October 2001

 

HIGHWAY TRAFFIC REPORT

            I-15 AT STATELINE/PRIMM

The tragic events of September 11^th had a major impact on traffic patterns on Interstate 15.  While airline travel dropped precipitously, post 11^th surface travel increased.  For the five days (September 11th-15th) northbound traffic on I-15 was up 11% and southbound up 12.5%, The counts are taken at Stateline/Primm, Nevada by the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT).  Prior to the 11^th northbound traffic had drifted down slightly.  Friday/Saturday, August 31^st/September 1^st, northbound was down 5% and on the following weekend, the 7^th and 8^th, was off 2%.  The picture dramatically changed for the rest of the month.  Northbound counts on the following two weekends (September 21-22 and 28-29) were up 4% and 7% respectively.  While Sunday return traffic was down from 1-3% on the 2^nd, 9^th and 16^th, southbound Sunday traffic returning from Las Vegas on the 23^rd took an 8% jump, reflecting the northbound increases on the previous weekends. 

 

These trends would indicate that during the period immediately following the 11^th a good deal of the traffic was business travel, but by the 23^rd, visitors to Las Vegas from Southern California were traveling again. 

 

The chart on page 4 shows the percentage increases for September from the NDOT for average daily traffic, which was up 3.6% for the entire month, and weekday traffic (defined by the NDOT as Monday-Thursday) and weekend traffic (the total for Saturday and Sunday).  Fridays are excluded in these breakdowns, but are included in the totals in the average daily traffic for the month.  Year-to-date traffic at Stateline is now even with last year, after having been slightly down since February.

 

            I-15 AT MESQUITE, NEVADA

Traffic north of Las Vegas, in both directions, took an even bigger jump of 9.3% during September.  All of the increase was post the 11^th, with the majority of the increase in northbound traffic.  In the five days following the 11^th northbound traffic was up 30%.  The measurements are taken north of the East Mesquite interchange so it must be assumed that the northbound traffic was headed for destinations beyond Mesquite.  For the entire month weekday traffic was up 9.2% and weekends up 9.6%.  (See chart on page 4.)  Year-to-date traffic at Mesquite is up 9.3%.

 

            LAUGHLIN NEVADA (U.S. 95 AND S.R. 163 - DAVIS DAM ROAD)

Average daily traffic on Davis Dam Road into Laughlin was up an unusual 26% in September, with weekday traffic up 29% and weekend traffic up 20%.  There was a slightly lower increase on U.S. 95, as measured at Searchlight.  (See chart on page 4.)  In the five days from September 11^th to the 15^th, traffic into Laughlin from U.S. 95 on Davis Dam Road was up 50%.  In the two succeeding weeks, Sunday through Saturday (September 16-22^nd and 23^rd-29^th) the counts were up 30% and 31% respectively. 

 

The increase on Davis Dam Road and U.S. 95 is primarily due to the closure of Hoover Dam for several days after September 11^th and traffic across the dam is now restricted to passenger cars only. All buses and trucks now going to or from Las Vegas or to and from Arizona must use U.S. 93 and 95 and cross the river at Laughlin.  One traveler on U.S. 95 said that on a recent trip she passed more than 200 semi-truck trailers on U.S. 95.

 

Since 98% of all casino customers into Laughlin are "drive-ins", the impact of restrictions on air travel has had little effect on Laughlin.  Hotel/casino operators are anxiously awaiting the return of the "snow birds".  These winter visitors have returned for many years and Laughlin hotels/casinos get the majority of their income in the fall and winter months. Since many visitors are retired, there are high hopes that the current crisis will not deter their travel.  With the decline in Las Vegas airline customers, corporations with casinos in Las Vegas and Laughlin are relying on their Laughlin properties to make up the shortfall in Las Vegas revenue.

