More money for road repair for Carson City

Carson City will be getting some new money for street maintenance for at least the next four years.

The funding is about $1 million annually and will be divvied up between Carson City, and Douglas and Lyon counties, the three entities in the Carson Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO).

The money will come through the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) from the federal Surface Transportation Program Block Grant NDOT receives every year.

The agreement between NDOT and CAMPO, and the formula for splitting up the funds between the three municipalities, was approved by CAMPO Wednesday.

The money is allocated for urbanized areas so the bulk of it will come to Carson City, which accounts for about 70.6 percent of the CAMPO area’s urban population, said Patrick Pittenger, Carson City transportation manager.

Pittenger recommended the funds be allocated to Lyon and Douglas counties in single years, rather than spread across four years, so each could receive enough money at once to fund a substantial project.

Carson City will receive some funds each year: about $1 million the first year, about $400,000 the second year when Lyon County also will receive its full share, $500,000 in the third year when Douglas County also gets its portion, and approximately $1 million in the fourth year.

Pittenger said Carson City’s allotment the first year will be used to reconstruct Silver Sage Drive, from Clearview Drive to Snyder Avenue, and work on Butti Way near the Water Resource Recovery Facility.

The Regional Transportation Commission, which meets after CAMPO, heard a presentation on proposed changes to the city’s Jump Around Carson bus routes.

The changes include the elimination of the Sherman Lane section of Route 2A/2B, which would cut 11 existing stops and add four new ones; moving service from Desatoya Drive to Gordonia Drive on Route 2A/2B, which would eliminate five stops and add three; and on Route 3 inbound, moving service to Carson Street between 5th and Musser streets, which would remove five stops.

A public meeting is being planned for Jan. 10 in the Bonanza Room at the Carson City Community Center, to discuss the routes and get public feedback on the proposed changes.

A public comment period will be open for 30 days. Comment can be made at the meeting or by emailing jac@carson.org.

The RTC also gave its OK to the continuation of the Transportation Resource Advisory Forum for Carson City (TRAFCC).

The 21-member citizens panel was created earlier this year to provide public input to the city on its road maintenance projects and priorities.

It was formed with the mandate to meet monthly until the end of 2016, but members were interested in continuing to meet in 2017, so staff recommended quarterly meetings on the third Tuesday in January, April, July and October.

Pittenger said the new traffic signal at the intersection of College Parkway and Research Way, by the Maverik gas station, is scheduled to become operational at 10 a.m. on Dec. 22.