Hells Bells Road pedestrian project on tap

A Hells Bells Road pedestrian project heightening safety for students at Eagle Valley Middle School, as well as other walkers in the area, will be completed this construction season.

That was the word from Carson City Public Works Director Darren Schulz after the Regional Transportation Commission determined Coons Construction LLC was the low bidder and voted 3-0 to award the contract to that firm for 1,500 feet of sidewalk for the safe route to schools project. The amount of the bid is $169,225 plus a contingency figure not to exceed $20,745. A $190,000 federal Department of Transportation grant will cover the cost.

The RTC in a Wednesday meeting also reviewed a presentation on Jump Around Carson (JAC) transit and related shuttle services from the Fandango Casino parking area to Fuji Park for patrons of the Nevada Sesquicentennial Fair July 30-Aug. 3, approved a short range city transit development plan, and pulled the trigger on exercising a second-year option of a three-year pact for JAC bus service operations. The operations are handled by MV Transportation.

Patrick Pittenger, city transportation manager, said the total second-year cost, running from Oct. 1, 2014 to Sept. 30, 2015, will be $642,025.50 and represents a 1.5 percent boost from the previous year.

The JAC portion of the agenda, however, wasn’t handled until after several people testified in favor of extending JAC operational hours into evening hours.

Appearing were Kevin Burns, Shelly Bale and Rielly Rose, representing faculty and students at Western Nevada College, who said many WNC students take evening classes and need night bus service. Dee Dee Foremaster of the Rural Center for Independent Living and Do Drop In made a similar pitch, both for WNC students and for disabled persons who want to do things at night.

Pittenger said extension of JAC is a top priority if additional funding can be secured.

The Carson Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), which includes the RTC members along with representatives of neighboring Douglas and Lyon counties, also met Wednesday. The shorter CAMPO agenda included selection of a new chairman and vice chairman. Ray Fierro of Lyon County was chosen to serve as CAMPO chairman, Jim Smolenski of Carson City as vice chairman.