Scores gather to ask that F and D streets remain open

Minnie Celia Noble had a cold and a hard time speaking.

The 77-year-old who has lived on D Street for 15 years opposes the recent closure of F Street, which was planned by the city of Las Vegas and the Nevada Department of Transportation as part of the Interstate 15 north widening project.

When Noble learned that the plan called for cutting off D Street between Wilson Avenue and Bonanza Road, she stood — with help from a Las Vegas marshal and a walker — and bellowed with as much voice as she could muster: “Why cut off our access?”

As Noble spoke, the murmuring of 150 or so West Las Vegans quieted. They gathered at the Doolittle Community Center on Wednesday night to hear Las Vegas City Councilman Ricki Barlow’s plan to keep D Street open.

There were soon shouts of support for Noble who asked that both F and D streets remain open.

Like Noble, many of those gathered have been fighting the F Street closure for months. Residents believe the city is trying to segregate historically black West Las Vegas, generally bordered by Carey Avenue, Bonanza Road, I-15 and Rancho Drive, from the downtown area. They were also surprised to learn that D Street will soon be cut off under the current plans of the $240 million interstate widening project.

The current project calls for a D Street/F Street connector. Using this connector, West Las Vegas traffic on D Street would move south under Interstate 15, hook west onto Wilson Avenue and pour out onto F Street at the intersection with Bonanza Road.

The plans also call for a cul-de-sac on D Street where the connector curves from D Street to Wilson.

Barlow is sponsoring a plan to redesign the connector so north and south access on D Street, from Bonanza Road to West Las Vegas, will remain open.

Many at the meeting seemed suspicious of the plan and believed the city was trying to placate opponents of the F Street closure with Barlow’s plan.

During his presentation, Barlow had to endure a number of shouts from the crowd including, “They’re trying to pacify us,” and “We don’t like it.”

Rev. R.W. Smith of Tried Stone Baptist Church said he wants to “stop it all,” referring to the street closures. “They are trying to pacify the people by opening D Street, but it doesn’t solve the F Street problem.”

West Las Vegan Hermanell Moody echoed that. “Don’t compromise our position on F Street by accepting (this plan) on D Street,” the 55-year-old woman said.

Barlow’s plan is budgeted for $507,000. Engineers will have to redesign the street connector and probably delay that part of the interstate project for a short time.

The Las Vegas City Council will vote on the measure Feb. 4. Barlow said he will support it.

Barlow said he felt many of those gathered at Wednesday’s meeting want D Street to remain open and the road improved. He said his plan will accomplish both. “It’s the right thing to do,” Barlow said.

The lawsuit filed by two West Las Vegas residents and neighborhood groups seeking to stop the I-15 project until F Street is reopened has been moved from state to federal court.

The lawsuit contends that the transportation department and the city did not adequately inform residents of the closures. State transportation officials say they met all legal requirements.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904.