would ramp would be unchanged, but the new UPRR are already configured to provide displace commercial properties and slip ramp would provide direct access an undercrossing for this proposed would change the access to properties on from southbound I-15 to Dean Martin connection option. Dean Martin Drive near Tropicana Drive. This would provide improved Avenue. Further study is needed to access to existing and redeveloping Additional study would be required to consider redevelopment and access properties along Dean Martin Drive from determine impacts and potential benefits issues as well as to consider cost and I-15 southbound. The new slip ramp to the I-15 Freeway with the proposed congestion affecting the entire I-15 would reduce the amount of traffic exiting slip ramp. The project would benefit Interchange. I-15 southbound at Tropicana Avenue Tropicana Avenue since each vehicle and reduce the volume of traffic on I-15 using the slip ramp would be diverted 6.5 I-15 Southbound Slip southbound from Flamingo Road to away from Tropicana Avenue. While the Ramp to Dean Martin Tropicana Avenue. Approximately one volume of traffic which would use the slip acre of vacant property would be required ramp is small at the present time, resort Drive crossing an overhead power easement. development along Dean Martin Drive will increase the traffic demand for the slip On northbound I-15 the off-ramp to ramp. Tropicana Avenue includes a slip ramp to Frank Sinatra Drive. The slip ramp allows I-15 northbound traffic to access the resort properties on the east side of I- 15 along Frank Sinatra Drive without using Tropicana Avenue or Flamingo Road.

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6.6 Harmon Avenue While this project is an actual project By constructing more parking at the Extension over the which in underway and not an alternative Thomas & Mack Center, the University under consideration in this study, it is can: UPPR shown as an important element in the overall development of the segment of • Accommodate a growing number of The 1.5-mile segment of Tropicana Tropicana Avenue between I-15 and students, faculty and staff; and, Avenue between I-15 and Decatur Decatur Boulevard. Boulevard presently experiences severe • Accommodate more special events, including more daytime events, at congestion at four signalized 6.7 University of Nevada at intersections: Dean Martin Drive, Valley the Thomas & Mack Center.

View Boulevard, Arville Street, and Las Vegas Access to the Thomas & Mack parking lot Decatur Boulevard. The provision of one is from Wilbur Street via Tropicana additional westbound lane and Most of the 28,000 students as well as 3,300 faculty and staff of UNLV commute Avenue and from Swenson Street also implementation of intersection via Tropicana Avenue. Therefore, any improvements can result in substantial to the UNLV campus. Access to the University is available form Tropicana increase in the usage of the Thomas & benefits. Proposed redevelopment, led Mack parking lot has a direct effect on by the Station Casinos, in the area Avenue, Maryland Parkway, Flamingo Road and Swenson Street. The large Tropicana Avenue. Several options have bounded by Tropicana Avenue on the been preliminarily discussed as ways to south, Harmon Avenue on the North, I-15 University parking lot accessible from Tropicana Avenue is shared by students mitigate impacts from expanded parking on the east and the Union Pacific at the Thomas & Mack Center, including: Railroad (UPRR) on the west will greatly and users of the Thomas & Mack Center. The University limits daytime activities at increase trip generation in an area which Provide access from Harmon the Thomas & Mack Center so that ample • is already congested and not served by Avenue to the proposed parking parking is available to students during the an adequate roadway network. garage site west of the arena. day. The parking lot is used for arena Figure 6-13 shows the planned extension events in the evening. • Relocate the Wilbur Street traffic of Harmon Avenue over the Union Pacific signal westward to provide The UNLV Master Plan shows a Railroad. With planned improvements to improved access to the proposed proposed future expansion of parking at Harmon Avenue and connections to parking garage site on Tropicana the Thomas & Mack Center. Additional Flamingo Road and Tropicana Avenue Avenue. parking would be provided in the form of via Valley View Boulevard, Harmon two new parking garages, one located • Convert the Paradise School site to Avenue will provide a much needed south of the arena near Tropicana another use to augment parking or alternate route to Tropicana Avenue in Avenue and one located west of the access. the Resort Corridor and provide alternate arena near Swenson Street. access to the area between I-15 and the

UPRR.

