Some things progress; others just change slowly

 E volution is not progress. It is movement, change, with no particular purpose in mind. It ebbs and it flows and it meanders, forever.

Sometimes, though, we do our best to guide it toward a predetermined end. We build and we tear down and we fix, all in the name of progress, which can mean whatever we want it to.

But progress is never as easy as we wish it were. Things break. Or we run out of money. Or, sometimes, one kind of progress gets in the way of another.

 Roger wrote in because he travels between Las Vegas and Pahrump regularly on what we in the newspaper business call State Route 160, but normal people call Blue Diamond Road. 

“I really enjoy the improvements made from Las Vegas Boulevard to the Blue Diamond turn,” Roger wrote. “When will the last 7 miles ‘over the hump’ to Pahrump be completed? I see many accidents due to the two-lane road.”

The folks at the Nevada Department of Transportation thanked Roger for his kind words. They said they are just as concerned about safety and other improvements along about 11 miles from State Route 159 through Mountain Springs to the part where the road goes back to a  four-lan e, divided highway.

The agency is in the preliminary phase of design work for a widening project.

But it’s really, really preliminary, Roger.

They expect approval sometime next year, but can’t say when the actual widening will start.

There’s no money set aside just yet.

So that’s progress, of a sort.

 Carl noticed a problem along a stretch of Lake Mead Boulevard in northwest Las Vegas that has seen a lot of orange cones in the last few months.

 He said he drives that stretch, between U.S. Highway 95 and Rampart Boulevard, every day between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. There’s very little traffic, but the lights on the little side streets turn red anyway.

That’s annoying.

I checked with the city. Hmm, they said. A city crew went out. Yup, you’re right Carl. The sensors that tell the lights at Mariner, Harbor Island and Pueblo Vista drives when to change weren’t working.

They were able to fix the one at Pueblo Vista pretty quickly, so it should be working now. But the other two will take a little longer. They should be fixed soon, though.

Boom. Progress-ish.

 Nila wondered about a beautiful road out in Henderson that she said got all messed up by some homebuilders. 

Specifically, she’s talking about Horizon Ridge Parkway out near Gibson Road.

Henderson city spokeswoman Kathleen Richardson said developers have some projects on both the north and south sides of Horizon Ridge, about a quarter-mile east of Gibson. When they’re done with the houses, they’ll fix the road.

But not until then. There would be no point in fixing it, if they were just going to mess it up again.

One step back, two steps forward. Progress?

 Judith wrote in to say she had some neighbors who’ve lived in her development for a year and still have their California license plates. What’s worse, these plates expired in July, she said. 

That is not cool. We’ve all seen these cars, but it’s hard to be a snitch.

With a few exceptions (college students, military members), you have to get Nevada license plates within 30 days of moving here. That’s what the law says. You also have to have Nevada insurance.

Fines can be huge, from $200 on up.

If you really want to do something about it, Judith, you can get in touch with the Las Vegas constable’s office. A couple of years back, state lawmakers gave the constable the power to ticket these vehicles. The office also gets paid $100 for doing it, so look out for them, scofflaws.

The office has jurisdiction in the city of Las Vegas and most of unincorporated Clark County, so there’s a good chance they can help.

Reach them on the phone at 702-455-3247 or just fill out a form on the website here: http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/Depts/constable/las_vegas/Pages/AbVehclForm.aspx.

Got a transportation question, comment or gripe? Ship it off to roadwarrior@reviewjournal.com. Follow the Road Warrior on Twitter @RJroadwarrior.