Carson High a hazardous spot for pedestrians

Pedestrian safety is a worry at many locations throughout Carson City, so we're glad to see the attention being drawn to one of the most sensitive spots - in front of Carson High School.

Traffic flow in and around the high school is simply a problem in the mornings and afternoons. Installing a 15 mph school zone, as parent Robin Browne is championing, certainly would help reduce the immediate danger to students trying to cross Saliman Road.

But there are many more issues to address, which is why it's a good idea for city officials to take a broader view aimed at some long-range solutions.

Prudent drivers do well to avoid Saliman on school days, but that's not an option for everybody. As some have pointed out, slowing the flow isn't necessarily going to have much of an impact when the congestion is so bad that motorists and pedestrians alike are impatiently darting into the traffic.

Better lighting, more visible crosswalks, stoplights, crossing guards, even a pedestrian overpass - all are among suggestions from residents who are concerned there is a tragedy waiting to happen.

There are a couple of bigger issues at work here, too.

One is the general congestion of north-south streets in Carson City that will exist at least until the freeway is completed. This has been building for years, as the city's population grows and drivers find themselves migrating from Carson Street to Roop Street to Saliman.

The second is a too-big high school, with traffic problems being just one of the symptoms. We realize there are far more compelling arguments for and against a second campus in Carson City, but it's one of those practical quandries that needs to be addressed.

Eventually, the best way to address both safety and congestion at Carson High may be to build another outlet by extending Robinson Street east and linking it to Highway 50 or Fifth Street or both. But the property around the school hasn't been developed yet, and there's no timetable ahead for such a big project.

In the meantime, city officials should install a school zone and erect the cautionary signs being suggested. School officials should consider ways to limit the number of cars being driven to and from the campus each day.