After many years of fighting for a safer speed limit in Red Rock Canyon, we are excited to announce the chance to appear before the state senate! This Wednesday (tomorrow), Senator Breedon, along with 8 other senators and 3 from the assembly are presenting SB 240 to address this issue. Over the past few days, we have been working closely with Senator Breeden and NDOT to come up with a plan to increase awareness and safety that includes posting slower advisory speed limits and other additional measures. Traffic studies have been done and we have been out on the roadway to identify the more sensitive areas and are hoping for a quantifiable commitment by tomorrow morning. We are hopeful that good results can come of this.
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Slower advisory speeds would help to filter out some of the users that could be using other routes. Reducing the speed would make commuters think twice about using Red Rock as a bypass to the city.
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Increased reaction time is safer
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This is a scenic byway and should be treated differently
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There are a lot of additional factors that should be considered, not just average speeds
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They don’t use the “85th percentile” rule at school zones or National Parks or Lake Mead or even other scenic byways, this is a special place that requires extra precautionary measures.
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This is the fastest speed limit on any scenic byway in the country, including freeways designated as scenic byways
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Even with burro fences, burros are still getting on to the street and killed.
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Lots of tourist stop at roadside pull outs, dogs, hikers.
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Red Rock Canyon receives over a million visitors a year (this does not include commuters)
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It is the most popular cycling area in the state, with hundreds of cyclists using this road every day
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sends a message that Red Rock Canyon is a scenic natural resource worth protecting
You may testify in person at: SB 240 (Hwy 159 speed limit) has been scheduled for a hearing in the EIT committee on Wednesday, March 25 @ 8am in Room 2135 of the Carson City Legislature Building. There will be a videoconference hook up in Las Vegas at the Grant Sawyer Building, Room 4412E.
Suggestions on how to testify can be found here state legislature’s website.
Details:
- Senate Bill 240: to lower speed limit on 159
- Committee Hearing: 8:00 a.m. Wed., March 25, in Carson City, live videoconference in LV
- Energy, Infrastructure, and Transportation Committee
- Sponsoring senator: Senator Shirley Breeden
- Senators on the bill: Breeden, Copening, Hardy, Horsford, Lee, Coffin, McGinnis, Schneider, Woodhouse
- Co-sponsoring Assemblymen: Manendo, Munford, Seegerblom
- https://www.leg.state.nv.us/75th2009/Bills/SB/SB240.pdf
