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Long Range Rural Transportation Alternatives

March 2, 2004Susan Martinovich, Deputy Director

EXHIBIT D Mass Transit Document consists of 24 pages.⊠ Entire document provided.□ Due to size limitations, pages _____________ provided. A copy of the complete document is available through the Research Library (775/684-6827 or e-mail library@lcb.state.nv.us).

Meeting Date: March 2, 2004

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Summary of Information• Travel Statistics• Communities and Transportation Systems• Factors that effect passenger travel• Definition of Modes• Construction cost per Mode per mile• Operating cost per Mode (200,000 passengers)• Costs (fares) per Mode per Passenger• Factors that effect Construction and Operating

Costs• Financing

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Commuting

Three out of four commuters spend 30 minutes or less on their daily one-way commute and two of three commute a distance of 15 miles or less. (Source: U.S. DOT, Omni Stats Newsletter, October 2003

Travel Statistics

4Source: BTS

5Source: BTS

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Impact to Air Travel after September 11, 2001

• Domestic Flights

– 1998 559,653,000– 1999 582,880,000– 2000 610,600,000– 2001 570,126,000– 2002 558,850,000

(2003 numbers not released)

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Passengers carried (2002):Reno/Tahoe international airport 2,812,862 (emplanements-people getting on a plane)Las Vegas McCarran Intl. Airport 18,443,481Elko Regional 125,273Ely Airport 2382Henderson 104,887North Las Vegas 212,352Amtrak all Nevada stops about 70,000 annual ridersNDOT Pride buses est. 100,000 riders year 2002Intercity bus like Greyhound N/A (numbers are proprietary)

Operating Statistics

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Communities and their Transportation Systems.

•Some people like living in places without major jet ports, eight lane freeways, hustle and bustle, congestion, smog, etc. Many Nevadans moved here from places that were more urban. People enjoy rural places for the slower, laidback quality of life.

•Rural Nevada is limited by jobs and expanded economics partly because of few transportation choices.

•The maturity of the air service market in rural Nevada is not fully developed. Most Nevada airports cannot support airline service; most cannot support commuter airline service without subsidy. Ely enplains (people getting on a plane) about 6-7 people a day on the commuter airline. Without an Essential Air Service subsidy the airline could not serve Ely.

•A commuter plane needs about 70 percent of the seats occupied to financially break even. For many rural places, 1978 Airline Deregulation brought them smaller planes, less flights, higher fares or perhaps no service at all.

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Communities and their Transportation Systems con’t

•The Greyhound Bus was an American institution virtually everywhere in America. It connected rural America with the metropolitan cities. Due to deregulation in 1983 most rural places lost bus service. Several times over the last twenty years NDOT supported an intercity bus on US 50 between Ely and Carson City/Reno through the 5311 program that experienced dismal ridership, sometimes no riders at all. Providing the bus service did not bring with it ridership.

•Greyhound ceased bus service recently between Reno and Los Angeles via Bishop on US 395 citing other options for the riders, poor ridership and excessive costs. There were less than 10 riders a day leaving Reno for Los Angeles or arriving in Reno from Los Angeles. Greyhound said the route cost about $800,000 a year for one bus each way daily.

•After five years of attempting to add a daily Talgo passenger train between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, Amtrak decided in 2003 that expenses and ridership were not coming together. The Los Angeles-Las Vegas Talgo train would have cost about $48 per mile.

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Factors that effect Passenger Travel

• Household Income – A higher income family has a lower dependence on public transportation.

• Household Size – Larger would employ the services of a van, smaller would utilize transit.

• Education Level- Tied to income• Personal attitudes – Would I use or avoid?

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Factors Continued

• Commute Patterns/Employment –Departure for work, type of job, location, errands, trip linkages, trip purposes

• Availability of mode choices• Weather• Reason for Travel – personal, business,

vacation• Security – For self and family

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Definition of Modes

• Passenger Car – unlimited routesAuto, Pick-up, Limousine, Station Wagons

• Bus and Trolleybus – fixed routes– Types of Vehicles

• Transit bus• Intercity bus• Van• Automobile

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Definition of Modes – Cont.– Types of Service

• Local Service – Stop every block or two along route• Express Service – Less stops, longer distances• Bus Rapid Transit – Technology/ITS systems on expressways

or HOV lanes

• Passenger Rail– Passenger Rail - Amtrak– Light Rail – (streetcar, tramway, trolley) fixed rail on shared row– Commuter Rail – (electric or diesel) local short distance travel– Heavy Rail (metro, subway, rapid transit) – higher speed, fixed

rail, separate row– High Speed Rail – (Maglev, Acela) Fixed rail on separate row

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Definition of Modes – Cont.

