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Jul. 09, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Keeping Bikes Off Bumpers

Path from Summerlin to Blue Diamond would parallel Route 159

By FRANCIS McCABE
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Bicyclists share the road with cars as they make their way Tuesday along state Route 159. A proposal to build a bicycle path that runs alongside the roadway is being looked at, but some bicycle club members say such a path would not be used by "serious" riders.
Photo by Marlene Karas/Review-Journal

A car passes a bicyclist Tuesday on state Route 159 in Red Rock Canyon. The Bureau of Land Management has a feasibility study under way which would look at building a recreational bicycle path separate from, but parallel to the roadway.
Photo by Marlene Karas/Review-Journal

The feasibility of a 15-mile bicycle path planned to run parallel to state Route 159 in Red Rock Canyon is being studied, but not everyone is happy about it.

"It's all well and good, but serious cyclists will not use it," said Jim Little, president of the Las Vegas Valley Bicycle Club, and a member of the Nevada Bicycle Coalition.

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"Serious cyclists," he said, make up about three-fourths of those using Route 159.

The bicycle path will be built separate from state Route 159, said Jed Botsford, project manager for the Bureau of Land Management. It would stretch from Summerlin to state Route 160 and weave a meandering trail through the landscape, he said.

"We're trying to keep the bicyclists away from the cars on the road," Botsford said.

The $2 million feasibility study is being funded by the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act. It will look at several different paths at different costs and whether to build concrete paths, known as "Arizona crossings," through washes, Botsford said.

The study will also determine whether to use special surface material that would blend with the landscape, instead of asphalt, which sticks out in a desert setting like chocolate syrup on coffee ice cream.

"Our recommendation is don't do it," Little said. "They will be spending a lot of money that is not going to be used by three-fourths of the cyclists out there."

Little said maintenance of the bicycle route is the biggest concern.

"It will be great for tourists and weekend bicyclists," he said. But "unless they have a street sweeper out there and perform the upkeep on it, we're not going to use it."

Little explained that cyclists who are training for races move at such a fast pace that brush and rocks that might end up on the path after a wind storm would be a serious hazard.

Not to mention any gravel left by the off-road vehicle and dirt bike riders who are bound to be attracted to the path.

It's hard enough to get maintenance crews to clean up state Route 159, he said.

"People like myself, our people (members of the bicycle club) would like to stay on the road."

Botsford acknowledged the maintenance concerns cyclists might have with the path. When it comes time to get funding for building the bicycle path, he said, maintenance costs will be included in those requests.

Building the path is a reaction to public requests for a safe haven for bicyclists, Botsford said.

He acknowledged that cyclists training for races would likely stick to Route 159, but that getting casual bicyclists off the road would make the road safer for those in training.

The road has always been favored by bicyclists and joggers; but with the population growth in Pahrump and on nearby state Route 160, also known as Blue Diamond Road, there was a mass migration of traffic to Route 159 as an alternate route to and from Las Vegas.

As a result, Route 159 started gaining a reputation as a lethal stretch of highway.

One of the more publicized incidents was the death of off-duty Las Vegas police officer Don Albietz after he was hit by a tractor-trailer in July 2005. The driver fled the crash scene.

Albietz was riding a bicycle -- training for a triathlon -- on the side of Route 159 when he was struck from behind by the truck. The truck driver eventually was caught and pleaded guilty to several felony charges.

Little offered a different solution than building a new path: Enforce the speed limit on state Route 159.

If safety is the No. 1 reason for building the path, "start making people believers in the speed limit" by enforcing it, Little said.

Enforcement is infrequent until a cyclist gets hit, he said. "Speeding (vehicles) is the one single issue as far as cyclists go."

In an effort to make the road safer, the Nevada Department of Transportation has put up signs to keep tractor-trailers off Route 159, widened the road in areas to make it safer for cyclists and erected a fence to keep burros from wandering onto the road.

The 15-mile path would be an "out and back" route, Botsford said. Plans for a full loop would come later.

A public hearing is planned for Aug. 12, Botsford said. The study should be completed by late January.

Once a path is chosen, the next step would be securing the funding to build it.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904.

