Sometimes there’s just no solution

When readers question funky road configurations or general flaws that tie up traffic, we'll bring them to the attention of the appropriate government officials. Sometimes the problem is resolved, other times not. We'll begin this week with Luis' traffic frustrations in the northwest.

Perhaps you could be of assistance to numerous suffering parents, including this writer, whose children attend Bilbray and Scherkenbach Elementary Schools on the outskirts of northwest Las Vegas. There are only two narrow streets, Brent Lane and Iron Mountain Road, available to drive to and from the schools, and these two streets are connected on the west by Tee Pee Lane. The lack of alternative routes results in a severe, bumper-to-bumper two-way traffic congestion every weekday whenever parents drop off or pick up their children. I'm asking for your assistance in this matter.

Out of space concerns, I abbreviated Luis' note, but the gist of it is that this nightmare has parents cutting through the desert and onto Sky Pointe Drive, also known as Frontage Road, to escape the madness. I dropped by the schools as they let out Monday, and sure enough, bumper-to-bumper traffic, jaywalking -- which is dangerous when small children are walking between huge SUVs -- and desert driving.

Apparently, these two side-by-side schools have troubled the city of Las Vegas for some time. Transportation officials hoped recent upgrades to Fort Apache would help. They added traffic signals to the intersections on Fort Apache at Brent and at Iron Mountain.

As Luis pointed out, the streets surrounding the schools are narrow, only one lane in each direction. That is because while the city made some improvements when the area was built out, they were supposed to be completed by the land owner and private developer, which was Kyle Canyon Gateway at the time. The company filed for bankruptcy and lost the property. Wachovia Bank now owns the land and is negotiating a new development agreement with the city, according to city spokesman Jace Radke.

Because the city does not own the surrounding property, including the unpaved escape route, the streets have to be widened and finished by the developers. With the economy the way it is, this is not likely to happen for several years. It's unfortunate because it is certainly a mess.

Greg has a couple of questions about guardrails. First: I see a lot of guardrails damaged on various highways in the valley where someone's had an accident and/or just plowed into them. Does the city, county or state go after the guilty party that caused the damage for the repair cost?  If tax dollars are used, that doesn't seem fair. 

Taxpayer dollars are not used to repair guardrails if the accident is seen and investigated. Michelle Booth, spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Transportation, said that if a motorist is determined to be at fault, the driver or the insurance company will be billed for the damage.

And: I find it funny that they put orange cones in front of it, like, don't hit this guardrail because it's not here.  If the cones really help, then they should paint all guardrails orange. 

I think Greg was sort of half-joking here, but I passed along his inquiry to Booth anyway. Well, first and foremost, I'd imagine, that would make for some very heinous looking roadways and distract from the beauty of the colored rocks that adorn our freeways. But here's what Booth had to say: The color orange is typically used as a warning sign for roadwork or hazards, so to have the guardrails also painted orange might cause some confusion.

Also, there would be the added cost of maintaining the guardrails if they were any color other than the natural beauty of, well, metal. The state would spend a lot of money painting and repainting them.

Dick is tired of scooters: Why don't scooters have to apply for license plates? They use the same roads as other vehicles, which pay for licenses, etc. They also cause traffic hazards by not being able to go the posted speed limit. It is just frustrating to not only see them operate without plates but also cause dangerous traffic congestion. Maybe they should be restricted to off-peak hours?

This has long been a sore spot with motorists and probably even more so today because I imagine gasoline prices have encouraged scooter owners to opt for the bike over the car. The law has been on the books for years and says scooters with a displacement of no more than 50 cubic centimeters -- vehicles that cannot travel much faster than 30 mph -- do not need to have license plates, according to Tom Jacobs with your Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. The operators must have valid Nevada driver's licenses, though, which is a concept lost on more than a few owners, Jacobs said.

The mopeds are meant to travel on surface streets, where theoretically the speed limit is 35 mph, in most cases. Obviously they are prohibited from traveling on freeways. So, bottom line, Dick, is that the DMV doesn't see these little guys as traffic hazards and therefore doesn't see the need to prohibit them during rush hour.

If you have a question, tip or tirade, call Adrienne Packer at (702) 387-2904, or send an e-mail to roadwarrior@
reviewjournal.com. Include your phone number.