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[gonealookin]

MOD NOTE: This post was split off from the general “California”  thread. –Roadfro

There's no thread for general comments about Nevada so I thought I'd bring this up here.  Lake Tahoe is mostly in California anyway, so, close enough.

In most of Nevada, either chains on the drive wheels or snow tires on all four make a vehicle legal when chain controls are in effect.  Starting this winter, on Tahoe-area roads US 50 (Stateline to Carson City), NV 207 Kingsbury Grade (Stateline to Carson Valley) and NV 431 Mt. Rose Highway (Incline Village to south Reno), snow tires on a two-wheel drive vehicle don't make it legal.  A two-wheel drive vehicle must don the chains in a chain control zone.  Only four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive vehicles are legal with snow tires and no chains.  The change brings these roads into conformity with California's R-2 chain control condition.

NDOT has changed the signage accordingly.



I'm not sure why they didn't include NV 28 from Incline Village to US 50 at Spooner Lake.  Here's the NDOT press release on this change.

https://www.nevadadot.com/Home/Components/News/News/4074/395

This upcoming winter is my tenth living full-time at Tahoe and I haven't installed chains once in that time.  The AWD Toyota RAV4 with Bridgestone Blizzaks is a very stable setup.  I have the Blizzaks mounted on separate rims so it's 45 minutes at the tire store in early November and the middle of April; since that's the same store where I bought the tires and rims they do the swap for free.

[roadfro]

There's no thread for general comments about Nevada . . .

Taking a cue from the Northwest and Mountain West boards, I’ve been thinking about having general “state”  topics for the Pacific Southwest board. This comment gave me the perfect reason to go ahead and implement it, so thanks!

I’ve made this thread a sticky for random observations or questions relating to Nevada. Moving forward, if a topic in this thread starts delving into detailed/extended conversation, I’ll likely split that discussion off to a more dedicated thread.

–Roadfro

[roadfro]

In most of Nevada, either chains on the drive wheels or snow tires on all four make a vehicle legal when chain controls are in effect.  Starting this winter, on Tahoe-area roads US 50 (Stateline to Carson City), NV 207 Kingsbury Grade (Stateline to Carson Valley) and NV 431 Mt. Rose Highway (Incline Village to south Reno), snow tires on a two-wheel drive vehicle don't make it legal.  A two-wheel drive vehicle must don the chains in a chain control zone.  Only four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive vehicles are legal with snow tires and no chains.  The change brings these roads into conformity with California's R-2 chain control condition.

NDOT has changed the signage accordingly.



I'm not sure why they didn't include NV 28 from Incline Village to US 50 at Spooner Lake.  Here's the NDOT press release on this change.

https://www.nevadadot.com/Home/Components/News/News/4074/395

I had heard something briefly about chain controls changing, but never saw this press release. Thanks for sharing. Seems like a positive change.

I’m with you on SR 28...seems like it should be included with the others. I wonder if it has to do with SR 28 having less elevation change–it’s relatively flat (being mostly along the lake shore) compared to the others (which all traverse major inclines and passes from Tahoe through the Sierra Nevada down to populated valleys). It might also be a result of far fewer recorded crashes than the other highways.

[gonealookin]

Thanks for the dedicated thread, roadfro, good idea.

I checked NV 28 today.  Since every state-maintained highway it connects to (CA 28, NV 431, US 50) now uses the California R-2 standard, I thought maybe it had somehow just been omitted from the NDOT release.  Nope, it still has the usual Nevada signage.



I keep track of this because, when chain controls are in effect, I know I'm in compliance.  If I'm in a crash, I'm looking at the other car to see if that one is legal as well.

[Kniwt]

I missed this back in late December:

https://elkodaily.com/news/local/state-raises-speed-limit-between-elko-and-wells/article_e0cc6575-2caa-5968-9df4-df8e04ff4c73.html

Traffic is moving faster between Elko and Wells these days. The speed limit on Interstate 80 has been raised from 75 to 80 miles per hour for most of the drive between the two Elko County towns.

Noticed this today because of this followup:

https://elkodaily.com/news/local/highway-patrol-strictly-enforcing-new-mph-speed-limit-in-elko/article_9cdb00dc-6aae-5a35-80e9-53a10a44ca51.html

“With the recent increase of the speed limit on additional sections of Interstate 80 in Nevada from 75 miles per hour to 80 miles per hour, we want to advise the motoring public that the Nevada Highway Patrol will be strictly enforcing the 80 miles per hour speed limit,”  the agency announced.

