Las Vegas City Wire

The city of Las Vegas is taking significant steps to enhance traffic safety through its Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate fatal and severe crashes by 2050. This strategy focuses on reducing the severity of accidents rather than preventing all crashes.

Traffic calming treatments such as mini-roundabouts, speed cushions, and standard roundabouts are recognized by the Federal Highway Administration as effective measures for improving road safety. These interventions reduce conflict points from 32 to 8, thereby decreasing crash severity.

A case study on Cimarron Avenue demonstrates the effectiveness of these measures. Mini-roundabouts were installed in response to concerns about speeding between Sahara and Oakey avenues. Despite a posted speed limit of 25 mph, drivers frequently exceeded it, reaching speeds of 40 mph. The road's design includes only one lane in each direction, a center turn lane, bike lanes, and homes with driveways directly adjacent to the street.

Residents had raised alarms about these speeding issues. As a result of installing mini-roundabouts at intersections along this stretch, vehicle speeds decreased significantly from 40 mph to 26 mph between intersections.

Las Vegas continues testing and evaluating various traffic safety devices as part of its commitment to public safety. Vision Zero is not solely focused on preventing crashes but also aims at reducing their severity through methods recommended by federal authorities.

When considering the effectiveness of mini-roundabouts compared to standard ones, both serve similar purposes: reducing conflict points and slowing down traffic. The main difference lies in size due to available roadway space. Roundabout implementation requires careful planning based on factors like traffic volume and adjacent land use.

The project on Cimarron Avenue was completed using existing materials with city crews performing the work themselves—keeping costs low at an estimated $100,000 for three roundabouts including ongoing maintenance.

Cimarron Avenue was selected partly due to an upcoming storm drain project that will provide an opportunity for permanent installations if data from this pilot proves favorable regarding speed reduction impacts alongside community feedback.