IN RESPONSE: Don’t blame jaywalkers for the carnage on Boulder Highway

In his Oct. 8 letter, Bill Franz of Henderson draws much-needed attention to the perils pedestrians face along Boulder Highway. But while he highlights the problem, he places an-all-too-familiar blame on jaywalkers instead of where it should be: on poor street design.

While poor street design is endemic across the Las Vegas Valley, Boulder Highway stands as a supreme example. The first problem lies in its name. It’s a highway. Highways, by their very nature, are not intended for use by pedestrians and bicyclists. Secondly, it’s designed to be a highway. It has large sections designed with eight smooth, level, straight lanes with no traffic-calming design features. The normal traffic flow along Boulder Highway regularly exceeds the posted 45 mph speed limit because the road is designed to for traffic at 60 mph. It is an incredibly fast, efficient corridor for automobile traffic.

But despite being designed for automobiles, Boulder Highway provides the illusion of safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, complete with crosswalks and bicycle lanes. Boulder Highway was a part of my daily bicycle commute for more than a year, and I never felt remotely safe. I rode along the marked bicycle lanes while cars blasted by me at 60-plus mph with only a 3-foot cushion of air separating us. I used the flashing light crosswalks that most Las Vegas drivers ignore unless you have the nerve to take the first step into the street and assert your rights under local traffic law. I even once pedaled right by a dead pedestrian, only moments earlier covered by the on-scene coroner.

Despite all of the markings and signs that may suggest otherwise, Boulder Highway is not at all safe for bicyclists or pedestrians. The provided markings and signs make it only more dangerous, essentially inviting them to die there.

Boulder Highway is also a compelling example of how poor street design impacts lower-income populations. Boulder Highway is built right through some of the valley’s most economically challenged communities. A much larger portion of this population depends on public transport, walking and cycling than is typical elsewhere in the valley. Despite this, this area is woefully lacking of accommodations for this population.

For a large portion of the people who live in this area, Boulder Highway may as well be a giant wall right through their community. Even if drivers all followed the posted 45 mph speed limit, a collision with a pedestrian at that speed is almost certain to be fatal. Even if all drivers actually stopped at flashing crosswalk signs, a crosswalk can be surprisingly elusive along Boulder Highway. It is common to find segments exceeding 2,000 feet between crosswalks. Between Flamingo and Indios is a 3,000-foot segment.

To simply walk across the street for a loaf of bread, pedestrians may find themselves adding a mile to their round-trip commute in order to use a crosswalk. Even for a healthy person, an extra mile is more than a moderate inconvenience. For the many residents in this area with poor health, mobility challenges and small children in tow, an extra mile in one of the hottest cities on the planet can make jaywalking feel like the only option available.

We need to redesign our streets. We need to lower our speed limits. We need to end the automobile’s monopoly over America’s streets and public spaces.

Eric D. McCammond writes from Las Vegas.