Sunday, August 28, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM: RTC plans $300,000 ad campaign

Commercials, billboards promotional, not educational, critics say

A Regional Transportation Commission media campaign includes print ads, commercials and billboards, like the one above. Photo by Jane Kalinowsky

The Regional Transportation Commission plans to spend around $300,000 in tax dollars on an advertising blitz highlighting its proposed rapid transit system running from Henderson to North Las Vegas.

The commission, whose staff favor such a system involving light rail or express buses, says its media campaign is only informational. But opponents allege the commission's message simply cheerleads for the transit plan, also known as the regional fixed guideway.

"They're not educational. They just put forth the idea of, 'Wouldn't it be great if everyone would park their cars and ride a train?' " Beverly Dix, a member of the commission's guideway steering committee who opposes light rail, said last week. "They don't address any of the cons of the issue.

"They're not presenting facts. They're just presenting a Pollyanna, rose-colored glasses view of this thing. Taxpayers need to be educated."

Commission officials said their intent is to spark interest in the issue and discussion of its merits, whether good or bad.

"It's to make them aware of the project, so they can make up their own mind on what they want to do," Ingrid Reisman, a commission spokeswoman, said of the ad campaign.

"It doesn't say it's needed. It doesn't say it's necessary. It says it can improve transportation in the valley. Get involved. It's purely informational," Reisman said. "We feel it's very important."

The campaign, which began in July and runs to November, includes a Web site, print ads in the Review-Journal, television and radio commercials, billboards and segments on the county's public access Channel 4.

Slogans include catch-phrases such as "Transit breakthrough? It's up to you."

The money for the ad campaign comes from the commission's $1.25 million annual advertising budget, and the campaign was requested by the steering committee, according to Reisman. The ads were designed in-house; the money spent goes toward buying ad time and space.

By comparison, the commission spent more than $400,000 to promote last year's launch of its Metropolitan Area Express bus line, its last major project-specific media campaign.

But that campaign was launched after a decision to proceed was made. In the guideway's case, the steering committee has yet to make a recommendation. The commission's board is expected to vote Nov. 10 on whether to go ahead with a rapid transit system.

"However, the community should be aware of the project, should have a voice in making a decision about the project before it's voted on," Reisman said. "These dollars are just as important" in ensuring that happens.

In 2002, the district attorney's office determined an RTC advertising campaign did not violate a state law prohibiting government agencies from using public funds to promote political causes or candidates.

Critics of that campaign, which cost taxpayers more than $380,000, had said the advertisements were a thinly veiled attempt to persuade voters to approve a $2.7 billion transportation tax measure on the ballot. But county lawyers said the ads did not violate the law, as they were "informational."

Reisman acknowledges that commission staffers "favor the development of a guideway project" and that "the RTC needs to advise the community on what we recommend."

But she denies any bias seeps into the media campaign, adding that the commission's guideway Web page offers outside viewpoints.

"Any reports we've found, we've provided links to," Reisman said.

But not if the information contained on a link was deemed inaccurate.

"A lot of those anti-light rail links have things that aren't factual or are patently false," Reisman said. "I don't think it's responsible for a government entity to provide links to false information."

But opponents of the plan, many of whom live along or near a proposed system segment along existing Union Pacific Railroad tracks in Henderson, say there's a credibility gap. About 50 or so light rail opponents regularly show up at light rail meetings to criticize the plan.

"Information from the RTC is misleading," valley resident Bette Brickman said at a Thursday steering committee meeting. "Taxpayers must have the facts about the high costs and the negligible benefits of light rail."

Either way, Reisman said, there has been increased awareness of the guideway project in recent weeks.

"We have had an increase in traffic to the RFG (regional fixed guideway) Web site, people asking questions, people providing comments," Reisman said. "We've had a lot of people saying, 'When's the next meeting? How can we learn more?' We think that's good."