[ClassicHasClass]

Curious why some highways don't have a "Welcome to Nevada" sign at the state line? Border monuments are on the way!

Ask Joe: Why no "Welcome to Nevada" sign at Bordertown?, MyNews4, 11/30/18

Last year NDOT set out to replace all the "Welcome to Nevada" signs, the ones showing a lone prospector with new versions which were designed by Nevada high school students.

Most of those have been installed but in spots like Bordertown NDOT is designing what it calls gateway monuments like this to welcome people into the state. There will be six of the gateway monuments. Here in the North, they'll be installed at Bordertown, Topaz Lake and Crystal Bay up at Lake Tahoe.

Wow, one on each stateline crossing of US 395. Not bad.

[roadfro]

A bill currently proposed in the legislature will consider the possibility of automated enforcement cameras in Nevada.

Nevada lawmakers consider possibility of red light cameras, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2/19/19

On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on Growth and Infrastructure heard Senate Bill 43, which would allow law enforcement agencies to use traffic cameras to cite drivers who fail to stop at a red light. The bill was requested by the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety.

Current state law reads that if a camera is used, a law enforcement officer must be present and the device must be handheld or installed in a vehicle.
<...>
If the bill is signed into law, it would be up to each jurisdiction to decide whether to implement the technology.

The jurisdiction would have to show just cause to install a camera – for example, a high rate of crashes occurring at a specific intersection – and must provide proof that other measures had failed to deter the problem.
<...>
If the bill is passed into law, Nevada would become the 25th state to use automated traffic enforcement.

Automated traffic enforcement was outlawed in Nevada in 1999, citing technology concerns. A similar bill was heard during the 2009 Legislative session, but was shot down.

NELIS overview page on Senate Bill 43 (includes link to full text of bill).


While the article above seems to focus on red light cameras, the text of SB 43 indicates that automated enforcement devices could be used enforce the provisions of NRS 484B.300 (obedience to traffic control devices), NRS 484B.307 (traffic controlled by traffic control devices) or NRS 484B.600 (basic speed & speed limit rules).

Some other points, from reading the full text of the bill (as originally introduced):

• Jurisdictions must document for each location that either traditional enforcement measures have failed, there is a high violation rate of one of the three statutes mentioned, or high crash rate due to violations or one of the statutes.
• Installations must be to standards (yet to be developed) by NDOT, including a warning sign at least 300 feet in advance of any camera location and minimum yellow light time when enforcement cameras are used at intersections.
• Operation similar to other states (review by officer prior to sending notice to registered owner)
• Interestingly, violations and citations for these statutes issued via automated enforcement are not to be considered a moving traffic violation, are not to be recorded on a driver's DMV record, and automobile insurers may not increase rates nor cancel/refuse to re-insure a person's/group's rates based on automated enforcement violations.

[ClassicHasClass]

Of course, that last will just turn them into even more of a money grab than they are now, because now there wouldn't be any pretense of them actually improving safety. "Just send the city the money."

Not that I'm arguing for them!

[Plutonic Panda]

I sure hope they automated traffic enforcement bill dies a quick death!

[Kniwt]

The Elko Daily Free Press reports on what went wrong with the February snowstorm closure of the Lamoille Highway (NV 227), the only road connecting Elko and nearby Spring Creek (which now is almost as big as Elko itself). It mentions several possible improvements to the highway.

https://elkodaily.com/news/local/lamoille-summit-snow-closure-a-closer-look-at-what-went/article_51a91603-43a3-5256-a9fb-0ad47c02bce7.html

In the aftermath of the Feb. 13 snowstorm that led to car crashes and closure of Lamoille Highway, stranding Spring Creek residents, the Elko County Regional Transportation Commission is looking at emergency and long-term solutions.

Nevada Highway Patrol closed the highway over the summit on Feb. 13 because of “extreme whiteout conditions, drifting snow, stuck vehicles and crashes,”  trooper Jim Stewart said the day after the closure.

The closure snarled traffic on the east side of Elko as motorists turned around and sought motel rooms when they believed they wouldn’t make it home that night. The highway, however, was reopened later that night.

[roadfro]

A bill currently proposed in the legislature will consider the possibility of automated enforcement cameras in Nevada.

Nevada lawmakers consider possibility of red light cameras, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2/19/19

I sure hope they automated traffic enforcement bill dies a quick death!

Yesterday was the deadline for bills to make it out of committee in their original house.

