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Transportation
Las Vegas cannot yet be classified as a big
city, but is faces many of the same challenges as New York, Chic ago, and Los
Angeles when it comes to transportation. An ever growing population and
rising tourist numbers place substantial demands on every roadway in the
city, resulting in dozens of ongoing construction efforts either to add new
thoroughfares or to widen those already in use. Southern Nevada invests
$500 million a year in surface transportation, and the result has been more
stress-free commutes in less time.
Public Transportation has also become a
priority. The Citizens Area Transit (CAT) bus system operates routes
throughout Southern Nevada, and a long-overdue fixed guide way transit system
has finally been approved. Despite an estimated cost of $100 million per
mile to build, the first 5.2-mile phase of the system could be in operation
by 2003.
Getting into and out of Las
Vegas has also become easier with the addition of 26 more gates at McCarran
International Airport. In 1999, McCarran recorded its highest year-end
percentage passenger increase in five years. The city recently purchased
6,500 acres near Jean, south of Las Vegas, for a proposed second airport
site, which could handle an additional 30 million passengers annually.
A
monorail system is currently under construction, with the first phase
expected to be complete in January 2004. Linking seven stations over
four miles to eight resorts and the Las Vegas Convention Center, the sleek,
driverless monorail will provide a quick and comfortable ride through the
heart of the resort corridor. In fact, the monorail will go right though the
INLV parking lot!
View Chamber members offering
transportation services.
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