New bridge in east valley moves trail project a step forward

The city of Las Vegas celebrated the completion of the second phase of its section of the Las Vegas Wash Trail on Jan. 12.

The event included a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new bridge crossing on Lamb Boulevard, just north of Washington Avenue.

The milestone puts the valley one step closer to the large network of trails that planners from several entities hope will make nonmotorized travel a viable option for commuting and leisure.

The Las Vegas Wash Trail has been one of the more complex ones to plan because its geography necessitates coordination from Clark County and the cities of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas.

The county’s sections are complete, with a short section connecting the North Las Vegas trail at the corner of Pecos Road and Lake Mead Boulevard to the Las Vegas section at Owens Avenue near Sandhill Road. It then picks up south of the city of Las Vegas section at Charleston Boulevard near Nellis Boulevard before continuing several blocks along surface streets to connect to the Flamingo Arroyo Trail.

“We hope to break ground on phase 3 this year,” said Gina Venglass, engineering project manager for Las Vegas’ public works department and the city’s trails expert. “This will connect Stewart to Charleston, where a bridge similar to the 900-foot steel truss bridge we just completed over Lamb will be built.”

The completion of that section will mean bicyclists and pedestrians will be able to travel from the corner of Tropical Parkway and Valley Drive in North Las Vegas to the Clark County Wetlands Park, 7050 Wetlands Park Lane, with only a few street crossings.

Many of the busy streets can be avoided by new bridges, including the half-mile bridge that crosses Losee Road, the railroad tracks and Interstate 15 just north of the Cheyenne Avenue exit. Other streets can be crossed via traffic controls, such as crossing islands that allow bicyclists and pedestrians to deal with one direction of traffic at a time.

“We just put a pedestrian flasher on Washington,” Venglass said. “Those should help in shorter crossing areas where the cost of a bridge isn’t warranted.”

The plan is to connect the Flamingo Arroyo Trail and the Upper and Lower Las Vegas Wash Trails with the proposed Rim Trail circling the city. Other trails, including sections of trails running parallel to major highways, aren’t officially part of the Rim Trail but will aid in making a more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly system.

Many of the wash trails have already been marred by graffiti, vandalism and littering. The government jurisdictions where the trails are located have endeavored to keep ahead of the problems with assistance from the Outside Las Vegas Foundation.

“The governments are doing a great job with the resources they have,” said Rae Lathrop, associate director of the Outside Las Vegas Foundation. “We help out by coordinating volunteers for cleanup and painting projects.”

The foundation has operated an Adopt a Trail program in the city of Las Vegas for several years and expanded it to the city of North Las Vegas and Clark County last year. The foundation also set up special cleanup days for businesses and organizations that want to lend a hand. Individuals can sign up for organized cleanup and painting events, too.

“When we have enough interest, we’ll set a date and have the individuals show up at a location for a coordinated project,” Lathrop said. “We’ve noticed that when there’s a lot of graffiti and litter, it sometimes attracts other negative behavior. By keeping it clean, we help keep it safe.”

Lathrop pointed out that the trail runs near many schools and has become the preferred commuting path for a number of them.

There is a second element to the volunteer projects. Lathrop said volunteers are brought to the wash to get a glimpse of what the valley looked like long ago.

“Some people have trouble imagining rushing water in the valley,” she said. “But that’s one of the things you can see on many of the wash trails in many times of the year.”

The washes in the valley typically see a lot of water only during rainstorms, but many on the east side of the valley have a constant flow.

Many of the washes have an ecosystem, with fish, nesting birds and in some places, frogs and other creatures.

Until the Las Vegas Spring dried up in the middle of the 20th century, a vast marshy area was between downtown and the area that is now the Wetlands Park. Much of the current constant flow is runoff from over-watered lawns or golf courses.

In general, the streets drain into the washes, so while they create green ribbons of life along many trails, they’re also where trash and liquid waste from the streets end up. Much of it is alive and scenic from the vantage point of the trail.

“We urge the public to go out there and give it a try,” Venglass said. “Even if you don’t live near there, it’s worth a visit. It’s a nice ride along the wash.”

Individuals, businesses or groups that wish to volunteer to keep the trails clean can visit outsidelasvegas.org or call 702-997-3350.

Contact East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 702-380-4532.