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6.8 McCarran Airport The Airport plans to reconfigure the Airport commercial businesses and eastbound right turn lane at the Paradise parking garages is likely near the Construction of Terminal 3 at McCarran Road intersection with Tropicana Avenue intersections in the future. Maintaining an Airport will allow the Airport to continue to to improve the weaving between Airport acceptable level of service through the grow. The Terminal 3 project will expand traffic and Airport by-pass traffic on intersections is critical and can be short and long term parking but displace southbound Paradise Road. No other achieved with either widening or grade the economy lot. The economy lot may Airport roadway improvements are separations, if necessary. However, be relocated to an area west of Paradise planned which would affect Tropicana since this area provides visitors with the Road and south of Tropicana Avenue Avenue. first impression of Las Vegas upon where the rental car facility was leaving the Airport, aesthetic design previously located. The Airport and the University own most should be as important as capacity of the land near the Paradise Road and considerations. As noted in Section 6.1, Relocation of the rental car facility to the Swenson Street intersections. While at the present time, the only improvement consolidated lot on I-215 has likely neither the Airport nor UNLV have active proposed by this study at the Swenson reduced rental car traffic on Tropicana plans to change land use near the Street/Tropicana Avenue Intersection is Avenue. While growth at the Airport will intersections, coordination of future land the addition of right-turn lanes on contribute to congestion on Tropicana use planning efforts taking into northbound Swenson Street and on Avenue, the configuration of the Airport consideration traffic circulation and westbound Tropicana Avenue. has no affect on traffic volumes on architectural aesthetics is recommended. Tropicana Avenue. Construction of University buildings,

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7.0 TRANSIT IMPROVEMENT ALTERNATIVES

The Regional Transportation Commission An analysis of these factors was In simplistic terms, the analysis of the provides CAT Bus Service along performed based on historical ridership Tropicana Avenue bus route indicates Tropicana Avenue. In a typical month, data for Route 201 along Tropicana that in order to achieve a 15% increase in approximately 300,000 passengers ride Avenue. Figures 7-1 and 7-2 show the ridership it would be necessary to either: the Tropicana Avenue Route 201 CAT correlation between the population living bus. The 30-mile round-trip Tropicana within one-quarter mile of transit stops on • Increase population density by Avenue bus route operates with a 15- Tropicana Avenue and daily boardings. 30% through redevelopment; or, minute headway for 13 peak hours per The analysis shows that: day and with a 30-minute headway for • Decrease peak hour headways the remaining 11 hours per day. During • At transit stops which are not major from 15 minutes to 10 minutes. peak periods a round-trip is scheduled to transfer points there is roughly one take 3.2 hours (including a half hour daily boarding for each 16 area This latter alternative is the most practical layover) and requires a fleet of 13 buses. residents (6% of the population). from the perspective of the RTC and is The average bus travel speed is 12 mph evaluated further below. Costs in this • Based on all boardings, including Section are shown in year 2007 dollars. during peak periods. During off-peak transfers, there is roughly one periods a round-trip is scheduled to take boarding for each 5 area residents. 2.5 hours (with a half hour layover) and (This analysis excluded the Las requires a fleet of five buses. The Vegas Strip which has the average bus travel speed increases to 15 maximum number of transfers but mph due to less congestion and less time no area residents.) spent boarding passengers during the off- peak periods. From October 2005 to July 2006, the RTC operated CAT buses on Tropicana Several factors affect bus ridership. Avenue with 12-minute headways for a Chief among the factors are: short duration of time. During this time period, ridership went up. Figure 7-3 • Residential population within shows a correlation between bus walking distance of transit stops; headway and monthly ridership on Route • Number of transfers; and, 201 based on this data. • Level of service provided.

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7.1 Alternatives to Provide Table 7-2 shows the operating However, there are two problems with Enhanced Bus Service on characteristics which would be required if reducing headway with the existing Route the CAT Bus Service on Route 201 were 201 service. First, the increased Tropicana Avenue enhanced (Alternative 1) to reduce peak ridership would not be expected to fully period headways to 10 minutes in order offset the increased fleet operations costs Table 7-1 lists the existing operating to attract additional ridership. To achieve so that the average operating cost per characteristics of the Route 201 CAT Bus a 10-minute headway, the number of passenger would be expected to increase Service on Tropicana Avenue. buses operating during peak periods from $1.83 to $2.09. Second, increasing would have to increase from 13 to 20 and congestion will require more buses in the With 13 buses operating with 15-minute the number of service hours provided future to maintain headways as travel peak period headways and 30-minute off- would increase from 5,900 to 7,900 speeds diminish. peak period headways, the existing service hours per month. A Route 201 service carries an average of corresponding increase in ridership from Based on the analysis presented in 290,000 passengers per month at an 290,000 passengers per month to Section 5, travel times along Tropicana average operating cost of $1.83 per 340,000 passengers per month could be Avenue are predicted to increase from 34 passenger. expected. minutes to 46 minutes in the AM peak hours and to increase from 37 minutes to 70 minutes in the PM peak hours for automobile travel in each direction along Tropicana Avenue (15 miles one-way) due to increased congestion by the year 2030. Traveling in the outside lanes where speeds are up to 35 percent slower, the existing bus service would be expected to experience much slower bus travel speeds in the future. In the year 2030, with the existing Route 201 service, average bus travel speeds would be reduced from 12 mph to 8 mph during the evening peak hours.

