RTC working on service to new VA hospital

The Department of Veterans Affairs is preparing to open its new VA hospital in North Las Vegas, and because the new facility is farther from the center of the city than the existing clinics, some veterans have expressed concern over public transit. A veteran named Seamus is going to kick off today’s column and hopefully his question and our answer will ease these concerns.

Myself and other veterans receive our health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Our new medical center is moving toward opening this June with the specialty clinics moving in and starting to receive patients at that point in time. Besides being a veteran I am also an employee and will be in the new facility come this summer when my clinic moves from its present location.

I have asked repeatedly about when and where RTC bus routes will be that will allow veterans to make their way to the new facility where no current bus service is available near Interstate 215 and Pecos Road. We serve over 46,000 veterans here in Southern Nevada. I know there is service being planned but could you get the heads-up on it and maybe see what those anticipated routes might be and when they expect service to begin? That would be great.

The Regional Transportation Commission recently received a Veterans Transportation & Community Living grant to help implement a veterans medical transportation network, according to RTC spokeswoman Tracy Bower. The agency plans to launch the network with the opening of the new clinic. The network will allow veterans and their families to call one number to schedule shared rides to and from the clinic, much like the agency’s paratransit service.

Bower said that the RTC is still figuring out how best to use the grant funding and that details, such as the cost of the ride, have yet to be ironed out. More information about the service will become available in the coming weeks, and I’ll be sure to share that with you.

Judy asks: Is there any indication that a traffic light will be installed in the intersection of Fort Apache and Sunset roads? There are a hospital and businesses at that intersection and the traffic is always heavy. Since so many people do not know the rules of a four-way stop, a traffic light would be a great help.

Impressive timing, Judy. Clark County public works officials held a pre-bidding conference on this very intersection Tuesday. Yes, they will do away with the four-way stop and install traffic signals. The work that will go out to bid also includes storm drain modifications, widening the roads, installing curbs, gutters and sidewalks, and landscaping.

This caller is frustrated: I ride my scooter to work in the early morning hours and I have to wait and wait for a car to pull up behind me to trigger the traffic signal. Can I run the red light? Do you know what I’m supposed to do to change the light?

First off, no, you cannot run the red light. You might be frustrated, but it’s certainly not worth risking your life or receiving a ticket.

This is what the Freeway and Arterial System of Transportation (FAST) had to say about the matter. Most intersections in the valley are equipped with traffic signals that have loops or video sensors that send a message to the signal. The sensors are designed to detect scooters, though they are much smaller and lighter than motorcycles or vehicles.

FAST engineers suggest that you stop just behind the solid white “stop bar” at the intersection and center your scooter on the line. This should help change the signal. If the problem persists, give me a holler back, and the folks at FAST said they would go check it out.

Steve asks: Now that the Paradise Road airport access south of Tropicana Avenue has been widened and resurfaced, what is the plan to reapply the color-coded lane markings to match the overhead signage? Without fail, every time I approach the airport from this direction I see some poor soul driving 5 mph trying to navigate their way thorough the maze of ramps undoubtedly searching for the lane markings that aren’t there.

The days of the color-coded markers embedded in the asphalt are gone, Steve. The markers have faded over the years, and McCarran officials decided a while back that they weren’t going to be part of their future sign plans.

The airport is preparing to install overhead signs leading to the new Terminal 3, slated to open in the summer, that will inform motorists of which airlines are housed at which terminal. They will also direct motorists to arrivals, departures and various parking areas.

Larry is experiencing a different type of distracted driving: Can you provide information regarding the project at Yates Well Road in California west of the Primm golf courses? There appears to be three towers leading up into the Clark Mountain Range with a set amount of acreage dedicated to some sort of staking. It’s a distraction while driving between Nevada and California.

This is the first large-scale solar thermal project built in California in the past 20 years, according to BrightSource, the company building the project on about six square miles of land just south of Primm and about five miles from the state border.

According to BrightSource’s Website, the company’s plant will generate enough electricity to supply power to 140,000 homes. The company is nearly finished with the first phase and has already started the second phase of the project.

If you have a question, tip or tirade, call Adrienne Packer at 702-387-2904, or send an email to roadwarrior@reviewjournal.com. Include your phone number.