There really will be light — soon

This week readers want to know when the traffic lights at Blue Diamond Road and Arville Street will be turned on and when that big metal plate covering part of Pebble Road near Eastern Avenue will be removed. Also, readers give some feedback on a recent column, and the Road Warrior corrects a boo-boo.

Dave Borden wants to know why the traffic signals that were installed months ago at Blue Diamond Road and Arville Street still haven't been turned on. "It's almost impossible to make a left-hand turn onto Blue Diamond from Arville at anytime, day or night," he wrote.

Soon. Seriously. I've been promised by the Nevada Department of Transportation. Bob McKenzie, spokesman for the department, said there have been some problems getting power to the traffic signals. That's why they aren't working. Now one large government agency is working with one large corporation to solve the problem. Soon.

How long will "soon" be? Unfortunately, I never got an answer to that. So I looked up "soon" in Webster's Dictionary hoping to find an answer. Soon means in a short time, shortly, and before long. But Dave, do you believe the Transportation Department and Nevada Power can get this work done soon? Me neither, but it is the season of miracles.

A reader wants to know why a metal plate is covering a portion of Pebble Road just west of Eastern Avenue when there hasn't been any construction there. The reader said the plate has been in place for about three months.

Southwest Gas was making gas line repairs in the area, but before the work was completed, the contractor's permit expired, said Bobby Shelton, spokesman for the Clark County Public Works Department.

The contractor is getting the permit renewed and will be doing "dense-grade" paving in the near future, Shelton said. The problem is the final riding surface requires "open-grade" paving, and that cannot be put down until spring, when the valley warms back up.

"Folks don't realize that we have to have certain temperature levels before paving a roadway can take place," Shelton said. "The overnight temperatures for the past two to three weeks have not been appropriate for nighttime paving -- even for dense-grade paving."

So it looks like that metal plate is going to be around for a while longer.

•••

I want to share some feedback I got from my Dec. 16 column when I addressed whether it is better to pull into an intersection to turn left when the light is green or wait at the stop line. In the end, while I agreed that it may be safer to wait at the stop line, keeping my sanity would depend on me getting through an intersection faster by pulling into the intersection.

(You can read the column at www.lvrj.com).

Wade M. wrote: I don't pull into the intersection until I know I can get through it whether I am turning left or continuing straight. ... And if Nevada wants to make the roads safer, they should probably start with revoking Francis McCabe's license.

Here, here. You'll get no argument from me.

Lee Dorman wrote: The biggest challenge in Las Vegas is being able to see "around" the vehicle that is directly in front of you who also wants to turn left. Your diagram should also show SUVs speeding at 80 mph coming directly at you, (but) you cannot see them until the last 10 seconds because your view is blocked. This can be a scary experience for someone who is a novice or nervous driver.

Especially when the traffic signal has already turned red.

Chloe wrote: I find it MADDENING when drivers don't pull into the intersection! Nothing (is) worse than sitting there through three light cycles because someone is afraid of pulling into the intersection! Guess it gives them more time to talk on the phone or pick their noses!

It is very frustrating! It can drive one crazy! And make one use lots of exclamation points!

Bob Crawford wrote: You failed to bring out one point. Once a vehicle legally enters an intersection, that vehicle has the right of way.

I agree, but drivers in the other direction don't always see it my way.

Chandler Levrich wrote: Your advice sucks; your diagrams are nice.

Chandler wrote more than these seven words, but that was the premise of his argument.

Just so you all know, the diagrams that accompanied the column were done by Mike Johnson, a graphic artist at the Review-Journal.

HIT N' RUN

Sunday's column included some incorrect information about the Nevada Highway Patrol's traffic fatality tallies in Clark County. Trooper Kevin Honea of the Nevada Highway Patrol pointed out that there were 117 fatalities on the highways and state roads of Clark County last year compared with 91 for 2007 through Monday evening. That's a drop of about 22 percent. Honea said the real tragedy this year was that 63 percent of those who died were not wearing their seat belts.

If you have a question, tip or tirade, call the Road Warrior at 387-2904, or e-mail him at roadwarrior@reviewjournal.com or fmccabe@reviewjournal.com. Please include your phone number.