Steel, concrete posts to protect bus stops weighed but rejected

Every once in a while readers offer viable solutions to traffic problems and hazards. We like to run them past the experts to see what they think. We've had some tragic accidents involving vehicles and bus stops, and Dan Michler had what seemed like a decent idea. Below is Dan's proposal and the Regional Transportation Commission's response.

My wife and I keep reading about drivers running into bus stops. It seems obvious to us that the simplest solution to protect people at bus stops is to place steel posts around them like the gas company uses to protect its meters. Why isn't this method being utilized?

The Regional Transportation Commission has taken a look at doing just that, spokeswoman Tracy Bower said. It hired an international engineering firm to study whether steel or concrete posts would better protect bus passengers. What it discovered was that they don't always stop a vehicle, and a collision can send shrapnel flying, potentially causing severe injuries. The other problem is they would have to be installed on the sidewalk, which would block pedestrians and violate the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Bower said about 100 bus stops have been moved back farther from the road, and the traffic division intends to continue that effort in areas where space is available. We should note that Dan recognized this was one strategy, but pointed out -- as did Bower -- that it can't be done everywhere.

Phillip is lovin' the signs: The freeway informational data displays on times to various intersections are really helpful. When will they start posting data on the eastbound Summerlin Parkway?

These projects take time, as you can imagine. Message boards will be installed on Summerlin Parkway, but the proper instruments such as fiber-optic cables and cameras must first be put in place, so the travel times can be generated.

The city has a long-range project plan to widen the parkway between the 215 Beltway and U.S. Highway 95.

"It is likely that there will be some message boards, but due to funding limitations, that project is many years out," city spokeswoman Debby Ackerman said. She referred readers to summerlinparkway.com for more information.

Bob isn't taking this lightly: My question is about the southbound left-turn signal on North Decatur Boulevard at Rice Road. This is the turn signal between the Las Vegas Beltway and Tropical Parkway. It is a protected left turn that sometimes makes you sit and wait a long time for a green light to make the turn. This is true even if there is no traffic at all on Decatur and the lights at the Beltway and Tropicana are both red. I certainly would appreciate it if someone from traffic control would come out and watch it for a bit to see what the problem is.

Your wish is our command, Bob. Traffic engineers at the Freeway & Arterial System of Transportation (FAST) checked it out. They said that signal has a hardware problem, and they plan to work with the city of North Las Vegas to resolve it.

It is hoped that this will be fixed soon. If not, let me know, and I'll bug them some more.

Several motorists have complained that Paradise is hardly that: Paradise Road south of Sunset Road from the business park to the railroad track is awful, particularly in the northbound lanes. According to one reader, "It's rough enough if you don't know it's there and you're taking a sip of coffee, I guarantee you'll be covered in the stuff." What is the reason for this?

Well, unfortunately, Clark County didn't offer up a reason for the rough road. It did say that the repaving project on Paradise between Warm Springs and Sunset roads is under way and should be finished in early September.

An alert reader asks: At the intersection of Cheyenne Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard, there is a sign that indicates the signal is a pilot program. What does this mean?

These signs are old and will be removed. They were part of a red light photo enforcement pilot program, said Ismael Garza, a traffic engineer for the city of North Las Vegas. As we know, the Legislature has rejected measures that would allow cameras to nail red-light runners. So the cameras were taken down, but the enclosures and the signs remain. For now anyway.

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.