 

            I-15 AT THE YERMO INSPECTION STATION

The rounded estimates of southbound traffic from the California Department of Agriculture showed an increase of 14% in September.  The counts jumped after the 11^th just as they did at state line.  The breakdown by vehicle type shows auto traffic for the month up 5.4%, truck traffic up 59%, RV's up 9%, buses up 35%.  From the 11^th to the 30^th estimated automobile traffic was up 10% at Yermo and truck traffic up 36%.  Year-to-date counts are up 14.2%.

 

LAS VEGAS McCARRAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

The September drop in passenger volume reflected the national air space shutdown on the 11^th and the subsequent decline in air travel.  Total arriving and departing passengers was down 28%, dropping the year-to-date (YTD) total to -.5%.  Scheduled carriers were off 28%; charters dropped 40%; general aviation 10%, and scenic flights down 10%.  Among the scheduled carriers United Airlines took the biggest hit in September with a decline of 36%.  United had been cutting back service prior to September 11^th and now has eliminated nine flights to Las Vegas. Delta has also been reducing service and showed a decline of 29% in September.  Start-up National Airlines was down 31%.  National held onto a 23% increase (YTD) while Delta is down 13% YTD and United down 9% YTD.  The two leading carriers into Las Vegas, Southwest and America West, were off 21% and 28% respectively in September.  But the two carriers held onto YTD increases, with Southwest up 9% and America West up 7%. 

 

A good deal of the continuing drop in airline travel can be attributed to the long check-in delays, both at Los Angeles International (LAX) and at McCarran.  In a press conference on October 16^th, Randy Walker, Director of Clark County Department of Aviation, criticized United Airlines for the poor job of staffing at the ticket counters, with waits for United up to 2 1/2 hours for check-in, a wait twice as long as that at Southwest.  Similar delays are experienced at LAX where airport access and security it even tighter than at McCarran.

 

GAMING REVENUE REPORT

For the second month in a row, Downtown casinos had  strong increases in total gaming win in August, with an increase of 5.7% reported by the State Gaming Control Board and Downtown's percentage of statewide  gaming win (share) up to 6.8% from 6.6% last year.  In a reverse of the drop in win in July, the Strip was up 2.1%. With share up slightly to 49.8% from 49.4%.  Laughlin was virtually even with last year, with just a .01% increase in win and share down to 5.1% from 5.2% last year.  Clark County share was up a full point to 78.8% with a 2.6% increase in win.  Statewide win was up 1.2%.

 

I-15 WIDENING PROJECTS

            NEVADA

The widening of I-15, south of Las Vegas from I-215 to the Nevada state line, is being completed in four phases.  In September 1999 the first phase, widening to six lanes, was completed to Sloan, a distance of 9 miles.  The second phase, a six-mile truck climbing lane near Sloan, with extended off-ramps at Jean and Primm, was also completed in September.  The third phase began in September and will complete the I-15 southbound widening to Primm.  Phase four, the addition of a northbound lane from Primm to Las Vegas is scheduled to begin in 2004.  Traffic has more than doubled in the last ten years on this stretch of highway from I-215 to Primm. 

 

            CALIFORNIA

Currently, CalTrans is replacing ten bridges between Halloran Summit and Cima Road, just inside the California/Nevada state line south of Mountain Pass.  The estimated completion date is January 2003.  Projects for 2002 include road rehabilitation from Baker east to Cima Road (34 miles); northbound truck descending lane from Bailey Road, 15 miles south of the Nevada/California state line, to Yates/Wells Rd. (10 miles). This project was started in September. Additional rehabilitation between Cima Rd. and the Nevada state line (24 miles) will be completed in November 2002.  There will also be roadway rehabilitation projects from East Main Street in Barstow north to Alvord Mountain Rd., and Alvord Mountain Rd. to Razor Rd. (49 miles).  The Agricultural Inspection Station is going to be moved closer to the Nevada State Lane.  The estimated start date is August 2002.

