Pedestrian death horror story sparks Nevada road improvements
It was difficult to watch.
And it might have been the first time evidence prepared for a public state meeting required a disclaimer warning viewers that what they were about to see was disturbing.
A video camera captured what may have been the last moments of life for Vincent Yowell, who was struck twice by cars as he crossed a Reno street within a crosswalk across from the Bonanza Casino.
It took that startling video, some pointed accusations and the death to move the state toward dedicating $10 million in highway funds for pedestrian safety improvements in Clark and Washoe counties.
The Nevada Transportation Department board approved the funding but not before a visibly shaken Gov. Brian Sandoval sought answers from the department about why it took more than 10 years to respond to inquiries from Bonanza General Manager Ryan Sheltra about getting something done.
“I can’t even articulate how sick to my stomach I am that this has happened,” said Sandoval, who said he knew Yowell. “This is one of those days that I can’t tell you the depth of my disappointment.”
Preliminary data from the state show nine pedestrian deaths — nearly double the number at this time a year ago — on Nevada roads since the beginning of 2015. Annual pedestrian fatalities jumped from 35 in 2009 to 68 in 2014.
While Clark County has seen the most of those pedestrian deaths, the outrage has been louder in Washoe County.
And may be longer.
Sheltra said he first alerted NDOT officials about crosswalk problems in front of his casino in 2006.
Using video captured from the Bonanza’s security cameras, Sheltra produced a montage of accidents and near misses on North Virginia Street where traffic coming off U.S. Highway 395 is supposed to drop to 40 mph.
Most of the time, traffic is going 50 mph or more, but worse, motorists ignore the flashing warning lights triggered by pedestrians using the crosswalk, Sheltra said.
Sheltra took the video to the Reno City Council and gained the support of Mayor Hillary Schieve and Councilwoman Neoma Jardon, who attended Monday’s state transportation meeting.
Four different people have held the agency director’s position since Sheltra made his first appeal. He said current director, Rudy Malfabon, responded promptly to his most recent plea.
“I’ve seen more action on this in the last two weeks than I’ve seen in the last 10 years,” Sheltra told the board.
Malfabon believes the reason no action was taken earlier is that engineers, when alerted to a potential problem, undertake a traffic warrant study. If certain levels of traffic or unsafe circumstances exist, the matter is placed on a list of projects to address becuase there are more projects to do than money to spend. Warrant criteria are based on Federal Highway Administration standards.
Board member Tom Skancke criticized the policy of allowing warrant studies to guide the department to take action.
“Warrant studies are used to say why a project can’t happen,” he said. “The system produces a circle of horrible communication. The city takes its concerns to NDOT. NDOT takes their concerns to the Highway Administration. And the Highway Administration circles back to the city. It’s a system designed to say, ‘No,’ and nothing gets done.”
But on Monday, the board said, “Yes.” Unanimously.
The Reno outrage resulted in action for Southern Nevada as well. The $10 million in projects includes various traffic solutions: the installation of new traffic signals and the addition of new flashing-light warning systems, “bulb-outs” — curb extensions that narrow the street — and middle-of-the-street pedestrian refuge medians that include “Danish offsets.”
Four projects in Southern Nevada will include:
■ Boulder Highway at Sun Valley Drive, $300,000. A Danish offset, a pedestrian-accessible median island angled to enable the pedestrian to see oncoming traffic before crossing the other side of the roadway, and pedestrian-active warning lights are planned.
■ Charleston Boulevard, from Hillside Place to Burnham Avenue, $1.7 million. Bulb-out curb extensions and Danish offsets are planned at Hillside, Burnham and 17th and Lamont streets. Pedestrian fences and wireless pedestrian high-level flashing systems are planned.
■ Lake Mead Boulevard, from Civic Center Drive to Pecos Road, $4.5 million. The entire street will be redesigned with the “complete street” system to accommodate motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists with raised medians, narrower streets, wider sidewalks, mid-block crossings and flashing lights or traffic signals.
■ Blue Diamond Road at El Capitan Way and Fort Apache Road, $1.4 million. Traffic signals, pedestrian crossing signals and sidewalk improvements are planned.
Skancke said the $10 million in pedestrian safety improvements is a fraction of what’s needed.
The department might also devote more resources to publicize the “Zero Fatalities” education campaign directed at both motorists and pedestrians.
“Warning lights won’t help if a pedestrian doesn’t push the button to activate the system,” said Paul Kiser, the transportation agency’s manager of safety engineering.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Find him on Twitter: @RickVelotta.