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: trucker wrote on July 10, 2008 04:56 PM: Bicycles do not belong on the road. They ride 3-4-6 abreast and wave their finger if you beep. They (ok, not all of them) run red lights and stop signs and swerve into traffic without warning. Its dangerous for everyone involved. They belong on a separate bike path (great idea) or on the sidewalk and away from motor vehicles. Build the separate bike path and ban them from all highways. As far as lowering the speed limit, what's the difference if you drive over a bicycler in the middle of the road going 35 or 60? recreational bicyclist wrote on July 10, 2008 03:14 PM: I started riding this year and discovered that I love, love, love riding this route. Fairly long stretch, no traffic lights, good training and most of all, the incredibly beautiful scenery. However, I am scared for my life most of the time I ride when vehicles pass me by going 60mph. I would love to have a separate path for "recreational bicyclists", just like the River Mountain trail by Lake Mead. In the mean time, lower the speed limit may help. Boondoggle wrote on July 10, 2008 09:31 AM: They're spending $2,000,000 to study this? Jeez Louise! Where do I sign up for a consulting contract? Bug Squasher wrote on July 09, 2008 09:54 PM: It is a highway. The conservation area is off of the highway at the Redrock Loop and other arterials that run off. It is our access to 160 and Blue Diamonds residents access to the city. You Fr@akin bikers think you own the place. I think they should open the bike lane and charge bikes to ride on it. what don't you understand by the word "Conservation"? wrote on July 09, 2008 07:51 PM: This is our "conservation" area being destroyed by traffic. resident mt whole life wrote on July 09, 2008 07:22 PM: if you remember, state route 159 always had a bike path,and up until station casino was built, the bike path was clearly painted on the ground, and signs indicated the bike path began at antelope and continued up to the redrock canyon national park area with signs asking motor cars to share the road. with the new growth/construction at the visitor center, and the investors of those new business' going in, the people who stand to make the most money up at the visitor center, can invision converting that breakdown lane/current bike path into dual travel lanes for paying customers, as to recoupe their investment dollars faster. people, please see that widening to dual travel lanes is the goal up there, and using the cyclist as a diversion of intent,is unfair to them. have you ever seen 2 motorcycle cops riding next to each other ? the station casino went in up there, and the bike path disappeared overnight. a asphalt company went up westbound grinding out the path,and right behind a device repaved new asphalt erasing any sign of the bike path, then the crew came back eastbound and did the exact same thing. state route 159 has a bike path as part of its inception, check the history of it and see. don't try a magicians trick, and blame bicycles for a problem that doesn't exist, until big business brings the problem of overuse.saying bikes are on bumpers is unfair What don't you understand about the word "Conservation"? wrote on July 09, 2008 06:45 PM: Either close 159 along "conservation" area, or at least reduce speed to 35 mph! Traffic has clogged and polluted our only "conservation" area!! Ron wrote on July 09, 2008 05:54 PM: lol. Where do you get your info. The law is "no more than 2 abreast with the exception of a bike path". They could ride 10 wide in the bike path if they so choose. I also agree that bicyclist also need to learn and obey the laws, especially when it comes to trafic lights and stop signs. The most annoying thing to me as a biker is to have an idiot pull up behing me while I am in a Marked bike lane and have them honk because they think I am in their turn lane. As a motorist my pet peaves are 1) running lights and signs 2) large pelotons that take an entire lane of trafic and back up traffic. This is Las Vegas and you are not in the Tour De France.... Lee wrote on July 09, 2008 05:41 PM: Maybe three forths of the serious cyclists won't use the bicycle path that is being propossed, fine. How about the recreational cyclists who won't use route 159 because it's too dangerous? Not everone want's to be in a race. Does the recreation cycilist need to form a club to have it's two cents heard? Ignant Driver wrote on July 09, 2008 05:35 PM: I see joggers in summerlin on the sidewalks. These people have sum nerve. When I back out of my driveway they better not be in my way. And how dare the bikes ride in the "breakdown" lane in Redrock. I don't know why anyone would need a bike. I am even thinking of making my hallway wider from my bedroom to the bath so that I can drive there also. If god had intended for us to get excercize he wouldn't have invented the Chevy 454. And who cares about paying $4.30 per gallon of gas, have you seen how much money these morons are paying for a bicycle? Read All Comments