Driverless shuttle bus crashes on day of launch

Wednesday, November 8th, 2017, 2:57pm

Some of the buses in downtown Las Vegas went driverless Wednesday, but not without a hiccup. The Kelolis driverless shuttle bus crashed with a semi-truck.

It happened at the intersection of Fremont Street and N. 7th Street. That's a block away from Container Park.

"From what I've been told, the vehicle came to a stop as it's designed to do, based on the distance it was from this particular truck. But the operator of the truck proceeded to back up, not judging where the vehicle was at that time," said Maurice Bell, vice-president of mobility solutions for Keolis. Where it rested is where it had stopped originally as the vehicle was making its turn."

The autonomous bus crashed less than two hours after it was launched. Officials had hosted an unveiling ceremony to promote what they described as the nation's first self-driving shuttle pilot project geared toward the public... Read More

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Tuesday, November 7th, 2017, 11:01am

Officials in Las Vegas are launching what they call the first self-operating driverless shuttle on a short loop in regular downtown traffic.

A Wednesday morning ceremony is set to mark the start of operations for the electric vehicle developed by the French company Navya. It's dubbed Arma.

The oval-shaped shuttle was tested last January on a closed street in the Fremont Street East entertainment district. It has a human attendant and computer monitor, but no steering wheel and no brake pedals.

It'll be able to carry up to 12 passengers for the free trip on a half-mile (0.8-kilometer) loop in the same area.

The shuttle uses GPS, electronic curb sensors and other technology to make its way.

The testing is being done by the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, Keolis North America and AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah... Read More

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Tuesday, September 12th, 2017, 10:37am

The on ramp from US 95 northbound to I-15 northbound in downtown Las Vegas will be closed from midnight, Friday, Sept. 15 until 5 a.m., Monday , Sept. 18.

The closure by the NDOT is needed to mill-and-pave the overlay the ramp, install new barrier railing, and restripe the lanes as part of Project Neon.

The closure was delayed one week due to poor weather.

Project Neon is a $1 billion 3.7 mile-long widening of I-15 from the US 95 interchange to Sahara Avenue that started last year... Read More

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Monday, September 4th, 2017, 1:28pm

Metro police are hoping the public can help in the search for a missing Las Vegas man who was last seen on Saturday, Sept. 3.

Jesse Gonzalez, 28, was seen around 10:30 p.m near the 3200 block of Cedar Street, near Charleston Boulevard and Mohave Road.

He might possibly be in severe emotional distress and in need of medical assistance.

He is described as a Hispanic man with Black hair and brown eyes, 5-foot-9-inches tall, around 125 pounds, and was last seen wearing a gray shirt and blue jeans. He may also be wearing black framed glasses.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Metro's Missing Persons Detail at (702)828-2907 or 828-3111 or by email missingpersons@lvmpd.com.... Read More

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Friday, September 1st, 2017, 12:45pm

The 111-year-old Golden Gate hotel-casino on Fremont Street has reopened after an expansion project that reflects the resurgence under way in downtown Las Vegas.

The hotel-casino officially marked the reopening Friday.

The property, famous for hosting the likes of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin, nearly doubled the size of its casino floor, expanded its outdoor bar and redesigned its facade drawing inspiration from the Jazz Age.

The expansion is part of a series of projects that over the next few years is expected to transform a section of downtown Las Vegas.

CEO Derek Stevens says his company intends to "respect and relish" the property's history while "introducing amenities suited for today."

The expanded casino floor includes a 360-degree, 24-foot tall tower of televisions that encases a chandelier... Read More

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Thursday, August 17th, 2017, 10:04pm

There's money headed to the state of Nevada that will help the state fight the opioid epidemic. Nevada has already received more than $8 million in grants, but the battle to destroy the opioid epidemic, by enacting new laws will get a $1.2 million boost.

The first publicly-funded campus in the nation geared toward helping kids struggling with sobriety opens Monday. The recovery high school for students battling drug and alcohol addiction is set to open on Monday.

Mission High School's campus in downtown Las Vegas is the first publicly-funded campus like this in the nation.

"I couldn't go a day without doing drugs," said Maria Vasquez, a Mission High School student.

Maria, just 14, will soon start her freshman year at Mission High School. According to Maria, she started using drugs in 6th grade to numb the pain of getting bullied... Read More

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Sunday, June 11th, 2017, 5:30pm

It's the last night for Downtown Las Vegas' beloved cowgirl. Vegas Vickie will be plucked from her perch on Monday.

Vegas Vickie has overlooked Fremont Street for more than three decades.

She'll be taken down to make way for a new resort casino in the space that was once occupied by the Las Vegas Club.

Many people are concerned what will happen to the Las Vegas icon.

Derek Stevens, the owner of The D Hotel and the businessman who's pursuing the new resort says he working to find her a good home.

"Well, Vickie needs to have a little rehab. So we're going to take her down and we're going to spend a little time in getting her back into shape," Stevens said.

"We have not determined the final location yet, but we're pretty big fans of Vegas history so I know she's going to have a great home by the time we get done."... Read More

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