Rally poses traffic issues

Whenever hundreds of vehicles and dozens of buses unload passengers in a town with fewer than 1,000 people, traffic is bound to be a problem. It's magnified when few roads lead into town.

Welcome to the Tea Party Express stop in Searchlight.

The strategy of law enforcement officials and rally organizers for Saturday's noon event is basically to ensure attendees arrive and depart safely and to alleviate as much chaos as possible in town.

State Department of Transportation spokesman Bob McKenzie said his agency's primary concern is to keep traffic along U.S. Highway 95 moving smoothly. The rally site is a quarter-mile off the highway, potentially making it a logistical challenge to keep buses and vehicles from backing up at the side-road turnoff.

Up until that point, transportation officials don't foresee any major tie-ups, partly because U.S. 95 was widened to a four-lane divided road.

"I don't think it's going to be a problem," McKenzie said.

The department will place signs along the highway informing motorists of potential congestion and warning them not to park on the shoulder of the main thoroughfare.

Nevada Highway Patrol said troopers will respond to accidents and emergencies. The department had not determined whether it was necessary to place additional troopers on the road Saturday to handle the estimated 5,000 to 10,000 people attending the rally.

Tea Party organizers are urging attendees to arrive early. Three large chartered buses will leave for Searchlight from Harrah's Laughlin at 10 a.m. Levi Russell, the event organizer, said ample parking on the Searchlight rally site is available for those wishing to drive their own vehicles. Volunteers will help guide motorists to the parking areas.

Other groups chartered buses to take people from the Henderson Pavilion to Searchlight and then follow the Tea Party caravan back to an afternoon Tea Party related event in Henderson where political commentator Ann Coulter is speaking, but the departure point created problems. Motorists hoping to catch a ride from the Pavilion would have been prohibited from parking in the Pavilion lot.

The Pavilion was rented out by the Tea Party Express and bus charters were told the parking lot would be secured and spaces only reserved for those attending the Henderson event, according to Henderson Police spokesman Keith Paul.

Those interested in taking a chartered bus from the Las Vegas Valley to Searchlight can call 916-596-0299.

About 400 parking spaces are available at the Pavilion and about 2,000 people have already purchased tickets for the Henderson event. The parking constriction might pose a problem if the majority of the Searchlight tea partiers make their way to the Las Vegas Valley for the afternoon festivities.

A "pre-rally" is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., followed by Coulter's speech at 4:40 p.m. The caravan from the Searchlight rally is scheduled to arrive at 5 p.m.

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