Readers vent about I-15 toll idea

Arizona's recent proposal to place toll booths on about 30 miles through the northwest corner of the state has garnered plenty of attention and mostly criticism from readers. We have a couple of follow-up questions from readers we will address right now.

William has this: Having seen a few stories about Arizona authorities wanting to make I-15 through the northwest corner of the state a toll road I have been "thinking outside the box." I understand that Arizona has no income generating activities in this area. I would propose that Arizona cede this territory to Nevada, Utah, or a combination of the two. Of course the gaining state or states would have to accept maintenance responsibility for the highway but that might be offset by some commercial activity in the area. Is there any chance of this being considered?

Others shared the same question, so we took it to the Nevada Department of Transportation to see whether it is being considered. The short answer is, no, for the reasons that William stated. No state has the money and therefore the willingness to take over and maintain that portion of Interstate 15.

According to NDOT spokeswoman Michelle Booth, the agency is working closely with the Utah and Arizona departments of transportation and the Federal Highway Administration to come up with solutions other than tolling the interstate.

"Right now we are just looking at other options besides tolling that portion of the I-15 or having Arizona cede that portion of their property to us," Booth said. "There are still no specific details as to what other options exist, funding is the main issue right now, as it has been for a while ."

We'll keep you posted.

Jim wants his opinion heard: Is there an address or number we can call to lodge our opposition to Arizona's plan to make Interstate 15 a toll road?

Arizona officials and the Federal Highway Administration initially said it was too early in the process to accept public comment . If the state decides to charge for using Interstate 15, it would not go into effect for several years. We were able to dig up this website, however, which allows concerned citizens to air their opinions: https://wwwa.azdot.gov/comments/public_private_partnerships/comment.asp.

A concerned reader asks: Why doesn't the city of Henderson install a pedestrian crossing signal at Anthem Parkway and Hayden Creek Terrace? Other thoroughfares have signals. Anthem Parkway curves at Hayden Creek and it is very difficult to cross safely. Henderson police who responded to an accident recently agreed there should be a signal at this intersection. Are there any plans?

Henderson city spokeswoman Kathleen Richards said the public works division studied that intersection in 2009 and determined that traffic volumes did not warrant a signal. Because this was brought to the city's attention, the division will review accident statistics to determine whether there has been a spike and reconsider the possibility of installing a signal.

Irene is tired of the traffic: Can you give me some information about what is going on at the intersection of Sahara Avenue and Boulder Highway and below? There are terrible traffic jams, particularly in the evenings. The work appears to start and then stop for long periods of time. Additionally, Glen Avenue is blocked off and there is no work going on there. Any information that you can provide would be helpful. If I understood better what is going on, I think that I and others would be less frustrated.

This is for you, Irene, and Frank, who expressed similar concerns about this intersection. Clark County is making improvements to the storm drain below Boulder Highway from Sahara Avenue to the Flamingo Wash and on Sahara between Boulder Highway and Glen Avenue. The $9 million project that began in March includes installing concrete box storm drains, culverts, pavement, markings and signage. The county expects to have the project finished before spring.

Steve would like a morning ride: Why don't the Regional Transportation Commission's Strip and Downtown express routes run during the morning rush? Isn't the whole idea to lure people out of their cars?

In an effort to become more efficient with its transit hours, the Regional Transportation Commission opted last year to do away with the early morning routes on the Downtown and Strip express lines. The ridership was about one-third of what it is later in the day when peak hours span from 9:30 a.m. until just after midnight.

The Deuce still services the Strip in the early morning hours and runs more frequently to compensate for the reduced early morning routes on the express lines. The Deuce travels from downtown to the South Strip Transfer Terminal, and that ride is faster in the early hours because there is less traffic on the resort corridor. Because the Deuce has more frequent stops, it serves more riders needing to access properties on the Strip.

The Centennial Hills and Westcliff Airport express lines still run in the early morning hours. The Centennial Hills line goes from downtown to Spring Mountain Road and the Strip, then off to Howard Hughes Parkway and UNLV. The Westcliff line stops downtown and then on Tropicana Avenue on the Strip before heading to McCarran International Airport.

Contact reporter Adrienne Packer at apacker@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904.