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There
is an intriguing and exciting connection uniting two proposed transportation infrastructure projects that - if built
- will each be a monumental construction development. Without a doubt, what they represent will get the attention of the world. The
geography and technology components are perfect for widespread human interest. Each project will bring
huge transportation changes to Southern Nevada and Southern California. And it will become evident that they are complementary
transportation advancements. To date, both have been written about and discussed, at least to a degree. Though followed by many people who
are interested in transportation and its future, these two proposed projects remain under the radar of a high percentage of
Americans, including Nevadans and Californians. These two projects, admittedly, are eclectic and rather far off. Yet, they have
the potential to place Southern Nevada and Southern California in strong leadership positions with 21st century transportation
advancements.
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By Robert L. Candiotti This page published on IvanpahValley.com
December 27, 2008
The
proposed projects are (1) Ivanpah Valley Airport and (2) the maglev (magnetic levitation) train that is being considered for
construction from coastal Southern California all the way to Las Vegas, Nevada. When
contemplating these two transformational infrastructure projects, it becomes obvious they actually need each other for
success.
For the success of both Ivanpah Valley Airport
and the California to Las Vegas maglev train, the train will need to pass at high speeds all through Southern California
and then have a main stop directly at the "front door" of the proposed airport that will accommodate annually millions
of primarily international air travelers. To work well, the two new transportation systems will have to thoroughly complement
one another.
If Ivanpah Valley
Airport - targeted for construction near the Nevada/California border along I-15 - is approved and opened as projected around
2018, it will have the capacity to accommodate millions of mostly long-haul, i.e., long distance, air travelers (Ivanpah
will take over much of the jumbo jetliner traffic from McCarran). Being situated near Las Vegas, of course, Ivanpah will get a high percentage of its customers
from the broad Southern Nevada area. However, if a maglev train is built that runs about 300 miles per hour from Anaheim
and L.A. through San Bernardino and Riverside counties, it is certain some of the millions of residents of these areas
will choose a maglev train to Ivanpah Valley Airport rather than take vehicular transportation to Los Angeles International
Airport. One of the maglev's main attractions will be being able to speed people between Las Vegas and
Southern California. If it is quick enough and enjoyable enough, thousands of people will use the maglev every day for
California to Las Vegas, and vice-versa, trips.
Still, if the maglev has a stop right at Ivanpah Valley Airport, such an arrangement will enhance the number of passengers
both for Ivanpah and the Nevada/California maglev train. It should be noted that this reality is still 10 years away. As of this writing, there is clear evidence that air
travel has slowed down over the past year. In today's Las Vegas Review-Journal, written by Benjamin Spillman, there
is an article that Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport experienced a passenger decline of 14.7 percent last November,
and has suffered from 13 months of consecutive air traveler declines. States Spillman, ""For the year, traffic is
down 7.1 percent to about 40.9 million arrivals and departures through November." There is no question, the U.S. and the world are going through tough economic times. And there are
certainly more difficulties to come. But things will turn around eventually. Maybe it will take five years. But Ivanpah
is not scheduled to open for 10 years, and probably the maglev will take nearly that long to be completed. Strangely, the timing of
Ivanpah Valley Airport and the Nevada-California maglev may turn out to be just about right. If these two projects come to fruition, they should be designed to be viable for most
of the rest of the 21st century. This is why such daring infrastructure enhancements are important. The new transportation
systems will need to operate satisfactorily for decades and decades.
It is not too farfetched to envision driverless buses shuttling travelers between Ivanpah Valley Airport and the
dazzling new (as of the year 2018) hotels/casinos of Primm, Nevada.
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The
way I see things right now, it might prove to be too difficult for the maglev to plunge right into Las Vegas. Currently,
Las Vegas is quite built up and dense. How will it be in 10 years? Perhaps - heading northward from Southern California
into Southern Nevada - the final stop of the maglev should be a combination Ivanpah Airport/Primm, Nevada stop. The maglev
should drop off and pick up people right at the "front door" of Ivanpah Valley Airport, with, perhaps, driverless
buses running back and forth between Ivanpah and the hotels/casinos at Primm. Driverless buses are probably going to be commonplace
by 2018.
And for people connecting from Ivanpah to McCarran Airport, 30 miles away, or going into Las Vegas, there should be a different
train - perhaps an "urban maglev" or a more subdued high-speed train. And the Las Vegas bound train should also
connect directly and easily to the Las Vegas Monorail which, by 2018, has been extended to reach McCarran.
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| From Ivanpah to McCarran airports, then on to Las Vegas itself via a smaller train. General Atomic. |
Essentially,
a maglev train running between Nevada and California will help bring additional passengers to Ivanpah, and the existence of
Ivanpah will significantly expand the number of maglev riders. Easy connections from Ivanpah to Primm, McCarran Airport and Las Vegas will cement the success
of all the transportation infrastructure developments.
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| Reportedly, a Nevada/California maglev proposal "has gained new life." |
In the December
22, 2008, Las Vegas Sun, in a story titled "GOVERNORS AGREE TO BACK FAST TRAIN" by David McGrath Schwartz,
it is reported that a joint Nevada/California maglev project "has gained new life." Apparently, Nevada's Governor
Jim Gibbons and California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger plan to "jointly work together on the project." The article says the maglev train would be built along the route of Interstate
15. It states, "The first leg is planned for Las Vegas to Primm." Noticeably, the fairly long article makes no mention
of the proposed Ivanpah Valley Airport. However, the building of Ivanpah would make the existence of a maglev from
California significantly more justifiable.
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| Maglev train in Japan courtesy Associated Press. |
Worldwide, there is much interest in maglev development. There are proposed maglev systems in the
U.S., the United Kingdom, Japan, China, India, Germany, and others. Existing high-speed
rail systems are in Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan, China and South Korea. Here in the United States, soon-to-be President Obama is said to be working
on an economic stimulus package that will target this country's infrastructure needs. In Schwartz' article, Jon Summers, a
spokesman for Nevada's Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, says that a high-speed train linking Southern Nevada and Southern
California "not only makes good economic sense for the state, it makes sense from an environmental and energy perspective,
as well."
Summers adds that Reid "supports any project that moves people quickly and safely between Nevada and California."
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