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In business transportation flat rate to Strip suggested to curb taxicab long hauling By Conor Shine staff writer The illegal long-hauling of taxi passengers could be a thing of the past under a new bill that would create a flat-rate fare system for all trips between McCarran International Airport and the Strip. Assembly Bill 329 would give the Nevada Taxicab Authority the power to create zones in Las Vegas in which taxi rides between specific locations would cost the same amount, regardless of the distance traveled or amount of time it takes to get there. Assemblyman Andrew Martin, D-Las Vegas, told the Assembly Committee on Transportation Tuesday that the bill he's sponsoring would eliminate the "epidemic" of long-hauling, which he said is costing customers more than $10 million annually. "Self-regulation, which I generally like, is not working," Martin said. "(Long-hauling) is causing damage to our economy. It's giving us a bad name and a bad reputation." The bill, which would also increase penalties for long-hauling and allow christopher devargas tunnel vision: When taxicabs take the often faster but less direct route to the Strip via the airport tunnel, it winds up costing the rider more money because of the longer distance. the revocation of a taxi cab license after three infractions within 12 months, will face stiff opposition from the taxi cab industry. Las Vegas' No.1 Business Resource Has Never Been More Important. Representatives from Frias Transportation Group and Yellow-Checker-Star, two of the valley's biggest cab companies, testified last month that a flat-rate fare system would be unfair to drivers, taxi companies and customers. Flat rate systems don't take into account that hotels are different distances from the airport, said Mark James, CEO of Frias' parent company. He added that traffic congestion can affect how long a ride takes and how much a driver should be compensated. "Nevada would be doing an about-face ... were they to consider to implement flat rates or zone rates because they do not work," James said. "If you do have a zone system or a flat rate system, someone on some ride is paying more than they should pay and someone on another ride is paying less than they should pay." Under the bill, the taxicab authority could create multiple zones along the Strip to account for the varying distances, Martin said. For instance, a trip to southern Strip casinos like the Luxor or New York-New York might cost $12 to $17, while a ride to northern hotels like the Mirage or the Venetian might run between $16 and $21, according to a tentative fare breakdown included in the committee's background material. James said taxi companies take the long-hauling problem seriously and are attempting to address it through better technology. In January, the Taxicab Authority approved a pilot program for a cloud-based vehicle monitoring system that would use GPS technology to track and store the routes of taxis, making it easier to identify and punish long-haulers. goal is to create a 'walkable city' llama, From page 7 Get your one-year subscription to and we'll include our best leads via email. All for only $50 a year. VEGASINC.COM/SUBSCRIBE For additional information call 800.254.2610 or email subscriptions@gmgvegas.com 12 20130415_VI07_F.indd 12 er," he said. "Even a single block that is not activated can prevent people from walking any further." Today, most pedestrians feel safe walking from Las Vegas Boulevard east to Sixth and Seventh streets, which both are being redeveloped. Hsieh wants that comfort zone to expand. "Our long-term goal is for people to feel safe and comfortable walking ... all the way to 11th Street," he said. In instances where property hasn't been bought, Downtown Project is working out leases with existing owners. A former Mexican restaurant closed and an adjacent market on Fremont between Sixth and Seventh is soon to close, as the property owner is going to lease the buildings to Downtown Project. Artemus Ham owns one side of almost a block of lower Fremont Street; the El Cortez owns its block at Sixth and Fremont; and sources say Downtown Project has not been able to come to terms on some properties, such as a long, rectangular and nearly empty mall at Mary- land and Fremont. Then there's the Atomic, a bar at 917 Fremont, acquired last summer by three investors. One source said Downtown Project investors offered the owners $1 million over their purchase price but the new owners turned it down. The importance of large conglomerations of land can't be understated if you have "a grand plan" for what you want to do with it, says Robert Fielden, a local architect and longtime urban planner. "If you're going to own it, you want to have as much of it as you can," Fielden said. "If you know what your development mix is going to be, you want as much property as you can get in order to carry out your plans." Downtown Project in the past few months has hired more people to help with the voluminous number of decisions and processing of information about future development. "It's not rocket science," Fielden said. "You start with a vision for what you want to do, then you have strategic goals about how to achieve that vision." | 15 APRIL 2013 | 4/11/13 2:48:34 PM