• Commercial Air– Regularly scheduled passenger service.

• Monorail– Single typically elevated rail. Suspend from or

straddle a narrow guideway.• Maglev

– Hovers above a guideway and propelled by magnetic force.

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Definition of Modes – Cont.

• Supporting Features– Fixed Guideway – a facility occupying a

separate right of way or rail for the exclusive use of mass transportation. Controlled Access or Exclusive ROW.

• Busway (bus lane); Contraflow lane; HOV Facility– Transit Center – transfer from one mode to

another• Train stations; Bus stations; Park and Ride facilities

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Construction Costs per Modeper Mile

$35M+Commuter Rail

$35 M Rural+$80 M Urban+

Maglev$200M+Monorail

Commercial Air$250,000+ per busIntercity Bus$100M+Heavy Rail -BART

$35M+Light Rail$1M+Passenger Rail

$2 M+ 2-Lane Rural$25 M + 4-Lane Controlled FreewayHighway

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Examples of rail connectivity costs between Ely and Las Vegas and Elko and Ely. Costs of providing rail service to rural places

without existing rail lines

•Estimates were $150,000-200,000 per mile to repair and replace the rail line from Ely to I-80 to a condition that it could handle higher speeds and faster travel times.

•Before a rail line can be built, the NEPA process must be completed and ROW secured.

•To branch off the Union Pacific main line, for example at Caliente, and add a new line to Ely to provide service between Las Vegas and Ely would require agreements with the UP railroad. They would likely ask for concessions in the form of track improvements, capacity enhancements, etc. before agreeing to allow passenger trains on the line. These would be probably be in the millions of dollars.

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To provide conventional rail between

Use UP main line Las Vegas to Caliente est. concessions $ 10 million New line between Caliente and Ely (133 miles) $ 133 million does not include

ROW, NEPA and station costs

Train cost (30 year train life, train cost $15M) $ 15 millionOne year operating cost one train a day each direction $ 7.5 million(approximately 283 miles)

Use UP main line between Elko and UP main line concessions $ 10 millionUpgrade branch line between UP main line and Ely (137 miles) $ 20 millionTrain cost (30 year life, train cost $15 M) $ 15 millionOne year operating cost one train a day each direction $ 4.2 million(approximately 187 miles)

Las Vegas and Ely

Ely and Elko

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Operating Cost per Mode(200 passengers per mile)

MaglevMonorail

$10Commercial Air$8.33/$100Intercity Bus/Intracity$70.00Heavy Rail (BART)

$60.00Commuter Rail (Capitol Corridor)

$100.00Light Rail$50.00Passenger Rail$62.50Car

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Mode Fares Cost Comparisons(one way trip)

Loop – 800 miles

Mode Operating Cost Comparison (one-way trip)

Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas Elko Carson Reno to LA to Reno to Ely to Logandale to Pahrump to Carson to Ely to Fernley to Fernley

Mode 269 miles 446 miles 242 miles 57 miles 62 miles 436 miles 188 miles 49 miles 34 milesCar $20.00 $33.00 $18.00 $4.00 $6.00 $32.00 $14.00 $3.50 $2.50

Rail Passenger $39.00 $45.00 $39.00 $16.00 $16.00 $45.00 $26.00 $12.00 $7.50

Light Rail n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a $1.50

Commuter Rail $70.00 $81.00 $64.00 $13.00 $13.00 $81.00 $48.00 $11.00 $8.00

Heavy Rail (BART) n/a n/a n/a $6.00 $6.00 n/a n/a $5.00 $4.00

Intercity Bus $38.00 $72.00 n/a n/a $10.00 $70.00 n/a $14.00 $11.00

Commercial Air $90.00 $96.00 pending n/a n/a n/a pending n/a n/a

Monorail n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

Maglev $42.00 $70.00 $38.00 n/a n/a $69.00 $30.00 n/a n/a

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Factors that effect Construction and Operations Costs

Location

Number of Lanes, Runways, Tracks

Number of Structures

Type of Construction (at-grade, below/above grade)

Materials Sources

Proposed Year of Completion

ROW Costs

Environmental

Utility CostsBidding Climate

Number/Type/Location of Stations

Original Ground Elevations

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Financing

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Other Possible Financing Sources• Passenger Rail Assistance

– FRA administers grants to support passenger railroads for both operations and capital improvement. Amtrak is recipient of the majority of appropriated funds for passenger rail.

• Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing (RRIF)– FRA provides direct loans to acquire, improve or

rehabilitate intermodal or rail equipment or facilities or establish new facilities.

• Transportation Innovation & Finance (TIFIA)– DOT makes loans for projects of national or regional

significance as partners with Private and other non-Federal investments. (Reno Railroad)

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THANK YOU!!!