Capital could provide rural transit help

If officials from Lyon and Storey counties choose to help pay for it, Carson City could provide public transit service to those areas by adding to the Jump Around Carson program.

Patrick Pittenger, transportation program manager for Carson City, said the federal Transit Administration could provide $45,000 to extend transit to Lyon and Storey counties for two days a week, 10 hours a day. The federal government will provide 50 percent of the funds, and the counties' shares would be based on the amount of time the bus spends in each county. Based on the use of the bus in each county, Storey would pay $10,000 and Lyon would contribute $12,500.

Pittenger said the $45,000 would cover the driver's pay and insurance.

He said the counties could utilize JAC by applying for federal funds through the government's urban program, or going through the Nevada Department of Transportation to get the funds through the government's rural transit program.

Pittenger said it would be simpler for the two rural counties to utilize Carson City's existing program rather than strike out on their own.

He said the proposed route would start in downtown Carson City, go east on Highway 50 to State Route 341, north to Virginia City, southeast down Six Mile Canyon Road to Mark Twain, then west again back to Carson City.

A single trip would take two hours, and the bus would make five trips along that route each day. Passengers could transfer to other JAC routes if they wanted to go somewhere else.

"None of this is final, and we're still waiting to hear from the counties," he said. "They could do one day, they could do three days, or a commuter service. We're waiting for them to decide what it is they're interested in."

Lyon County has distributed surveys on where riders might like the bus to go, the days and times, and the amount of the fare. Planning Director Rob Loveberg said surveys were sent to residents in Lyon Utilities bills, mailings were done by the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce and distributed to Dayton and Mound House businesses to be given to employees. Residents can also pick up a survey at the Lyon County Administrative building in Occidental Square in Dayton.

He said there are grants available, but there are requirements and the county was still looking at them.

"We haven't looked at specific funding sources yet, but we have been talking about the possibility," he said. "We're still in the exploring phase."

Like Lyon County, Storey County officials are also in the exploring phase, but according to County Manager Pat Whitten, they are "anxious to proceed."

He said transit was not funded in the current county budget, although some funds have been set aside to reactivate the county's rural transportation commission. The county needs to know what the quarterly tax payments will be.

"We want to look at what the opportunities are and what the costs are," Whitten said. "It will be addressed this year through RTC."

Whitten said he was looking forward to working with Lyon County and Carson City.

- Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or call 881-7351.