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As shown in Table 7-3, maintaining a 15- As shown in Table 7-4, with Alternative 1, As Tables 7-1 through 7-4 show, minute headway on Tropicana Avenue in providing and maintaining a 10-minute maintaining the existing 15-minute the year 2030 with the existing Route 201 headway on Tropicana Avenue in the headways will require increased service would require an increase from year 2030 with the existing Route 201 investment in the future just to continue to 13 buses to 20 buses. Without an service would require 30 buses and, even provide the present level of transit increase in ridership (because service with an increase of ridership, would service. Decreasing headways to 10 would not be improved), the operating increase the operating cost per minutes with the existing Route 201 cost per passenger would increase to passenger to $2.85. service would be untenable since, due to $2.45 (year 2007 dollars) due to the growing congestion, doubling the transit additional buses needed to maintain a service operating hours on Tropicana 15-minute headway. Avenue over the next 20 years would only result in an estimated 15 percent increase in ridership.

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• Overlapping BRT and CAT Bus

Service would provide an effective headway averaging:

A: 10 minutes during peak periods (Table 7-5)

B: 7.5 minutes during peak periods (Table 7-6)

Sixty percent of the passengers on Route 201 board or alight at the major mile streets, including all transfers. Despite decreased service at minor transit stops, improved service for riders boarding at major stops should lead to an overall increase in ridership. In addition to decreased headway, the proposed BRT service would provide or include:

• A 25 percent increase in travel speed as BRT buses bypass minor transit stops;

• Bus pullouts at limited stop

locations (one-mile streets); and, Table 7-5 shows the operating • BRT vehicles would only provide characteristics of a Bus Rapid Transit limited-stop service, stopping only • Improved bus shelters with (BRT) alternative (Alternative 2) for at the major mile streets. automated ticketing Tropicana Avenue. The characteristics of • In addition to the BRT vehicles, a proposed BRT alternative would be as regular CAT Bus service would be With these features to attract riders it follows: provided along Tropicana Avenue would probably not be necessary to operating at all stops with: purchase special transit vehicles, but • BRT vehicles would operate in rather to outwardly designate assigned mixed flow on Tropicana Avenue. A: 30-minute headway during regular CAT buses as “EXPRESS”. both peak and off-peak periods Unlike BRT Service proposed in the Las • BRT vehicles would operate with (Table 7-5) or, Vegas Boulevard and Boulder Highway 15-minute headways during peak B: 15-minute headway during corridors, the type of service proposed for periods and would not operate peak periods and 30-minute Tropicana Avenue would be more during off-peak periods. headway during off-peak correctly termed Limited-Stop Service. periods (Table 7-6).

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By providing overlapping Limited-Stop (Express) bus service with regular CAT Bus Service, as shown in Table 7-5 with an effective peak period headway of 10 minutes, the number of vehicles in service during peak periods would increase from 13 to 17, the number of service hours provided would increase from 5,900 to 7,000 service hours per month and monthly ridership would be expected to increase from 290,000 to 340,000, while the average operating cost per passenger would only increase from $1.83 to $1.85

Providing overlapping Limited-Stop bus service with regular CAT Bus Service as shown in Table 7-6 with an effective peak period headway of 7.5 minutes, the number of vehicles in service would increase from 13 to 23, the number of service hours provided would increase from 5,900 to 8,750 service hours per month and monthly ridership would be expected to increase from 290,000 to 360,000, while average operating cost per passenger would only increase from $1.83 to $2.19.

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The latter service, as shown in Table 7-6, would essentially add peak period Limited-Stop Service with 15-minute headways to the existing Route 201 bus service.

Advantages of the proposed overlapping Limited-Stop and Regular CAT Bus Service include:

- A rapid service that would be provided for 60% of the riders who board at one-mile streets, - Only the Limited-Stop locations would require upgrades to speed the boarding process, - Express buses that would offer frequent scheduled service for an extended 13-hour peak period, and - The number of buses assigned to the regular CAT Bus Service could be varied as demand requires, providing system flexibility.

Offering Express, Limited-Stop service on Tropicana Avenue would reduce the number of buses needed to provide a given headway while increasing service, without substantially increasing the average operating cost per passenger.

