Downloads
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)
Record of Decision
Notice of Limitations
Project Neon program fact sheet
Ultimate Buildout Map
Project Neon overview, purpose and need
Growing congestion levels on I-15 in Las Vegas call for an immediate need for Project Neon. Overcapacity on the freeway contributes to traffic issues including high-frequency accidents, air pollution, noise pollution, travel delay, and decreased quality of life.
Project Neon will improve traffic by separating mainstream freeway travel from local traffic. It will enhance safety by making freeway entrance and exits easily accessible. Increasing I-15 capacity will simultaneously increase mobility and improve access to downtown Las Vegas. Project Neon is essential to the progression of Las Vegas transportation and quality of life.
Project area
Project Neon extends 3.7 miles along I-15 from Sahara to the US95/I-15 Interchange. It will consist of a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) connector between US95 and I-15, direct HOV access ramps at Wall Street, reconstruction of the Charleston Blvd Interchange, and Grand Central Parkway connector over Charleston Blvd.
Project benefits
Safety
The I-15 corridor between the Spaghetti Bowl and Sahara Avenue averages four accidents each day. With Project Neon, system modifications including traffic weaving reduction will improve safety and help reduce congestion-related crashes.
Capacity
Projected traffic numbers show more than a half million vehicles a day are expected to travel the Project Neon corridor by 2030. The progressive solutions included in Project Neon will expand capacity and improve area traffic movement.
Jobs
As a 20-year program of improvements, Project Neon is expected to create hundreds of planning and engineering jobs and thousands of local construction jobs over its lifetime.
Access
Innovative expansion in the downtown area will be easily accessible with improved access through Project Neon. Medical facilities, commercial centers, and arts and entertainment venues will be readily available to motorists heading downtown.
High-Occupancy Vehicles (HOV)
The connection planned between the HOV lanes on US 95 and the Express Lanes on I-15 will create a complete corridor for express travel. With direct access to and from the HOV lanes at Wall Street, carpoolers and rapid transit will have expanded options to the south, northwest, and into downtown.
Connections
While the Project Neon corridor is located in the downtown area, the project runs through the heart of Las Vegas and will positively affect travelers valley-wide. Expanded HOV connections, an entire system of traffic improvements, and easy downtown access will benefit commuters, visitors, and private and commercial property owners.
Communities and Businesses
The area within one mile of the project corridor includes more than 1,500 residential properties and more than 600 commercial properties. Represented in those numbers are distinct, cohesive communities and major commercial centers including the International Market Center, Las Vegas Premium Outlet Mall, University Medical Center Campus, Metropolitan Police Department headquarters, and Symphony Park.
Safety/accident rates
According to the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), the I-15 corridor between the Spaghetti Bowl and Sahara Avenue averages four accidents each day.
What do these numbers mean to travelers along this route? The segment of I-15 between Sahara Avenue to Charleston Boulevard was the only single area to exceed the statewide total crash rate. And within that same segment, the total crash rate increased about 14 percent between 2006 and 2007, and by about 12 percent between 2007 and 2008.
This area experiences a high percentage of rear end crashes, which is indicative of bumper-to-bumper, stop-and-go traffic flows where traffic can come to an abrupt stand-still. In other words, congestion, leading to stop-and-go traffic, is creating a large number of accidents not seen in any other single roadway in the state.
Level of Service (LOS), traffic times and volumes
Level of service (LOS) refers to the traffic level, or performance, of a roadway, as perceived by those motorists using the specific travel lanes. This traffic performance relates to speed and travel time, freedom to maneuver, traffic interruptions, and comfort and convenience. Grades range from the very best traffic movement at level A, to the most congested, bumper-to-bumper scenario at level F.
Results of the Project Neon FEIS show that currently, I-15 northbound tends to operate at LOS D or better during the morning traffic peak, but it drops to LOS E (at capacity) in several areas during the afternoon traffic peak period. In the southbound direction, I-15 experiences morning peak congestion (LOS E) north of the Charleston Boulevard interchange because of heavy southbound US 95 traffic combining (weaving) with I-15 southbound traffic.
It is clear that traffic is already an issue within the Project Neon Corridor, and it is only expected to increase.
Current Valley traffic conditions
Visit the RTC's FAST DASHBOARD for llocal freeway traffic times and real-time accident information.
Transit and HOV
The connection planned between the HOV lanes on US 95 and the Express Lanes on I-15 will create a complete corridor for express travel. With direct access to and from the HOV lanes at Wall Street, carpoolers and rapid transit will have expanded options to the south, northwest, and into downtown.
Currently, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada operates transit centers in the northwest, downtown and near the airport, with express connections to each center. With the addition of a connected HOV system from US 95 to I-15, express vehicles will be able to reach destinations more quickly, and take full advantage of a true express system.
Local economy and jobs
As a 20-year program of improvements, Project Neon is expected to create hundreds of planning and engineering jobs and thousands of local construction jobs over its lifetime. It is anticipated that as the project moves forward, the local economy will benefit not only from maintaining existing jobs, but adding to the work force with construction workers, skilled laborers, engineers, planners, technical workers, and a myriad other positions. The project will also improve access to downtown businesses and major employment and entertainment centers, all of which can positively affect the local economy.
Without Neon
Without Project Neon, it is expected that crash rates will continue to increase, safety will be compromised and travel times will worsen to stand-still traffic in the Neon corridor.
As discussed above, level of service on the I-15 between the Spaghetti Bowl and Sahara Avenue is already suffering. According to the Neon FEIS, it is expected that under 2030 peak traffic conditions, there will be several northbound segments of I-15 that operate at LOS F (gridlock) during morning peak travel and most segments would operate at LOS E or F during afternoon peak travel. And in the southbound direction, every segment in the same area would operate under gridlock conditions in the morning and evening peak travel periods.
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