Southern Nevada is a popular area drawing millions of tourists and visitors every year. That equates to a lot of traffic both in and around town. The City of Henderson has taken steps to manage this problem, but many wonder if it’s enough. As the City continues to look for better ways to regulate traffic, it’s important to analyze where the problem stems from. Read this to learn about traffic causes in Henderson, whether it’s gotten better or worse, and where we are heading for the future.
Traffic Analysis: Causes of Our Traffic
The causes of our traffic is essentially the same as many other big cities, population growth, only exacerbated by the sheer number of people traveling here. With an economy so heavily dependent on the hospitality industry, and now that Henderson is becoming a sports mecca, we see millions of visitors pass over our streets. When you combine tourists with road construction projects, intersection congestion, pedestrian traffic, and other factors, traffic is bound to grow.
Is Traffic Better or Worse Than Pre-Pandemic Levels?
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that during the pandemic, traffic dropped drastically. We were all in our homes waiting out COVID, with most businesses shut down. This, along with travel restrictions, was a heavy hit to our economy but resulted in much less traffic.
Our economy is growing again, but we have also seen a significant traffic increase from the pre-pandemic days. One analysis even found that Vegas traffic was up by 76%. This results in 28 hours lost per year due to congestion. It doesn’t help that local speeds can be as low as 20 mph in zones where it could be much faster.
How is the City of Henderson Regulating Traffic Growth?
The State of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Henderson are all vested in solutions to this issue and have taken steps to get traffic growth under control. The Nevada Department of Transportation conducted a systemwide traffic study of the Las Vegas metro area to identify congestion points, evaluate alternatives, and formulate solutions to the problem. A great deal of this study focused on a cost-benefit analysis and recommended refined signal timings and route builds.
The City of Henderson has put in place innovative ways to improve or reduce motor vehicle traffic. For instance, they initiated a policy for calming traffic on public and private roadways with vertical deflections. This is a solution for citizens concerned about speeding or cut-through traffic. Henderson also promotes the cultivation of “Bicycle Friendly Businesses” rewarding local employers who cultivate a bicycling culture at their workplace. And the City makes it easy to report traffic violations with this 24-hour hotline: 702-267-5099 (keep it handy!)
Traffic Engineering is responsible for the traffic flow through our streets and permits for events that would require street closures. A large part of traffic delays come from damaged roads. Citizens can report this damage to Traffic Services Maintenance for repair. They also make sure the City’s traffic lights are working properly.
Looking to the Future
We are on the right track, but we can always do more. This is why it’s important to vote for someone who will prioritize traffic control. Contact Vote4TrishNash to learn more about my history of service in Henderson.