Two Carson City transport surveys seek input, profiles

Transport by foot, bicycle or vehicle became the topic du jour at Carson City’s Community Center Tuesday, attracting comment for the near term and a quarter century hence.

Public input was sought in two overlapping meetings on the Carson Area Metropolitan Organization’s (CAMPO) regional transportation plan through 2040 and by the Eagle Valley Trail Committee for profiles of persons using the community’s trails network. The 2040 planning input attracted a handful, some also there for the trails stakeholders’ session, while the trails session drew dozens.

Both meetings also directed people to survey opportunities if they preferred to give opinions that way.

“The Carson Area Metropolitan Planning Organization is conducting a short survey to identify regional transportation concerns and priorities to help in the development of a 25 year regional transportation plan,” CAMPO told participants. The region includes not only Carson City, but also western Lyon County and northern Douglas County. The goal actually is to update an existing plan reaching to 2035.

“CAMPO must diligently update the RTP in a proactive manner to identify needs and guide transportation improvements before the demand arrives,” said the existing plan, written in 2012 by Senior Transportation Planner Dan Doenges.

He said the update of the now 24-page plan will be written next year by Transportation Planner Dirk Goering, also was at the meeting. The city survey is available at www.CarsonAreaMPO.com.

Mark Kimbrough, Eagle Valley Trail Committee project coordinator, said his organization’s survey may be done on computer by going to carsoncitytrails.org for Survey Monkey questions, but he also had three computers and paper survey questions available for Tuesday’s session.

People were asked to check if they were hikers, dog walkers, runners, horseback riders, mountain bikers or off highway vehicle enthusiasts.

They also are being asked things like how often they use trails, when and where they tend to do so, how the network could be improved, as well as about their satisfaction and any conflicts they have encountered, plus other pertinent profile information. Tuesday’s trails session was for stakeholders; another for the general public is also planned for next Tuesday afternoon.