By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
I was in Red Rock Canyon on SR 159 heading home on my bicycle to Summerlin Monday morning when my heart sank — again. A Nevada Highway Patrol car and fire truck were on the scene and an ambulance was coming.
A bicyclist pedaling on the 159 shoulder was struck by a person operating a motorized vehicle.
The trooper said the bicyclist should be OK. He was struck and “badly scratched up.”
The state trooper was talking to the driver.
Nevada State Route 159 west of Summerlin in Red Rock Canyon has become a busy recreational corridor. It’s no longer a conventional state road with only car drivers. It’s become a two-lane road used by thousands of motorists, bicyclists, hikers and runners every day.
There is talk of a proposed trail along SR 159 from Summerlin to the Red Rock visitors center turn. Bicyclists would have the option of using the 159 shoulder if a trail is built along the state road, but clearly the shoulder is not 100 percent safe either.
I wear a rear-view mirror clipped onto my sunglasses to try and monitor motorized vehicle traffic as much as possible on State Route 159. It’s obvious many motorists drive their vehicle faster than the speed limit.
And in some cases, motorists strike bicyclists along the road that’s getting busier by the year.
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