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Construction of bus pull-outs and The primary purpose of the Monorail Center could provide a location where the enhanced bus shelters at major mile extension would be to provide a higher Tropicana Route 201, Paradise/Swenson streets including off-board fare collection order transit service between McCarran Route 108 and Maryland Parkway Rout 109 systems and amenities provided at BRT Airport and the hotels served by the could converge and interface with the Stations would be recommended to Monorail. The proposed monorail service University Campus bus route. However, attract riders and speed the boarding would provide visitors with an alternative changes in each of the CAT Bus Routes process. Construction of right turn bays mode of transportation to and from the would be required to bring them into the at the major mile streets, while providing Airport. Thomas & Mack Center resulting in longer congestion relief benefits for automobile travel time and possibly reduced service to drivers, would also provide transit Traffic counts at McCarran Airport show other areas benefits as the right turning vehicles are that approximately 40,000 vehicles per separated from the outside mixed use day enter and exit the Airport. Rather than divert existing bus routes along lane. Approximately 60% of this traffic enters Tropicana Avenue, Maryland Parkway and and exits the Airport via the Tropicana Paradise Road, establishing a new bus Table 9-4 in Section 9 shows the Avenue intersections at Paradise Road route along Harmon Avenue has been estimated costs to provide the and at Swenson Street. Resort Corridor suggested. A new Harmon Avenue bus recommended transit facilities and visitors who do not rent cars generally route could take advantage of the planned roadway improvements to accommodate use Paradise Road and Swenson Street extension of Harmon Avenue across Las the proposed Limited-Stop bus service. via Tropicana Avenue to and from their Vegas Boulevard and across the UPRR hotel destinations. Accordingly, it can be mainline to provide service across the During peak hours, CAT bus riders expected that, if constructed, each Valley. At UNLV, bus-only lanes crossing constitute approximately ten percent of Monorail trip would result in one less trip the campus would provide east-west CAT the person-trips on Tropicana Avenue in through the Tropicana Avenue Bus route continuity and provide an the Resort Corridor. An increase in bus Intersections in a private vehicle. While opportunity for a transfer facility on campus. ridership from 290,000 to 340,000 per the effect would be a reduction in The advantages of the transfer station would month would translate into a 2% increase congestion at the Tropicana Avenue be: in person carrying capacity on Tropicana Intersections at Paradise Road and at Avenue. Swenson Street, the magnitude of the • To provide a central and convenient reduction would depend on the success on-campus location for University 7.2 Monorail Extension of the Monorail in attracting riders. students, faculty and staff to access the CAT Bus system.

The Las Vegas Monorail company 7.3 UNLV CAT Bus Transfer • To provide a convenient interface with proposes to extend the existing Monorail. Station the University campus bus. The monorail would extend east from its • To provide more convenient access to present terminus to the Airport. The possibility of establishing a bus transfer the CAT Bus system for users of the

station at the Thomas & Mack Center on the Thomas & Mack Center.

UNLV campus was preliminarily discussed during the course of this study. A bus transfer station at the Thomas & Mack

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8.0 PEDESTRIAN REALM

Recently adopted Clark County As redevelopment continues, with resort Sidewalk widths greater than five feet Standards require a landscape buffer and type properties being constructed should be considered near major off-set sidewalk along arterial streets. between I-15 and Decatur Boulevard and redevelopment projects to create a Along Tropicana Avenue the existing between Koval Lane and Paradise Road, pedestrian realm. West of Decatur facilities consist of a five-foot wide it is expected that the entire four-mile Boulevard and east of Maryland Parkway, sidewalk at the back of curb. area between Decatur Boulevard and the mixed residential and commercial Maryland Parkway will be heavily used by areas along Tropicana Avenue would Historically, the highest levels of pedestrians. Figure 8-1 shows a typical also benefit by adherence to the new pedestrian activity along Tropicana section of an eight-lane roadway with off- County landscape and off-set sidewalk Avenue have occurred near Las Vegas set sidewalk and landscape buffer. As a standards with redevelopment. Boulevard and near UNLV. In addition to minimum, adherence to County visitors and students, respectively, these Standards for landscape buffers and off- In August 2006, the Clark County locations are also the major CAT bus set sidewalks should be enforced in this Department of Comprehensive Planning transfer locations on Tropicana Avenue. area as redevelopment occurs. developed recommendations for future public pedestrian grade separations within the Resort Corridor, including one at Tropicana Avenue and Valley View Boulevard.

