LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A new city project could bring long-awaited upgrades to streets in the Historic Westside, where residents say basic infrastructure, like a functioning crosswalk signal, has been unreliable for years.
“I’ve stood at that corner for 20, 30 minutes sometimes, just waiting for the light to change,” said Shakora Ray. “The lights are never on and never working. My kids can’t even go outside; there’s a lot of homeless around.”
WATCH: Jhovani Carrillo reports on the latest on improvements to Historic Westside streets
The planned improvements will cover Washington Avenue between Martin Luther King Boulevard and I-15, and H Street between Bonanza Road and Owens Avenue.
The city says it will include wider sidewalks, bike lanes, shade trees, curb extensions, better lighting, upgraded bus stops, and pedestrian flashers near nearby schools.
The project aims to enhance pedestrian safety and improve transportation infrastructure in an area that has seen hundreds of crashes in recent years.
"We have historic opportunities happening in our community right now," Councilwoman Shondra Summers-Armstrong said."We have an opportunity now to determine how we want traffic to move in our community. How we want our streets to look and then make a determination about how we want this to happen."
According to city officials, approximately 319 crashes occurred in the area between 2019 and 2025, highlighting the need for safety improvements.
"There's few shaded areas along these corridors for pedestrians, bicycles or people waiting for public transportation," officials noted during a community presentation.
Isabella Martin spoke to residents to hear their thoughts on the planned improvements.
The proposed updates are modeled after recent enhancements to D Street and Jackson Avenue.
However, some residents say that while the improvements are needed, they have expressed concerns about the project's impact.
"We are looking for some flexibility in that," said Dedra Edmond-Drew, who owns property in the area. "They are not planning for a future for more residents to come back into the westside, so I think it needs to be revisited," she said.
The city has presented three different design options and is actively gathering community feedback before making final decisions.
"We have to be intentional about what we want our neighborhood to look like," Summers-Armstrong said.
Most of the funding will come from federal dollars, but before construction begins, the project must pass a federal environmental review known as NEPA. If everything proceeds according to plan, the project should be completed by 2029.
To learn more about the project, click here.
We've been tracking projects that promise affordable housing in the area and asking locals what that could mean for the community.
