Neighborhoods can get county to install traffic-slowing devices

Adrienne Packer

Wednesday, April 7, 1999 | 11:13 a.m.

Road rage typically takes place on a congested freeway, but some Clark County homeowners might argue they're feeling a different type of road rage.

It's the kind they feel when motorists use their quiet neighborhood roads as shortcuts -- and racetracks -- during rush hour.

On Tuesday Clark County commissioners adopted a traffic management policy they hope will slow down motorists in a hurry and perhaps even convince them to take another route.

Richard Romer, the county's traffic manager, said most of the problems occur in older neighborhoods where grid street alignments are straight, inviting speeders.

Under the new policy, residents who feel motorists need to slow down on their streets may be able to get speed-control devices that include landscaped medians, one-way roads, circular islands in intersections, narrowed streets and even barriers that create cul-de-sacs.

To make the request, they must get a petition signed by two-thirds of the households on or near the street.

The county then will hold neighborhood meetings to gather information about the problems and explain how its new Neighborhood Management Traffic Policy works.

It will also determine whether a traffic management feature would interfere with the traffic flow of the larger area or would hinder emergency vehicles.

The cost would be shared by homeowners because there is no funding to back the policy, Romer said. And he suggested before permanent barriers are built, the county put up temporary concrete barriers to ensure residents truly want the obstacles on their streets.

The county conducted a test project near Spitze and Supai drives after receiving complaints by neighbors.

"We followed the process and found that they were really disliked, and so they were removed," Romer said.

Commissioner Mary Kincaid strongly suggested temporary barriers be installed before more permanent and expensive features are built.

"Doing it on a temporary basis to see if it works is a very good idea," she said. "On paper it may seem like what they want."

Romer said if the county receives more requests than it can handle, it will prioritize the projects based on the number of accidents that have occurred on the streets.