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9.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

During peak commuter travel hours, While these improvements will provide a Proposed roadway improvements in each Tropicana Avenue is congested from measure of congestion relief, planned of these segments are discussed below. Rainbow Boulevard to I-515. Congestion programs to construct and upgrade is expected to get worse as roadways which provide alternate routes Hualapai Way to Decatur Boulevard redevelopment along Tropicana Avenue to Tropicana Avenue, such as the continues and as the number of trips to Harmon Avenue Extension and the The western portion of the Tropicana the Resort Corridor, McCarran Airport Tropicana Avenue – Flamingo Road Avenue Corridor from Hualapai Way to and UNLV continue to grow. Without Connector, are expected to be more Decatur Boulevard is characterized by improvement, travel times along effective in improving regional traffic flow recent development that includes a mix of Tropicana Avenue are expected to than wholesale upgrades to Tropicana single-family and multi-family residences, double over the next twenty years Avenue. many of which have attractive reducing average travel speeds to as low landscaping along the roadway. This as 13 mph in the evening peak hour. In Proposed Improvements identified herein roadway segment comprises the Spring addition to increasing delays to should be evaluated further as planned Valley Planning Area of the Tropicana automobile traffic, bus service, which development unfolds and as Avenue Corridor. Among the residential operates in mixed flow, will deteriorate as improvements to other regional roads are developments is Spanish Trail, a gated the existing bus fleet is unable to undertaken. community located between Durango maintain scheduled headways. Drive and Rainbow Boulevard. There is Opportunities for major improvements to 9.1 Proposed Roadway also a range of retail commercial Tropicana Avenue are limited due to the Improvements businesses and restaurants generally intensity of development along the located in strip shopping centers. Corridor. Rather than proposing a major, Tropicana Avenue crosses the I-215 The Tropicana Avenue Corridor can be cost prohibitive capacity enhancement Beltway in this segment. divided into five major segments based program, this Study is recommending: on land use and transportation While Tropicana Avenue offers a • Targeted roadway improvements to characteristics: reduce delay in specific areas; and, straightforward route from the Western • Hualapai Way to Decatur Valley into the Resort Corridor, McCarran • A change in the type of bus service Boulevard; Airport and UNLV, Flamingo Road, provided along Tropicana Avenue Hacienda Avenue, Russell Road and the to include Limited-Stop Service. • Decatur Boulevard to I-15; Southern Beltway all provide viable • I-15 to Koval Lane; alternate routes which can result in lower These improvements are intended to: travel times. Because of the availability • Koval Lane to Maryland Parkway; of these alternate routes, improvement of • Reduce delay for automobiles and and, Tropicana Avenue in this segment is not buses; and, • Maryland Parkway to Boulder the only option. On-going and planned • Increase bus ridership. Highway. improvements to Russell Road and the Southern Beltway (as well as Sunset

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Road) are expected to increase the future Decatur Boulevard to I-15 undergo major land redevelopment which attractiveness of these routes compared will increase traffic demand. Accordingly, to Tropicana Avenue. This portion of the Tropicana Avenue for the segment of Tropicana Avenue Corridor includes older development and from Decatur Boulevard to I-15, a multi- At the present time, the Tropicana recent redevelopment. It is characterized staged approach should be considered to Avenue intersections at Rainbow by a mixture of light industrial, accommodate traffic demand. Boulevard, Jones Boulevard, and Decatur commercial, and resort development, and Boulevard are severely congested. includes some high-density residential First, specific improvements proposed to However, minor improvements on housing and mixed-use projects. The improve traffic flow include:

Tropicana Avenue including the addition area appears to be in transition with older of right and left turn pockets and bus pull- • The installation of a raised commercial and light industrial properties median; outs, combined with planned giving way to resort style properties. improvements to Russell Road, Sunset • The construction of dual left turn Road, and the Southern Beltway should Again, while this segment of Tropicana lanes at the Decatur Boulevard, avoid the need for major capacity offers a straightforward route from the Arville Street, Valley View improvements on Tropicana Avenue Western Valley into the Resort Corridor, Boulevard and Dean Martin Drive between Hualapai Way and Decatur McCarran Airport and UNLV, Flamingo (eastbound) Intersections; Boulevard. Road, Hacienda Avenue and Russell • The construction of right-turn Road all provide viable alternative routes. pockets on Tropicana Avenue at Specific improvements identified in this Harmon Avenue is planned for Decatur Boulevard, Arville Street, report which would be effective in construction in this area and will provide Valley View Boulevard and Dean improving traffic flow and reducing delay a new alternative route from the west side Martin Drive; include: of I-15 into the Resort Corridor located

