Too much traffic, not enough money

By Nevada Appeal editorial board

As much as we were hoping to see Roop Street widened to ease traffic flow through town, Carson City transportation commissioners did the right thing in going back to the drawing board.

The bottom line: It's just too expensive.

The cost was estimated at $5 million, but bids ranged from $7.5 million to more than $8.5 million. The project needs to be re-evaluated because the city just doesn't have the money. The timing also may have been wrong during a busy construction season, but we doubt if construction costs ever will go down without cutting out some parts of the project.

The cost of widening Roop Street is reason enough to take a second look at some of the earlier ideas for diverting some of the traffic from Carson Street by making it easier for drivers to negotiate the east side.

One of the most prominent is the "couplet" concept, which would make Roop Street one way north through much of downtown. Stewart Street would handle the southbound traffic. It still seems like an idea that might work, although it may be necessarily only until the bypass is finished.

The ultimate solutions still require major spending by the city - to extend Stewart Street to the north and to widen Roop Street. And on the west side of Carson, Curry Street still needs improvements as it attempts to carry an increasing load of traffic trying to avoid Carson Street.

These ideas have been kicked around for years, and unfortunately we don't seem to be getting any closer to solutions - with one notable exception.

The bypass is, indeed, progressing. The deal made last week to send $15 million in Carson City gas-tax money to the state - and the insistence that the Nevada Department of Transportation tighten up some of its vague timelines - should keep that project on track.

One big concern remains: a $900,000 estimated maintenance cost for Carson Street, which will be handed over to the city. The city already doesn't have enough money to do the work it needs to complete. With this added cost, will residents ever see progress on Roop, Stewart and Curry, as well as many other streets?