LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – A huge project is planned for Maryland Parkway, and with the design complete, RTC is now looking to secure funding for construction.
“Once the project’s complete, it’s going to be a very nice corridor with a lot of amenities and improvements for the community,” RTC Director of Capital Projects Brij Gulati told FOX5 Thursday.
The project would put in 50 covered bus stops, widen sidewalks from five to ten feet across, and put in trees along those sidewalks for shade. The biggest change you’d notice, though, is a repurposing of two of the six lanes on Maryland. They would turn into shared bus-bike lanes with no cars allowed in them aside from right turns into intersections or businesses.
Gulati says studies have shown this will improve commute times for bus riders.
“We anticipate that the bus ride would be cut by 20%,” Gulati said.
Despite the available lanes for driving getting cut down by a third, Gulati says traffic would actually improve for drivers.
“Cars would not have to wait behind the bus when buses have to stop,” Gulati explained. “So drivers would notice a huge improvement in their traffic flow for the cars as well.”
The project would also provide safety benefits for buses, cars and bicycles, Gulati added.
“Rather than bikes traveling in mixed-flow traffic, we find that it’s safer for bikes to travel in bus lanes,” Gulati said.
If funding for construction is procured, RTC plans to start construction in late summer, with a target completion date in late 2026. The total cost is not yet set, but Gulati estimates it to be in the hundreds of millions.
Since funding for the project is through an interlocal agreement, all municipalities in Clark County, including the county itself, have to sign off. Wednesday, North Las Vegas agreed to increase its share of funding for the project.
Gulati adds that if the project does get the green light, you should expect delays during construction, and urges drivers to find alternate routes while work is being done.
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