• The installation of a raised within one mile of Tropicana Avenue. In • The construction of northbound median; addition, Sunset Road, located two miles dual left turn lanes at Arville south of Tropicana Avenue, is under Street; • The construction of dual left turn design and planned for construction • The Construction of southbound lanes on Tropicana Avenue at the between Decatur Boulevard and Las dual left turn lanes and Durango Drive, Buffalo Drive and Vegas Boulevard and will provide a fifth southbound dual through lanes on Decatur Boulevard Intersections; alternative route from the west side of I- Valley View Boulevard at 15 into the Resort Corridor. • Construction of right-turn pockets Tropicana Avenue; and,

on Tropicana Avenue at Rainbow Like the segment of Tropicana Avenue Boulevard and at Decatur • Providing bus-pullouts on Tropicana further to the west, with existing and Boulevard; and, Avenue at Decatur Boulevard, planned alternate routes available, Valley View Boulevard and Dean • Providing bus pull-outs on improvement of this segment of Martin Drive. Tropicana Avenue at Buffalo Drive Tropicana Avenue is not the only option. (westbound), Rainbow Boulevard, However, unlike the western segment, Second, the segment of Tropicana Jones Boulevard and Decatur the segment of Tropicana Avenue from Avenue from Decatur Boulevard to I-15 Boulevard. Decatur Boulevard to I-15 is expected to should be considered for an upgrade THE Louis Berger Group, INC. 107 TROPICANA AVENUE CORRIDOR STUDY THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION from a 100-foot wide street to a 120-foot encompassing the I-15 interchange and new resort development is under wide street in the County Master Plan. Las Vegas Boulevard. construction on Tropicana Avenue north Adopting a 120-foot wide street in this of the Airport. Between Paradise Road segment would allow for the addition of In this segment, traffic disperses to and Maryland Parkway, Tropicana one through lane in the westbound Resort Corridor destinations or passes Avenue is bordered by UNLV on the direction from I-15 to Decatur Boulevard. through to access I-15, McCarran Airport north and a mixture of residential, office or UNLV. Flamingo Road, Harmon and commercial land uses on the south. Third, suggested regional enhancements Avenue, Hacienda Avenue and Russell In this segment, Tropicana Avenue is the include: Road provide viable alternative routes for only route for east-west vehicular traffic crossing or accessing I-15, Las Vegas because Harmon Avenue, Hacienda • Construction of Harmon Avenue Boulevard and Koval Lane. However, Avenue and Russell Road, the east-west as planned, crossing the UPRR, due to the location of the Airport and streets north and south of Tropicana with connections to Flamingo UNLV which block alternate routes, traffic Avenue, are discontinuous. Contributors Road and Tropicana Avenue via concentrates at Koval Lane intersections. to traffic in this segment are tourists Valley View Boulevard; traveling to and from the Airport, • Construction of a grade Improvements which would be effective in students, faculty and staff commuting to separation for Tropicana Avenue improving traffic flow on Tropicana UNLV and event traffic at the UNLV over Dean Martin Drive, with a Avenue in this segment include: Thomas & Mack Center. connection linking Dean Martin • The construction of triple left turns Drive to Tropicana Avenue; and, Improvements which would be effective in on southbound Koval Lane at improving traffic flow in this segment • Constructing an I-15 northbound Tropicana Avenue; include: slip ramp to Dean Martin Drive • Lengthening the westbound right from the existing Flamingo Road • The installation of a raised median turn lane on Tropicana Avenue at off-ramp, with a possible from Swenson Street to Maryland Koval Lane; connection to Polaris Avenue. Parkway; • The construction of the proposed • The construction of a westbound Tropicana Avenue – Flamingo I-15 to Koval Lane right-turn bay on Tropicana Avenue Road connector east of Koval at Swenson Street; This portion of the Tropicana Avenue Lane; and, • The construction of a northbound Corridor is located in the heart of the Las • The construction of the proposed right-turn bay on Swenson Street at Vegas Resort Corridor. Four major Monorail extension to the Airport. Tropicana Avenue; casinos are located at Las Vegas Boulevard: New York New York, Koval Lane to Maryland Parkway • The construction of right-turn bays Tropicana, Excalibur, and MGM Grand. on Tropicana Avenue at Maryland This central tourist area is also a hub of Parkway; the transit network and the sidewalks are Between Koval Lane and Paradise Road, typically crowded with pedestrians. This Tropicana Avenue is bordered by • Widening of Tropicana Avenue to 4 segment includes the corridor’s highest McCarran International Airport on the lanes eastbound from Swenson traffic volumes and highest transit usage, south and vacant land on the north. One Street to Maryland Parkway and to

