South Carson Street project offered for public review

Carson City held an open house Friday for the public to review and discuss the South Carson Street project.

The event held in The Studio on Proctor Street from 2-6 p.m. attracted more than a dozen attendees by 4.

The complete streets project to start construction early next year will narrow the road to two lanes in each direction with a middle turn lane, add landscaping and lighting, and a multi-use path on the east side of the road.

The project recently passed the 60 percent design milestone and since then a few changes have been made, although the renderings at the open house didn’t yet reflect them.

A median on the west side of the roundabout at Carson and Stewart streets is being removed because the connection to Curry Street through the U.S. Forest Service will likely happen within five years, sooner than the city had anticipated.

The two pedestrian crossings will include blinking lights but no refuge islands, and the curb is being cut back and a bike lane added on the east side of South Carson Street between Snyder Avenue and Clearview Drive.

One attendee was concerned the multi-use path on the east side was better suited for the west side of the street.

“People walk on the west side,” said Donald Scott, a Carson City retiree. “If you have to cross to walk on the east side it might discourage use.”

Dirk Goering, senior transportation planner, said the east side has both businesses and residents. In the future, the path may be connected to the Linear Ditch trail, also on the east side.

At least one business along the corridor is pleased with the plan.

“For a car dealer, the slower the traffic the better,” said Cliff Sorensen, director, Campagni Auto Group, which has separate Toyota and Ford dealerships on the west side of the road.

The speed limit on the road south of Stewart Street will be reduced to 35 mph.

Another advantage is customers and employees at the Toyota dealership will be able to turn both south and north onto Carson Street after construction, once the lanes are reduced and the concrete median removed. Today, cars exiting the dealer can only turn south.

“In general, we’re backing it as proposed,” said Sorensen. “I think they’ve put a lot of thought into it.”