LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — As we continue the Fight for Safer Streets here on Channel 13, one of the things we hear all the time from police is that speeding is one of the leading causes of deadly crashes on our roadways, and we hear from you that you see people speeding constantly all over the valley.
Because of that, the City of Las Vegas is working to push back on speeding. On Thursday, the city's Traffic and Parking Commission will vote on a proposal to lower the speed limit on a nearly three mile stretch of Centennial Parkway in the Northwest Valley, which includes in front of Centennial High School.
Northwest Las Vegas reporter Guy Tannenbaum talks to locals to see what they think about the proposal:
Northwest Las Vegas local Shawne Fairley tells me she worries about her kids getting to and from school every day.
"People are driving fast through here — I know it's kind of downhill, but it's still scary," Fairley said. "I don't even let my kids walk — we don't live too far, but I don't let them walk just because I'm worried someone might be distracted or going too fast and might hit them."
Right now, the speed limit on Centennial Parkway is 45 miles per hour, but northwest local John Carpenter tells me he sees drivers blowing past that all the time.
"Yeah, way above 45!" Carpenter said. "I've seen officers on both sides of the street pulling people over."
That's exactly why the City of Las Vegas is proposing lowering the speed limit on Centennial Parkway from Shaumber Road all the way to Grand Montecito Parkway:
- From 45 to 30 miles per hour from Shaumber to Hualapai (the segment in front of Centennial High school)
- From 45 to 40 miles per hour between Hualapai and Durango
- From 45 to 35 between Durango and Grand Montecito
Locals I spoke with on Wednesday afternoon are on board with the city's idea.
"Lowering it, I think, would be a good idea, just to make it more safe," Fairley said. "You hear about a lot of accidents and stuff in the area, and speed sometimes plays a big factor in that."
"They need to lower the speed limit and put some blinking lights, that would make drivers stop and slow down, because they don't have crossing guards [in front of Centennial High School]," Carpenter said.
If the proposal is approved on Thursday, it's not clear yet when the speed limit reductions would take effect.
However, city documents say a traffic study of Centennial Parkway showed lowering the speed limit will improve road safety after the amount of traffic on the busy thoroughfare has skyrocketed due to the rapid growth of the northwest valley.
I'll be at Las Vegas City Hall for the vote on Thursday afternoon and will have more from the city on how lowering the speed limit on Centennial Parkway is part of their broader Vision Zero Action Plan to save lives on our roadways.
In the meantime, if there's something going on in the northwest valley that you think I should know about, send it to me via email: Guy.Tannenbaum@KTNV.com.