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four lanes westbound from Providing access to the parking lot from • The construction of dual left turn Maryland Parkway to Wilbur Street; Harmon Avenue and relocating the lanes on Pecos Road at Tropicana Wilber Street driveway could improve Avenue; • The construction of the proposed traffic flow into the Thomas & Mack Tropicana Avenue – Flamingo Center. • The construction of a northbound Road Connector east of Koval right-turn bay on Pecos Road at Lane; Tropicana Avenue; Maryland Parkway to Boulder • The construction of the proposed Highway • The construction of dual left turn Monorail extension to the Airport; lanes on Sandhill Road at and, The segment of Tropicana Avenue from Tropicana Avenue; and, • Changes in access to the Thomas Maryland Parkway to Boulder Highway • The construction of triple left turn & Mack Center parking lot. consists of mixed commercial and lanes on eastbound Tropicana residential development along Tropicana Avenue at the I-515 Northbound At the Tropicana Avenue and Paradise Avenue, with residential uses behind the Ramp. Road Intersection, the Airport is commercial development. Tropicana improving the eastbound to southbound Avenue crosses I-515, a freeway that right-turn lane to facilitate the free flow of extends from the City of Las Vegas to the Airport traffic and segregate Airport and City of Henderson in this segment. non-Airport (tunnel) traffic. Beyond I-515, Tropicana Avenue crosses 9.2 Proposed Transit Boulder Highway, a major northwest- Improvements southeast corridor that is planned for BRT Clark County has added a proposed Tropicana Avenue – Flamingo Road service. A fleet of 13 buses is used to serve the connector to the County Master Plan. Tropicana Avenue CAT BUS Route 201 The connector would be a 60-foot wide Improvements which would be effective in during peak periods. As congestion north-south road from Tropicana Avenue improving traffic flow in this segment grows and travel times on Tropicana to Flamingo Road roughly mid-way include: Avenue double over the next 20 years, an between Koval Lane and Paradise Road. • The construction of dual left turn estimated 20 buses will be required to The connector would be expected to lanes on Tropicana Avenue at maintain the existing service with 15- draw traffic from both Koval Lane and Sandhill Road, at the I-515 minute peak period headways operating Paradise Road. Southbound Ramp (westbound), at in mixed flow. At the same time, it is

Mountain Vista Street and at desirable to increase bus service in order The UNLV Master Plan calls for Boulder Highway; to attract more riders and reduce expanded parking at the Thomas & Mack automobile usage in this congested Center. By adding parking garages at the • The construction of right-turn bays Corridor. Thomas & Mack Center, UNLV would be on Tropicana Avenue at Maryland able to accommodate more students and Parkway, Eastern Avenue, the I- With the congestion levels experienced more visitors to the special events center. 515 Northbound Ramp on Tropicana Avenue today, the The only access to the Thomas & Mack (westbound), and Mountain Vista operating cost per passenger would be Center is from Tropicana Avenue. Street (eastbound); expected to increase by 14 percent with

THE Louis Berger Group, INC. 109 TROPICANA AVENUE CORRIDOR STUDY THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION the present bus service if headways were • Overlapping Limited-Stop and CAT Limited-Stop service would provide or reduced from 15 minutes to 10 minutes Bus Service would provide an include: during peak periods to attract more effective headway averaging: riders. The cost per passenger would • A 25 percent increase in travel then continue to increase as more buses A: 10 minutes during peak speed as Express buses bypass periods (Table 9-1) minor transit stops; are added to maintain headways as congestion grows. B: 7.5 minutes during peak • Bus pullouts at limited stop periods (Table 9-2). locations (one-mile streets); and, Tables 9-1 and 9-2 show the operating characteristics of a proposed peak period • Improved bus shelters with Limited-Stop Bus service combined with automated ticketing at Limited-Stop CAT Bus Service for Tropicana Avenue. locations (one-mile streets). The characteristics of a proposed Limited-Stop Bus alternative would be as follows:

• Limited-Stop Buses would be added to operate in mixed flow on Tropicana Avenue.

• Limited-Stop Buses would operate

with 15-minute headways during

peak periods and would not operate

during off-peak periods.

• Limited-Stop Buses would stop at the major mile streets.

• In addition to the Limited-Stop

Buses, regular CAT Bus service

would be provided along Tropicana

Avenue operating at all stops with:

A: 30-minute headway during both peak and off-peak periods (Table 9-1),

B: 15-minute headway during

peak periods and 30-minute

headway during off-peak

periods (Table 9-2).

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By providing overlapping Limited-Stop - A rapid service that would be - The express buses would offer Bus Service with regular CAT Bus provided for 60 percent of the frequent scheduled service for an Service as shown in Table 9-1 with an riders who board at one-mile extended 13-hour peak period; effective peak period headway of 10 streets; and, minutes, the number of vehicles in - Only the Limited-Stop locations - The number of buses assigned to service during peak periods would would require upgrades to speed the regular CAT Bus Service increase from 13 to 17, the number of the boarding process; could be varied as demand service hours provided would increase requires, providing system from 5,900 to 7,000 service hours per flexibility. month and monthly ridership would be expected to increase from 290,000 to

340,000, while the average operating cost per passenger would only increase from $1.83 to $1.85.

