Carson Street plan moves ahead

With significantly less traffic downtown these days, the Carson City Board of Supervisors took action Thursday that could move the city one step closer to a two-lane Carson Street.

Estimates show that about 10,000 vehicles per day have been diverted from Carson Street to the freeway since it opened to Fairview Drive last fall, said city Transportation Director Patrick Pittenger.

A grant application process authorized by the board could provide the city with $240,000 to begin design work to narrow Carson Street between John and Stewart streets.

The Public Works Department will submit an application for a Housing and Urban Development Community Challenge Planning Grant which, if awarded to the city, would provide 80 percent of the funding for the $300,000 study.

The 20 percent match of $60,000 would come from the existing budgets of the Carson City Redevelopment Authority and the Carson City Regional Transportation Commission.

But several residents spoke out against the expenditure, calling for tighter fiscal measures.

"Stop the spending," said a clearly frustrated Carol Howell, who had pointed out that the city's master plan calling for the narrowing of Carson Street was adopted when the city's economy was more robust.

The Envision Carson City Master Plan was completed in 2006 after 18 months of public participation and input. Residents and other participants identified the capital improvement program for downtown Carson City as a high-priority action item, and the narrowing of Carson Street is a major component of that plan, according to information in the agenda packet prepared for Thursday's meeting.

Benefits to the downtown were listed as on-street parking, improved safety and amenities for pedestrians and bicyclists, and a visually aesthetic and inviting atmosphere - all expected to bolster economic development initiatives in the downtown area.

Carie Lamkin said she was concerned about accidents, snow removal, vehicles that needed to make wide turns and kids walking to the museum - all issues that could arise as a result of a narrower street.

But Dan Allison of Muscle Powered, who favors the city's plan, said Carson Street at this time "does not serve all modes of travel" such as walking and bicycling.

"Moving cars quickly through town is not the objective. It's to get people downtown," Allison said.

Pittenger said the city has been preparing for the transition to two lanes by making significant traffic capacity improvements on parallel streets such as Roop, Curry and Stewart.

"The public has weighed in on this repeatedly," said Supervisor Shelly Aldean, who also chairs the city's Regional Transportation Commission. "RTC has spent millions of dollars to prepare (for this). This is one step."

In addition, the improvements are timely because the city has taken ownership of Carson Street from the state.

District Attorney Neil Romardo cautioned supervisors that by law, they are compelled to adhere to the master plan they adopted.