Roop's the one

So many projects, so little money.

Carson City's list of street projects is a long one, and at least four of them considered "high" priorities would have immediate and significant impact on traffic congestion.

The problem is the Regional Transporation Commission has enough money to start construction on only a couple of them. Which ones?

The four at the top of the list are:

-- Expanding Roop Street to four lanes.

-- Extending Stewart Street north for several blocks.

-- Widening Fairview Drive.

-- Improving Curry Street.

Most Carson City residents (except the homeowners directly in the path of the projects) would like to see all of them done. The benefits to moving traffic through town are obvious. We can see why transportation commissioners are having trouble choosing among them.

We're not traffic engineers, but like everybody else we have an opinion on the best way to get around town.

The extension of Stewart Street to the north continues to intrigue us, because we think it needs to be done regardless of what happens with other road improvements.

But the same can be said of taking Roop Street to four lanes. It has an estimated price tag of $3.6 million, including sidewalks and curbs that have to be done anyway, and the project would do the most to get more traffic moving now.

The Transportation Commission should get moving on Roop Street now, while looking to begin acquiring the properties that will eventually allow Stewart Street to be extended north. If both are done, there would no longer be a need to consider the one-way couplets idea.

Of course, Curry will still need to be widened. And Fairview will need to be four lanes.

We didn't say we had all the answers.