SB 43 was heard in the Senate Growth & Infrastructure committee one time (2/19/19) but no action was taken. I don't see any further action (with me looking the morning after the deadline), although they could be slow on updating NELIS. But the early indication appears to be that the bill died in committee.

EDIT: Bill has died. Confirmed here: https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/2019-legislature/bill-to-end-executions-in-nevada-falls-short-1640252/

[ClassicHasClass]

Good riddance to bad policy.

[Plutonic Panda]

True that! I am glad to see that. Thank you for the update.

[SoCal Kid]

Is CC 215 the only CC freeway in the US?

[nexus73]

Is CC 215 the only CC freeway in the US?

Eugene has a short freeway called the Delta Highway, which runs from I-105 to SR 569 (Beltline Road).  I am not sure if it is a city or a county freeway but it is not a state or Interstate freeway.

Rick

[roadfro]

Is CC 215 the only CC freeway in the US?

Given the "CC" stands for "Clark County", I'm not aware of any other Clark Counties that have a freeway numbered 215... 

Doubtful that CC 215 is the only freeway maintained by a county agency in the US. But ISTR mention when it was first being planned that it was the first future interstate highway or beltway that was primarily planned/funded/constructed by a county agency (rather than a state DOT).

[Mark68]

Pena Blvd in Denver.

[mrsman]

IMO, while it is unique to have a county DOT fund a freeway, I am very glad that it is signed as well as it has.  IMO, every freeway, of whatever type, should be identified with a number of some sort, just to make it easier to navigate as well as to place numbers on maps.  There are some freeways out there that are maintained locally, but aren't numbered.  These include many of the parkways around NYC (which are full freeways, even if they don't  meet interstate standards or allow for trucks).

[SoCal Kid]

Is CC 215 the only CC freeway in the US?

Given the "CC" stands for "Clark County", I'm not aware of any other Clark Counties that have a freeway numbered 215... 

Doubtful that CC 215 is the only freeway maintained by a county agency in the US. But ISTR mention when it was first being planned that it was the first future interstate highway or beltway that was primarily planned/funded/constructed by a county agency (rather than a state DOT).

CR 215* 

[Max Rockatansky]

Is CC 215 the only CC freeway in the US?

Given the "CC" stands for "Clark County", I'm not aware of any other Clark Counties that have a freeway numbered 215... 

Doubtful that CC 215 is the only freeway maintained by a county agency in the US. But ISTR mention when it was first being planned that it was the first future interstate highway or beltway that was primarily planned/funded/constructed by a county agency (rather than a state DOT).

CR 215* 

Personally I don’t see that necessarily as a bad thing that a county agency or city would want to get into the freeway building game.  A local agency conceivably have more pull in getting through all the red tape than a State DOT could.  Locally maintained freeways are far more common outside the United States, I recently drove two owned/maintained by the City of Hamilton in Ontario.   

[Bickendan]

Is CC 215 the only CC freeway in the US?

Eugene has a short freeway called the Delta Highway, which runs from I-105 to SR 569 (Beltline Road).  I am not sure if it is a city or a county freeway but it is not a state or Interstate freeway.

Rick

Lane County 1750

[nexus73]

Is CC 215 the only CC freeway in the US?

Eugene has a short freeway called the Delta Highway, which runs from I-105 to SR 569 (Beltline Road).  I am not sure if it is a city or a county freeway but it is not a state or Interstate freeway.

Rick

Lane County 1750

Must be the only section of freeway with a 4-digit number.  It would be fun to see a route shield!

Rick

[roadfro]

Over the next year and a half, NDOT is swapping maintenance/management of some state roads in the Las Vegas Valley with the City of Las Vegas & Clark County. The result brings the Summerlin Parkway and the remainder of the I-215 portion of the Las Vegas Beltway under NDOT control. (Some of these transfers, including Summerlin Parkway, were reflected in NDOT's SMH log in January 2019.)

https://www.reviewjournal.com/traffic/city-county-state-to-swap-various-las-vegas-valley-roadways-1684054/

[vdeane]

Is some of I-215 county maintained?  I'm having a hard time figuring out which portions of I-215/CR 215 are involved.

[US 89]

Is some of I-215 county maintained?  I'm having a hard time figuring out which portions of I-215/CR 215 are involved.

NDOT currently only maintains the portions of I-215 between 515 and Stephanie St and between Warm Springs Rd and I-15 (this western portion is maintained by NDOT even though it is owned by Clark County). The remainder of I-215 plus all of current CC 215 are county maintained.