Friday, December 12, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Beltway renaming suggested

Regional Transportation Commission passes nonbinding resolution honoring Woodbury

The Las Vegas Beltway someday will be called the Bruce Woodbury Beltway if the Regional Transportation Commission has anything to say about it.

The commission on Thursday unanimously approved a nonbinding resolution calling for the Clark County Commission to name the beltway in honor of Woodbury.

He is a current and longtime member of both commissions, and his admirers have called him "the father of transportation in Southern Nevada."

"I don't think there's a man in this community who's respected more than Bruce Woodbury. Bruce got that respect the old-fashioned way: he earned it," said David Wood, vice-president of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, which asked the transportation commission to consider the renaming request.

Woodbury was absent from the meeting and was out of town this week, according to transportation commission officials. They said Woodbury was reluctant to accept the honor and sought to have the item pulled from Thursday's agenda.

"To use the word awkward for how he feels about this process would be an understatement," said Jacob Snow, general manager of the transportation commission.

Naming places for living people can backfire. For instance, Floyd Lamb State Park was named before the state senator was convicted on federal corruption charges.

Also, Clark County School District officials named an elementary school after Assemblyman Wendell Williams, who recently has been involved in several controversies.

Las Vegas City Councilman Michael Mack, who serves on the transportation commission, said he saw no problem in naming the road for a living person. "It's well deserved," Mack said.

There is no time frame for the matter to be brought to the County Commission.

Such an honor would not be the first for Woodbury. Earlier this year, Congress approved a resolution to name Boulder City's postal facility for him.

In other business Thursday, the transportation commission approved the purchase of 20 double-decker buses for use on the Strip at a cost of almost $16.6 million. The buses, to be built by London-based TransBus International, are scheduled to be delivered in 2005.

The 83-seat buses each will hold up to 120 people, including standing riders, and will occupy less space than current stretch buses that seat about 60 and hold up to 100, commission spokeswoman Ingrid Reisman said.

"They're not as big, and they carry more people. They're perfect for the Strip route," said Reisman, calling the style of bus a bonus, but not a reason to buy.