Readers express their frustrations

This week we are all over the map, literally, and all over the map figuratively. So, let's get to it.

Is Nancy going nuts? I noticed that the timing of the lights on Eastern Avenue going south at Interstate 215 are different than they were a month ago. Do you know if they have been changed or is my imagination?

I'm thrilled to report that all is well in your mind, Nancy. You are correct. The Regional Transportation Commission is upgrading its communication system at the intersection of Eastern and the Beltway, which has caused the timing to be thrown off from the normal schedule. The improvements to the system should be completed by the end of next week.

Cheryl is sick of the bumpy ride: When you get off eastbound 215 at Windmill Lane, it's like driving over a rumble strip. It is ridiculous. When will it be repaved?

Agreed. Ridiculous. I took that exit over the weekend and thought my car was going to dismantle itself on the ruts and bumps. It's equally bad from Windmill onto Interstate 215 west.

Clark County plans to repave and re-stripe that entire intersection. Public works documents say that work should begin in the first quarter of this year, so expect to see cones soon. While we're on the Windmill subject, the intersection at Pollock is also slated to be repaved and repainted late this year.

David wants a light: I would like to know when they are going to put a traffic light at the intersection of Fort Apache and Sunset roads? I think it needs one at least 10 times as much as Pebble and Durango or Windmill and Durango did. I have never seen a town where people are so bad at four-way stops.

Apparently Clark County struggles with the southwest area of town because of property ownership.

A few weeks ago, we learned that failed development plans has kept the county from punching Fort Apache across Blue Diamond Road. And with this one, David, according to county documents, the traffic signal is under design, but right-of-way issues with the developer has kept the project from coming to fruition.

I know this isn't very helpful, but the county can't even offer a time frame.

An anonymous reader asks: If the government is really serious about preventing accidents at intersections, they should first install the warning countdown of number of seconds before the yellow light comes on instead of "gotcha" cameras designed to penalize drivers and make money. I have seen these in various intersections giving drivers a warning when the yellow light will be coming on It is so convenient and gives a driver time to stop safely or to continue without having to rush.

In Canada, drivers can rely on a countdown warning to alert motorists of when the traffic signal is going to change, but there are no such devices in the United States yet. Some drivers rely on the crosswalk timer to determine when the light might turn yellow, but even those are not at every intersection.

Tracy Bower, spokeswoman for the Regional Transportation Commission, said the signal warnings used in Canada have not been approved in the U.S. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, a Federal Highway Administration's book on approved traffic signals for public streets.

As a side note, there might be cameras at intersections to gauge traffic flow and such, but they are not used for any law enforcement purpose. About half the states in the nation have refused to pass laws allowing enforcement cameras, and Nevada remains one of them.

Dwight is skeptical: I have watched Las Vegas Paving install fencing on both sides of U.S. 93 north of Interstate 15 almost to the wasteland of Coyote Springs. What are they thinking? I have traveled that road for 12 years twice a week. I have never seen a desert tortoise, although I have seen a few coyotes. Maybe you can explain?

The Nevada Department of Transportation is repaving about 20 miles of Highway 93, and part of that project requires crews to install fences to protect the sensitive desert tortoise habitat in and around Coyote Springs. The fences, which were required by the transportation department's environmental divisions, will be permanent. Construction on the $5.8 million project, which starts about 20 miles from the Highway 93 turnoff from I-15, begins this week and is expected to last six weeks.

Ron is a biker: I noticed the bike shop at the Bonneville bus terminal is open. Do they rent bikes?

The bicycle shop at the Bonneville Transit Center, Bonneville and Casino Center Drive, opened earlier this month and provides a storage space for commuters who might, for example, bike to their bus stop and take the bus to their job downtown. You need a membership, which is $20 a month, and it costs 3 cents a minute to store the bike.

The little bike center offers storage and showers. It also offers repairs and sells bikes. Unfortunately, at this point, it does not rent bicycles.

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.