Providing overlapping Limited-Stop bus services service with regular CAT Bus Service as shown in Table 9-2 with an effective peak period headway of 7.5 minutes, the number of vehicles in service would increases from 13 to 23, the number of service hours provided would increase from 5,900 to 8,750 service hours per month and monthly ridership would be expected to increase from 290,000 to 360,000, while average operating cost per passenger would only increase from $1.83 to $2.19.

The latter service, as shown in Table 9-2, would essentially add peak period Limited-Stop Service with 15-minute headways to the existing Route 201 bus service.

Advantages of the proposed overlapping Limited-Stop and Regular CAT Bus

Service include:

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Construction of bus pull-outs and improvements would require right-of-way according to the County Assessor’s enhanced bus shelters at major mile and right-of way would be the largest cost records. streets including off-board fare collection component. Considered individually, systems and amenities like those some of the proposed intersection Assuming that right-of-way costs would provided at BRT Stations would be improvements may be cost-prohibitive be on the order of $10 million per acre, recommended to attract riders and speed without property owner participation. the cost to construct a Tropicana the boarding process. Construction of Avenue/Dean Martin Drive grade right turn bays at the major mile streets, Table 9-4 provides a summary of the separation would be on the order of $53 while providing congestion relief benefits roadway alternatives discussed in this to $67 million depending on the option for automobile drivers, would also provide study with order of magnitude cost selected. transit benefits as the right turning estimates. vehicles are separated from the outside 9.3.2 Estimated Costs for Transit mixed use lane. Adding a fourth westbound lane from I-15 Improvements to Decatur Boulevard would include right- 9.3 Estimated Costs for of-way acquisition and the replacement of Table 9-5 provides the estimated costs to Proposed Improvements the UPRR Bridge over Tropicana Avenue provide intersection improvements, bus as the major cost items. Property owner pull-outs and bus-stop amenities for a

participation in this area of active proposed Limited-Stop bus service on 9.3.1 Estimated Costs for redevelopment could substantially lower Tropicana Avenue. Note that many of Roadway Improvements right-of-way and construction costs. the right-turn bays proposed to facilitate Limited-Stop bus service are also Cost estimates provided in this Study are The RTP includes a budget line item of recommended as intersection intended to provide a preliminary $9 million to widen Tropicana Avenue improvements in Table 9-2 to reduce estimate for a concept development from Swenson Street to Maryland intersection delay. stage to provide a basis for scoping of Parkway. further studies. All right-of-way cost In addition to facilities costs, the estimates are orders of magnitude based Options considered to construct a grade proposed Limited Bus Service would on recent sales from the County separation for Tropicana Avenue over increase bus service on Tropicana Assessor’s records and are not based on Dean Martin Drive would cost an Avenue by 1,100 to 2,850 service hours appraisals. estimated $13.2 to 16.8 million to per month. At a cost of $90 per service construct plus the cost to acquire four to hour, the proposed Limited-Stop Bus Table 9-3 provides a summary of five acres of right-of-way. In this area, Service would increase the operating cost proposed intersection improvements. recent property sales have ranged from of providing bus service on Tropicana Nearly all of the proposed intersection $3 million to over $12 million per acre Avenue by $99,000 to $265,500 per month or $1.2 to $3.2 million annually.

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Table 9-3 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Estimated Cost of Proposed Intersection Improvements

Dual & Triple Right Intersection Left Turn Lanes Turn Bays

Durango Drive 1 1 Buffalo Drive 1 1 Rainbow Boulevard --- 2 Torrey Pines Drive --- 1 Jones Boulevard --- 2 Decatur Boulevard 2 2 Arville Street 3 2 Valley View Boulevard 3 1 Dean Martin Drive 1 --- I-15 SB Ramp --- 1 I-15 NB Ramp 1 --- Koval Lane 1 1* Swenson Street --- 2 Maryland Parkway --- 2 Eastern Avenue --- 2 Pecos Road 2 1 Sandhill Road 4 --- I-515 SB Ramp 1 --- I-515 NB Ramp 1 1 Mountain Vista Street 2 1 Boulder Highway 2 --- Total Number 25 23

Cost per location Right-of-way Acquisition $300,000 $150,000 Construction $260,000 $130,000

Total Cost per location $560,000 $280,000

Total Cost $14,000,000 $6,440,000

Grand Total $20,440,000

* Westbound right-turn lane extension.

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Table 9-4 Tropicana Avenue Corridor Study Estimated Cost of Proposed Roadway Improvement Alternatives

Estimated Order of Magnitude Alternative Construction Cost Right-of-Way Cost Total 1. Intersection Improvements (from Table 9-2) $9,490,000 $10,950,000 $20,440,000