BLM to begin transit planning for Red Rock
The Bureau of Land Management will hold an open house Thursday to launch the process for developing a transportation plan for Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
The draft plan alternatives, expected to be released for comment in October 2012, could include expanding parking lots in the national conservation area or providing a shuttle bus service or doing nothing to ease gridlock that sometimes occurs in the popular, scenic park west of Las Vegas.
"Once we've chosen an alternative, we'll determine how to implement it through funding, and maintain it," said Lee Kirk, Red Rock's supervisory outdoor recreation planner.
A final decision on alternatives is expected in March 2013.
The open house runs from 2 to 7 p.m. with presentations at 2:10 p.m. and 6:10 p.m. Thursday at the canyon's visitors center. Entrance fees will be waived for visitors attending the sessions.
"The study will build upon previous efforts over the past decade to identify and address congestion, parking, and other transportation issues. It will consider a range of multimodal alternatives, including transit and nonmotorized alternatives, as a means to improve access and mobility," according to a BLM news release.
In 1999, a Sierra Club member floated an idea to shuttle visitors on buses through the 13-mile scenic loop from a parking area somewhere off West Charleston Boulevard.
The BLM has an interagency agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation's Volpe National Transportation Systems Center to conduct the Red Rock Canyon study. During Thursday's sessions, the Volpe center's team will present objectives, key activities and a schedule for the project.
More than 1 million people visit Red Rock Canyon each year. The 195,819-acre national conservation area is located 17 miles west of the Strip on Route 159.
Other than the 13-mile scenic drive, the park features more than 30 miles of hiking trails, in addition to rock climbing, horseback riding, mountain biking, picnic areas and road bicycling.
Contact reporter Keith Rogers at
krogers@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0308.