 

In order to facilitate traffic flow there will be no work performed on any of the projects during the week of Thanksgiving and from one week before Christmas until January 7^th.  All of the work on I-15 will take place behind "K" barriers so that two lanes will be open at all times.  There will be no alternate or cross-over lanes and no work will be done on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

 

TRAVELER CONFIDENCE SURVEY FINDS NO CHANGE IN AMERICAN TRAVEL

A Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) survey taken after the September 11^th terrorist attack shows no change in travel intentions by Americans through the up-coming holiday season.  The survey, conducted from October 12-14, sampled 1,000 U.S. adults by telephone.  Half of Americans (58%) say they have plans to take a leisure trip in the next six months.  Among Americans not planning leisure trips (42%) in the next six months, the main concerns were over finances and employment (27%), lack of time (18%).  Only 9% of travelers said, "Travel is not safe now."  Six percent had concerns about airline/airport security and 4% were concerned about the inconvenience of travel.  Seventy-two percent believe that it is important they be able to travel as they did before the terrorist attacks and 69% said that the inconvenience of travel will not stop them from taking a trip.  Only 14% say they have actually cancelled trips since September 11^th.

 

 

CONSUMERS SAY THEY WILL GO RIGHT ON SPENDING

Americans are, indeed, shocked by the terrorist attacks on the U.S. and they are certainly worried about the effects on the economy, but even so they say they will continue to make significant purchases.  About 42% of consumers say they expect the economy to remain unchanged.  Twenty-one percent even think the economy will improve, according to the Simmons Market Research Bureau, who conducted a series of surveys with a consumer panel in the days following the terrorist attacks. 

 

Simmons found that most respondents expressed confidence that their spending habits would remain the same, which comes in sharp contrast to many economic forecasts.  Fifty-seven percent of frequent leisure travelers, and 62% of business travelers said that the attacks will not have much impact on their travel plans.  The survey had an emphasis on respondents in New York and Washington, where the negative factors may be much stronger than they would have been in a nationwide survey.

 

AMERICANS WELCOME RETURN TO ADVERTISING AND NORMALCY

The majority (62%) of Americans say they feel advertising provides a signal that things are returning to normal, according to a survey done by WIrthlin Worldwide.  Nine out of ten Americans said that it was important that companies advertise at this time.  Twenty-seven percent see advertising as an important factor in the health of the economy.  Seventeen percent said that by continuing to advertise we are showing terrorists that "They can't beat us."  The telephone survey of 1,001 adult Americans was conducted September 21^st to 26^th as a part of a series from Wirthlin Worldwide tracking America's response to the recent terrorist attacks.

 

Another survey showed that 77% of Americans say they are confident that a strong economy will return next year.  This research was done by BIGresearch, L.L.C. conducted between September 27^th and October 4^th for Deloitte Consulting.  The survey was based on more that 5,100 responses.  Nearly three-fourths of the respondents reported they are acting on President Bush's request to return to normal and maintain their past spending patterns and that they view this as part of their patriotic duty.  Twenty-five percent of those surveyed are making "big dollar" vacation travel plans.  Nearly two-thirds expect to resume a daily routine within six months.

 

NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SEPTEMBER  2001 TRAFFIC SUMMARY
	AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC 1	WEEKDAY 2	WEEKEND 3
I-15 NEV/CA STATELINE (PRIMM, NEVADA)	3.6%	6.5%	1%
I-15 MESQUITE	9.3%	9.2%	9.6%
SR 163 LAUGHLIN - Davis Dam Rd.	26.2%	29.3%	20%
US 95 AT SEARCHLIGHT	18.7%	21.4%	15.2%

1.      Percentage increase (decrease) in average daily traffic northbound and southbound divided by the total number of days of the month.

2.      Percentage increase (decrease) in total traffic northbound and southbound Monday through Thursday divided by the number of days of the month.

3.      Percentage increase (decrease) in total traffic northbound and southbound for Saturday and Sunday divided by    the number of days of the month.