Originally published by Sally Jaramillo, 8 News Now
February 25, 2020
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — If you’ve driven to Red Rock Canyon you know there are a lot of vehicles and cyclists sharing the road. In 2005, Metro Police Officer Don Albietz was killed riding his bike in the area. The tragedy inspired the community to develop safer conditions for cyclist.
It’s something that’s been in the works for 15 years now.
“The first thing that came out of that was we need to have a seperated bike path where people can ride and not be worried about getting hit by cars,” said Heather Fisher, the president of Save Red Rock.
The Clark County Commission approved plans for a bike path from Summerlin to the Red Rock Visitor Center. The trail, which will be called Red Rock Legacy Trail, will start near the West Career and Technical Academy on Charleston, but it will eventually complete a 40-mile loop similar to the Henderson River Mountain Loop Trail.
“The grand plan is to have a loop that goes all the way around,” Fisher said.
Fisher says she hopes this bike path keep riders safe.
“I would never let my kids ride on this highway; it’s a scenic byway, but it’s not safe for kids to ride,” Fisher said.
Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones agrees.
“I’m a cyclist myself; this is something that is really a great opportunity to get people safely outdoors,” said Justin Jones, Clark County Commissioner.
The project is expected to cost $13 million. Save Red Rock, NDOT, and county commissioners are all behind the trail, and they say it will happen.
“Most of that money comes from the federal government the clark county comission put up just over 6 hundred thousand dollars from some of it’s parks and trails budget,” said Justin Jones, Clark County Commissioner.
Construction for the first 5 miles of Red Rock Legacy Trail will start later this year.
