Upper and Lower Wash trails’ construction moving smoothly

As part of 600 miles of trails around the valley, the Upper Las Vegas Wash Trail near East Centennial Parkway and North Lawrence Street is the newest trail head in North Las Vegas, completed in September.

North Las Vegas planning manager Johanna Murphy said that because most people do not know the boundaries of each city, it made more sense for the county, North Las Vegas, Las Vegas and Henderson to build a regional trail system together.

North Las Vegas has 10 miles of regional trail constructed between the Upper and Lower Las Vegas Wash, Murphy said. Another three miles of the trail is under construction to connect with the county's trail and expected to be completed in mid-2013.

"The city's total system is 70 miles of trails, so we've only just begun," Murphy said.

A major development is neontonature.org, which hosts information on all trail routes in the valley.

"When you had to go to the North Las Vegas website and the Henderson website, it was very onerous, so we created this one website," Murphy said. The website, which launched in October 2011, locates nearby trails based on addresses and can filter based on difficulty of the hike.

The trail head near East Centennial Parkway and North Lawrence Street includes playgrounds, lighting, restrooms and drinking facilities. It is the first trail head with these amenities in North Las Vegas, Murphy said.

Aaron Hitzeman, a meteorologist with the U.S. Air Force, said he uses the trail three times a week because it is near his house. He typically runs two miles. He moved to North Las Vegas in July from Florida and said he likes the trail because it is quiet and peaceful.

Murphy said residents often used to ask how far they had gone on a trail, which is why the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Commission decided to include quarter-mile trail markers that can be used as more trails are developed. The trails are also color-coded. Red and yellow markings represent the Upper Wash, and green and yellow mark the Lower Wash.

Funding came from the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act, she added.

Fran Cherry retired and moved from Portland, Ore., where she would bike to and from work, she said. While she uses the trail often, she said she does not think the trails are connected properly yet. She raised safety concerns about having to get off her bike and cross major streets at a crosswalk instead of being able to use a pedestrian bridge.

"Somebody that's planning this is not a biker," Cherry said. "We call it our private bike path. I think it's terrific; it's really nice to have it off road." Still, she said she does not like that she cannot follow the wash without crossing major streets. Cherry usually cycles between 13 and 14 miles, she said.

"Where I come from, Portland, anything that is planned is planned with bike accessibility," she said.

Murphy responded that pedestrian bridges are planned in upcoming construction. She acknowledged that the layout can be an inconvenience to bicyclists but that it's a planning challenge.

"It's a challenge because most of the streets were here first," Murphy said.

In January, the district plans to release its third set of numbers that measure the use on the new trails using infrared counters on certain trails. In October 2011, the trails measured an average of 1,000 users a week on the Lower Las Vegas Wash Trail. When the use was reported again in April, after the website was advertised, the trail saw an increase of 600 users a week. The highest use is during the week and not on the weekends, Murphy said. She said the statistics led her to believe people use the trails to commute to school and work.

"To know there's 1,600 residents using the trail each week is very motivating to keep moving on it," Murphy said.

The trail head and park at East Centennial Parkway and North Lawrence Street are open from 5 a.m. to midnight and accommodates skaters, walkers, joggers and cyclists.

Contact Centennial and North Las Vegas View reporter Laura Phelps at lphelps@viewnews.com or 702-477-3839.