Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area Transportation Feasibility Study Final Report July 2012 Prepared by: John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center Research and Innovative Technologies Administration U.S. Department of Transportation Report Number: DOT-VNTSC-BLM-12-01 U.S. DOT Volpe Center RRCNCA Transportation Feasibility Study Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................1 Overview and Goals ...................................................................................................................................1 Existing Conditions .....................................................................................................................................1 Definition of Alternatives ...........................................................................................................................2 Evaluation and Selection of Alternatives ...................................................................................................4 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................5 1.1 Problem Definition .....................................................................................................................................5 1.1.1 Goals, Objectives, and Strategies .......................................................................................................6 1.1.2 Project Overview ................................................................................................................................6 2 Existing Conditions .............................................................................................................................................7 2.1 Physical Description ....................................................................................................................................7 2.2 Background of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area ..................................................................8 2.3 Amenity Fee ............................................................................................................................................. 10 2.4 Current Transportation Conditions ......................................................................................................... 11 2.4.1 Access to the Site ............................................................................................................................. 11 2.4.2 BLM Roads within the Site ............................................................................................................... 14 2.4.3 Parking ............................................................................................................................................. 16 2.4.4 Parking Lot Use and Demand .......................................................................................................... 18 2.4.5 Transportation Safety ...................................................................................................................... 20 2.4.6 Bicycle and Pedestrian Activity ........................................................................................................ 20 2.4.7 Transit .............................................................................................................................................. 21 2.5 Visitation .................................................................................................................................................. 24 2.5.1 Overview .......................................................................................................................................... 24 2.5.2 Historic Trends ................................................................................................................................. 25 2.5.3 Seasonal and Temporal Visitation ................................................................................................... 25 2.5.4 Visitor Transportation Mode ........................................................................................................... 27 2.5.5 Clark County Visitation and Population ........................................................................................... 29 2.5.6 Visitor Origin .................................................................................................................................... 30 2.5.7 Visitor Activity Preferences ............................................................................................................. 31 2.5.8 Visitation Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 31 U.S. DOT Volpe Center RRCNCA Transportation Feasibility Study 2.6 Stakeholders ............................................................................................................................................ 32 2.6.1 Recreational Groups ........................................................................................................................ 32 2.6.2 Friends Groups................................................................................................................................. 36 3 Alternatives Evaluation .................................................................................................................................... 39 3.1 Development of alternatives ................................................................................................................... 39 3.1.1 Selecting and Evaluating Strategies ................................................................................................. 41 3.1.2 Final alternatives determination ..................................................................................................... 41 3.2 Definition of Alternatives ........................................................................................................................ 42 3.2.1 No Action ......................................................................................................................................... 42 3.2.2 Alternative A – Parking Expansion and Management ..................................................................... 43 3.2.3 Alternative B – One-Way Transit and Parking Expansion ................................................................ 44 3.2.4 Alternative C – Intensive Two-Way Transit with Limited Parking Expansion .................................. 45 3.3 Assumptions for Alternatives Evaluation ................................................................................................ 45 3.3.1 Build Years ....................................................................................................................................... 46 3.3.2 Design Day ....................................................................................................................................... 46 3.3.3 Visitation Growth............................................................................................................................. 47 3.3.4 Additional Transportation Improvements ....................................................................................... 49 3.4 Parking ..................................................................................................................................................... 49 3.4.1 Current and Projected Parking Lot Use and Demand ...................................................................... 49 3.4.2 Observed Parking Patterns .............................................................................................................. 50 3.4.3 Modeling Parking Demand in 2025 (No Action) .............................................................................. 51 3.4.4 Parking Demand in 2025 (Alternative A) ......................................................................................... 52 3.4.5 Parking Demand in 2025 (Alternatives B and C).............................................................................. 55 3.5 Transit Service in Alternatives B and C .................................................................................................... 59 3.5.1 Sources and Assumptions for Transit Analysis ................................................................................ 60 3.5.2 Quality Service ................................................................................................................................. 61 3.5.3 Capacity ........................................................................................................................................... 64 3.5.4 Efficient and Flexible Operations ..................................................................................................... 66 3.5.5 Financial Sustainability .................................................................................................................... 67 3.6 Evaluation Criteria ................................................................................................................................... 71 3.6.1 Transportation Study Objectives and Criteria ................................................................................. 71 3.6.2 Evaluation Results...........................................................................................................................