Area Briefing

Improvements to curbs, gutters and sidewalks and the installation of banners have begun along sections of downtown designated for the Cultural Corridor Trail.

Lane closures and pedestrian detours should be expected on Casino Center Boulevard from Stewart Avenue to Bonanza Road, on Bonanza Road from Casino Center Boulevard to Las Vegas Boulevard and on Las Vegas Boulevard from Bonanza Road to Washington Avenue, the city of Las Vegas said.

The closures and detours are expected between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. for the next three months. Work near intersections that requires lane closures will be done between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., the city said.

The work will include installing sidewalk ramps, banner poles, stamped concrete sidewalk panels and concrete embellishments for 12 city blocks along the urban trail that leads to several cultural institutions.

The contractor is Preferred Contracting Inc. The city Department of Public Works is managing the project. Funding for the $461,544 in improvements is provided by the Bureau of Land Management through the sale of public lands as authorized by the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act.

Bonneville Avenue now one way

Bonneville Avenue is now operating as a one-way eastbound street between First Street and Las Vegas Boulevard, the city of Las Vegas said.

The change is part of the Bonneville/Clark One-Way Couplet Project, which continues to move closer to completion downtown. The $5 million project, which began in November, will make Bonneville Avenue permanently one-way eastbound and Clark Avenue one-way westbound between First Street and Las Vegas Boulevard.

New traffic signals have been turned to red flash mode at Bonneville Avenue and Third Street and Clark Avenue and Third Street to alert motorists to use caution when entering those intersections and treat them as all-way stops.

The project is scheduled to be completed in October. The city s Department of Public Works is managing it. The funding is provided by the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada.

New Traffic signal installed at Bonanza Road and Tonopah Drive

City of Las Vegas crews installed a traffic signal on Bonanza Road and Tonopah Drive, an intersection that sees roughly 22,000 vehicles per day, the city said.

The signal was installed to improve overall traffic operations at the Ward 5 intersection and in particular, for southbound left-turn traffic on Tonopah and crossing pedestrians.

The new signal cost $287,573 and was funded through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

Annual Peacekeepers Kids 5K to aid children of fallen officers

The Southern Nevada Police Athletic League plans to host its second annual Peacekeepers Kids 5K Sunday to benefit children of the department s fallen officers.

In 2009, the department lost four officers in the line of duty, organizers said.

The race is set to start and finish at Police Memorial Park, 3250 Metro Academy Way. Registration ranges from $15 to $40, depending on participants ages and how early they sign up.

The fee includes a commemorative T-shirt and food following the race. Commemorative T-shirts also will be sold at the race for $20.

Visit snpal.com or active.com to register and for information on signing up a team.

Race-day packet pickup is planned for 6-7:15 a.m., with participants set to leave the starting line at 8 a.m. Early pickup for race packets is planned from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the Metropolitan Police Department s Jerry Keller Training Center, 9880 W. Cheyenne Ave. For more information, call 671-3923 or e-mail m6297l@lvmpd.com.

Police target pedestrian safety, speeding in joint effort

Area law enforcement agencies are out on special patrols to make sure pedestrians are crossing streets safely and legally and motorists are paying attention to pedestrians using crosswalks.

The Metropolitan and Henderson police departments and the Nevada Highway Patrol are participating in the initiative, which started April 18 and is set to last through Monday.

Officers will target intersections with clearly marked crosswalks. Police in plain clothes will use crosswalks looking for motorists who are not yielding to pedestrians. Officers also will be looking for pedestrians who are not using crosswalks and crossing against traffic signals. Officers also will be using saturation patrols looking for speeders during this enhanced enforcement effort. Speeding was the cause of about 30 percent of all fatal accidents in the United States, according to National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

Also, from 2000 until 2007, there were 434 pedestrian fatalities statewide, according to the Nevada Department of Public Safety s Office of Traffic Safety.

State grant money will assist in funding the enforcement effort.

For more information, visit cityofhenderson.com/police, lvmpd.com or nhp.nv.gov.

Outdoor cleanups scheduled, tips provided to prevent wildfires

The Clark County Fire Department is partnering with local, federal and state agencies to support Nevada Wildfire Awareness Week, which began May 1 and runs through Sunday.

Nevada Wildfire Awareness Week is held each year to build awareness about the potential for wildfires during the spring and summer, when vegetation is driest and more prone to wildland fires in areas such as Mount Charleston.

Fire officials recommend the following tips to reduce the threat of wildfires:

— Clear vegetation and debris around your home to limit the potential amount of fire fuel.

— Properly soak and dispose of cigarette butts, charcoal briquettes and similar materials that can start fires.

— Adhere to posted fire restrictions in U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management areas in Southern Nevada, including Red Rock National Recreation Area and Mount Charleston.

— Equip all-terrain vehicles and similar vehicles with spark arrestors.

— Use fireworks labeled with a safe and sane seal from June 28 until July 4, when fireworks are legal under Clark County code. Legal fireworks include sparklers and fireworks that keep to a small, circular area on the ground and don t explode in the air. Illegal fireworks include firecrackers, roman candles and sky rockets or any item with highly combustible materials.

— If you are warned that a wildland fire is threatening your area, listen to your battery-operated radio for reports and evacuation information. Follow the instructions of local officials.

As part of Nevada Wildfire Awareness Week, the Nevada Fire Safe Council and various chapters have organized several events in rural areas to encourage residents to clean out hazardous brush and debris from areas around their homes.

— Mount Charleston/Kyle Canyon community curbside chipping is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at Kyle Canyon. All Kyle Canyon residents are urged to clear up branches and limbs knocked down by winter storms and haul them to the curb.

— A Logandale Volunteer Fire Station open house is set for 4:30-7:30 p.m. Friday at Clark County Logandale Fire Station 73, 3570 Lyman St., in Logandale/Overton. The community is invited to meet fire professionals and view equipment used to help fight wildfires. Participating agencies include the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the Metropolitan Police Department and the Clark County Fire Department. The open house will include two fundraisers. Money raised from the sales will go toward volunteer efforts within the department, including training opportunities, uniforms and assistance to local families displaced by fires.

— A Mountain Springs community cleanup day and barbecue is set for 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Mountain Springs Fire Station near mile marker 21 on State Route 160.

— A Cold Creek community cleanup and potluck is set for 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Cold Creek Fire Station on Camp Bonanza Road in Cold Creek, west of Lee Canyon.

For more information about wildfire safety, visit livingwithfire.info. For information about the events, contact Kim Otero at 496-4114 or kimq@nvfsc.org.