Safety-improvement work set on Craig Road

The Nevada Department of Transportation is spending about $2 million to install shared bus and bike lanes, upgrade crosswalks and upgrade traffic signs and street lights at 11 intersections in the road corridor. NDOT highway safety improvement project manager Lori Campbell updated attendees on the proposed changes at a recent public meeting at Alexander library.

Crash data collected from 2011 to 2016 showed there were 1,007 crashes in the area that killed 10 people and injured 57, Campbell said. Additionally, there were 15 bicycle accidents during that period that seriously injured four riders, as well as 12 pedestrian crashes with one fatality.

Craig Road has more crashes than other roads of its type, Campbell said.

“This is what takes us to work every day: trying to lower these numbers,” she told the group. Campbell added that most of the work is set to take place in the evening, with a few daytime closures.

Pedestrian-safety improvements will include upgrading the crosswalks to adhere to Americans with Disabilities Act codes by installing reflective signs, upgrading audio warning buttons, adjusting the buttons’ position and making ramps more accessible for those who are disabled.

Implementing a shared bus and bike lane will require additional signing and lane striping. Studies have shown that these shared lanes decrease the likelihood of bicycle crashes, Campbell said.

Some of the most noticeable changes along the road will be upgraded pavement markings and enhanced LED lighting in street lights, which will make the road appear to have clearer and whiter light.

The department also plans to install retroreflective traffic signal back plates, which will have a yellow border. The color pops out more and has proved to reduce collision claims, fatal crashes and the number of drivers running red lights, Campbell said.

The department also is set to add S-islands to certain intersections along Craig Road.

“They’re not really popular with people because they have to go a whole block to make a turn, but they are much safer,” Campbell said. “A U-turn is much safer because you’re only focusing on traffic in one direction.”

Roger Smith said he is happy to see the installation of an S-island near his North Las Vegas neighborhood at Ferrell Street and Craig Road.

“I’ve seen a lot of accidents there,” he said at the meeting. “My two grandkids live with me and one of them crosses the road to get to school every day, and it’s a very dangerous intersection.”

It’s important to improve safety on a stretch of road at a time, rather than a small portion, Campbell said.

“If I do it in one area, you’re just moving the problem down to another one,” she said. “So we try to do things when we can to do it as a corridor. They look at the whole corridor, or length of road.”

To reach North View reporter Kailyn Brown, call 702-387-5233 or email kbrown@viewnews.com. Follow her on Twitter: @KailynHype.