Officials make another run at South Carson bike path

Carson City transportation officials are making another attempt at enhancing a stretch of Carson Street in south Carson City.

Since 1995, Carson City officials have submitted a request to the Nevada Department of Transportation asking for federal enhancement money to be used to create a bike/pedestrian path, parking and landscaping along a half a mile stretch of Highway 395 from Koontz Lane north to Sonoma Street.

The project hasn't been chosen, falling behind Carson City's downtown redevelopment and V&T bike path proposals and other rural projects for the transportation enhancement funding.

If the city's philosophy is to never, ever give up, then maybe this year's attempt at garnering between $200,000 and $400,000 in enhancement funds might work.

The Carson City Regional Transportation Commission will consider today submitting the plan again to the state for funding in 2002/2003.

The funds would pay for parking, trees, shrubs and a bike/pedestrian path on the east side of the street between the highway and frontage roads that run along the highway. The project has three phases. RTC engineer Harvey Brotzman said because the Carson project competes for enhancements funding with all of rural Nevada, he is requesting the commission ask for funding one phase at a time. The first phase is 600-foot stretch from Koontz Lane north.

Kay Bennett, a city supervisor and regional transportation commissioner, said while all the other enhancement projects have won out in the tight funding war, this remains a needed project for a blighted area. Bennett has been a long-time advocate of improving gateway's to Carson City with landscaping.

"It's an unfinished area with just open dirt between the frontage roads and the highway," she said. "It really looks pretty crummy. It doesn't come up to our standard of trying to enhance our cities.

"This is a very deserving project. Dollars are short and few between, but it's ready to go, and the enhancement monies are there."

Decisions on which rural enhancement programs to fund are made by the state transit advisory committee. Funding for the projects is provided through the state by The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century.

If you go:

What: Carson City Regional Transportation Commission meeting

When: today, 5:30 p.m.

Where: the Community Center's Sierra Room, 851 E. William St.