LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — North Las Vegas Councilman Scott Black watches the town develop with each twist and switch from his bicycle, however neighbors will quickly be following him on the most recent bike path—as he eyes the marketing campaign path.
Following a $58.4 million grant, the Metropolis of North Las Vegas unveiled a sequence of initiatives within the works: a 14-acre youngsters’s science and nature park, a 20-acre enlargement of Craig Ranch Regional Park, and a 1.5-mile path extension alongside the 215 Beltway. The general 6-mile route enlargement is a mission Black has pursued for practically a decade.
“Unfortunately, it dead ends at North Las Vegas,” he mentioned. “When I joined the Council in 2017, I said, ‘We’re going to change that.’”
Part 1 and part 2 of the Northern Beltway enlargement are anticipated to hyperlink commuters and leisure cyclists to the broader components of the neighborhood, in response to Black.
“It will allow people to ride their bike for recreation, for exercise, but also to get to shops, or a lot of shopping at Decatur and 215,” he mentioned. “It’ll connect students to school. They can ride their bike to school more safely. So really an asset to our community.”
Biking has been a ardour for Black since he was a boy. An curiosity in tinkering with gears carries some similarity to his father’s work as a Metropolis of Las Vegas mechanic. His experience turning right into a tour on the age of 14 throughout his 4-day journey from Salt Lake Metropolis to Las Vegas.
“We went as a group up to Salt Lake City in a bus and rode our bikes down Highway 89 more of the scenic route,” he mentioned. “I did it again in 2005 as an adult leader for that same group. So that’s really when I think I fell in love with cycling.”
Black has seen his dwelling of North Las Vegas change quickly with expansive development. The brand new neighbors are met with plans for brand spanking new properties like at Tule Springs—the place the brand new bike path seamlessly weaves out and in of the brand new neighborhood.
“Right now, we’re at just shy of 290,000 residents,” Black mentioned. “We’re the third largest city in Nevada, next to Las Vegas and Henderson. But we have villages of Tule Springs right here has four villages.”
The expansion in industrial areas, like Apex, has been matched with metropolis utilities and facilities, in response to Black who additionally sits on the Water Authority Board.
“We voted on three or four agenda items to the tune of $225 million in construction contracts to build the garnet Valley Water System and return sewer system. So all the water that’s used out of Apex can be treated and sent back to Lake Mead for return flow credit,” he mentioned.
The assist and planning from the town face a problem, as most cities face a tougher financial yr of projected development. Black mentioned he’s assured within the metropolis’s monetary strategy.
“We have a balanced budget,” he mentioned. “We didn’t make cuts. We’re being cautious. We’re being conservative. But North Las Vegas is in a great place because of all the hard work that’s been done over the last decade.”
By the top of the 12-mile journey, Black fielded questions on his personal ambitions for metropolis corridor as his third time period bid appeared within the works. He informed 8 Information Now he plans to run for mayor of North Las Vegas in 2026 however mentioned he could be open to speaking in regards to the marketing campaign path as soon as he was off the bike path.
“I have one more term to go,” he mentioned. “And I’m hopeful that I will be on the city council for one more term to keep the momentum going, because we have a lot of great things going on in our city that I’m proud of, that I want to stay a part of.”
