How proposed Maryland Parkway project will affect nearby Las Vegas community

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — It’s a stretch of road that has been talked about for years and now changes planned to improve the speed of bus services and overall safety on the road are about to become a reality.

The plans are for a faster bus service for the 13 miles between Harry Reid International Airport and downtown Las Vegas because right now the route to go back and forth takes about an hour. However, with plans from the Regional Transportation Commission , they expect to reduce that time by 20%.

Part of that plan is adding a dedicated bus lane that bikes can also use, expanding the sidewalks from five to 10 feet wide, and the addition of a center median. The route would run the entire 7.2 miles of Maryland Parkway and also go to the Bonneville Transit Center and the Las Vegas Medical District.

The Bus Rapid Transit System is the name of the upcoming project. The Maryland Parkway bus route serves 9,000 riders each day. Those who take the route told 8 News Now they are frustrated with how slow the buses operate right now.

It’s not just riders, those who drive, live and work near this road are also frustrated with the current design of the road.

“I don’t come down Maryland Parkway, there’s a lot of fender benders we just had three last week in this area.” Daniel Reyes said

Reyes works at Furniture World which is located right on Maryland Parkway and said it would help their business as long as the construction doesn’t have a big impact on people getting access to their doors.

“Until it is done, we will know the final output, but we just don’t know,” he said. “I just hope they can do it in a way that doesn’t disrupt our business.”

Down the road, Todd Sklamberg, CEO of Sunrise Hospital welcomes the enhancements to pedestrian safety.

“We see the patients who are hit walking across streets. The plan that the RTC put in place is going to enhance pedestrian safety and make it a much smoother roadway for the cars and bus lanes,” he said.

The RTC is asking for patience during this time. RTC plans to release more information on the project next week to help businesses prepare for the upcoming construction.

“There will be disruption right now we are asking everyone to be patient we are looking at a two-year timeline,” David Swallow the CEO of the RTC explained.

The project will cost around $330 million with construction expected to start this summer and finish by the end of 2026. Recently the project got a $150 million boost from a federal grant that will bring 15 hydrogen fuel cell-powered, 60-foot articulated buses to the project.

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