Carson City residents are invited to attend an informative meeting on the East William Complete Streets project. The project team will host a presentation and answer questions 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 3 in the Ormsby Room of the Sheriff’s Office on 911 E. Musser St. The city launched a survey and interactive comment map in January. Since then, the project team has developed a preliminary project design based on comments received and design constraints. The community is invited to provide comments on the initial design and overall project. The Nevada Department of Transportation transferred East William Street to Carson City after the completion of the Interstate 580 freeway. Before the freeway was built, East William Street was part of U.S. Highway 50, serving as a major roadway to move vehicle traffic quickly through Carson City. The current roadway is wide with traffic moving at higher speeds, and there are few bicycle or pedestrian amenities. In some sections, there are no sidewalks. While traffic has decreased since the completion of the freeway, crashes have increased. The amount of travel lanes remains the same with four west of North Carson Street, and six lanes at I-580. Blocks are long, and intersections with protected pedestrian crossings are infrequent. The result is a vehicle-focused corridor with only minimal accommodations for pedestrians and bicyclists. Carson City planners and engineers are working to transform the corridor from a high-speed vehicle thoroughfare to a destination roadway shared by all users including drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, otherwise known as a Complete Street. For information on the project and the upcoming public meeting, contact Darren Anderson at 775-283-7584 or visit http://carsonproud.com/east-william-complete-streets-project/
