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The DesertXpress high-speed rail project would travel 185 miles through federal lands, a national preserve and two states. A rendering of the train is seen here.

By Richard N. Velotta (contact)

Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011 | 4:41 p.m.

A Southern Nevada rural neighborhood organization has sent a letter to the Federal Railroad Administration calling the proposed DesertXpress high-speed rail plan “a complete farce” that would jeopardize the lifestyle of the area.

The Dean Martin Rural Neighborhood Preserve Association sent a 12-page packet to the agency outlining concerns about financial obligations, exaggerated ridership and job creation projections, potentially adverse effects on McCarran International Airport, safety, land use and sound issues.

Several criticisms listed in a cover letter by association Vice President Heidi Magee enumerated complaints that have been made for months about DesertXpress, others were specifically related to the nearly 100 residences in the neighborhoods off Dean Martin Drive between Cactus and Wigwam avenues.

“We hope these areas of concern will prompt the appropriate attention and questions necessary for a project of such magnitude,” Magee’s letter said. “We believe this project is not good for Clark County, the state of Nevada or its citizens. This project appears to be a complete farce, which should be scrutinized and addressed with great urgency and concern. We respectfully request that you do not provide funding for the DesertXpress high-speed passenger train.”

Magee said she sent the information to the FRA, and to the offices of Sen. Dean Heller, Rep. Joe Heck and two Clark County commissioners.

“It started with realizing how badly it was going to affect our neighborhood, but the more we looked at it, the more we realized how it was going to affect Las Vegas and the entire state,” Magee said in an interview.

DesertXpress Enterprises has applied for a Article source: http://feeds.stateline.org/~r/StatelineorgRss-Transportation/~3/GWz2vPdvs4k/