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Las Vegas Councilman Ricki Y. Barlow, representatives of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Las Vegas Bike Club, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC), the Bikes Belong coalition of bike-industry retailers and suppliers and Interbike, its industry tradeshow partner, as well as others, plan to celebrate the completion of a bike lane installation project on J Street, between Washington and Carey Avenue.
The group, known as the Ward 5 Bicycle Coalition, is planning the celebration in conjunction with International Walk To School Day as a way to promote safe walking and bicycling throughout the year. The celebration is planned for 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, at Matt Kelly Elementary School, inside the multipurpose room, located at 1900 J Street. Speakers will include Ward 5 Councilman Ricki Y. Barlow and representatives of the RTC and Bikes Belong. Bikes Belong and Interbike will present a $10,000 check to the city of Las Vegas for the installation of new bike lanes on J Street. The RTC is matching the bike industry’s contribution by providing another $10,000 to the city’s effort to build more bikes lanes in the city. During the event, students will be encouraged to use the new bike lanes. A drawing will also be held and two lucky students will win a raffle prize of a new bike, courtesy of the Ward 5 Bicycle Coalition. At the conclusion of the event, students will ride through the new bike lanes, signifying the completion of the project.
“The goal of the Ward 5 Bicycle Coalition is to make Las Vegas a more bicycle-friendly city and these grants are helping us to do just that,” said Barlow, who represents Ward 5. “Our next project is to install bike lanes on H Street, between Bonanza Road and Lake Mead Boulevard. When completed, we’ll have bike lanes that will directly connect to three public elementary schools and one public swimming pool, and that is something we have never had before.”
Elizabeth Train, grants and research director at Bikes Belong, said, “Bikes Belong and Interbike are so pleased to support this lanes project in Ward 5. The bike industry comes to Las Vegas for our trade show every year, and we’re thrilled to be able to give back to the community and improve conditions for bicycling here.”
City staffers from the Public Works Department Traffic Division are installing the bike lanes. A portion of the $20,000 in grants is being used to purchase materials for the new bike lane markings and signs. In addition, the city’s Field Operations Department is using a portion of the grant funds to partially cover the costs to slurry seal H Street. This will allow a new striping plan to be implemented on H Street to fit the new bike lanes, while still maintaining parking lanes and the necessary travel lanes.
The $10,000 grant by Bikes Belong and Interbike is part of a plan to invest more than $50,000 during the next two years to improve bicycling conditions in the trade show’s host city, Las Vegas.
The city of Las Vegas should also receive $100,000 in stimulus funds to complete more bike lane projects in Las Vegas locations that meet specific funding criteria. Two of the projects will take place in Ward 5.
“We have an ambitious bike lane program on the drawing board for Ward 5,” Barlow said. “And if all goes as planned, that program should become a reality in the not-too-distant future.”
Who: Las Vegas Councilman Ricki Y. Barlow, representatives of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Las Vegas Bike Club, the RTC, Bikes Belong, Matt Kelly Elementary School Principal Patricia Harris, students and others.
What: Celebrate International Walk to School Day and the completion of new bike lanes on J Street.
When: 1 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 7.
Where: Matt Kelly Elementary School multipurpose room located at 1900 J Street.
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