Future of streets, rec trails to be considered Wednesday

While pavement condition may be on the minds of Carson City voters who will decide two local road-funding proposals on the Nov. 5 ballot, the Carson Area Metropolitan Planning Organization is set to consider new pavement surveys for public streets in Carson and Douglas County.

CAMPO meets 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Carson City Community Center board room, 851 E. William St.

First up in the action agenda is an interlocal agreement with Douglas County for a pavement survey to be overseen by CAMPO but including areas in Douglas outside the CAMPO boundary. Douglas would reimburse CAMPO up to $37,600 for the survey, according to the agenda.

“Douglas County has requested that CAMPO include the remaining non-CAMPO portions of Douglas County into the survey, excluding the Lake Tahoe Basin,” reads a staff report. “Douglas County maintains their own pavement asset database, and all data collected by CAMPO under this agreement will be provided to Douglas County.

“Douglas County’s last pavement survey was completed in 2016. Joint collection of the data results in more efficient scheduling of the specialized survey vehicle required to complete the survey.”

After weighing in on this agreement, CAMPO will consider a contract with Applied Pavement Technology (AP Tech) for $150,286 for the pavement survey.

“The condition of roadway pavement is an important performance measure and is used to assist in project identification and prioritization,” according to the agenda. “CAMPO supports local agencies by providing federal funding through the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) for completion of the survey. AP Tech will complete the survey along approximately 276 centerline miles of roadways in Carson City and approximately 176 centerline miles of roadways in Douglas County. The survey effort is anticipated to be completed by the spring of 2025.”

Carson City has used Applied Pavement Technology in the past. The company conducted the 2022 pavement analysis that found regional roads in the city in satisfactory condition but local roads, the neighborhood streets that aren’t arterials or collectors, in fair condition approaching poor condition.

“Information collected will include pavement data regarding cracking (longitudinal, transverse, fatigue/alligator), rutting, utility patches, and ride quality, etc. for flexible pavements,” reads a staff report. “Additionally, AP Tech will collect data on spalling, surface deterioration, faulting, cracking, and ride quality, etc. for rigid pavements, such as concrete pavement if any. AP Tech will provide a final summary report to CAMPO and will provide both GIS and PAVER software compatible data to Carson City and Douglas County for their use.

“CAMPO looks forward to continuing to coordinate with Lyon County on the possibility of including it in future pavement surveys.”

The Carson City Regional Transportation Commission will convene after CAMPO adjourns Wednesday, and the five-member board is slated to review a multi-use path project and a large grant submission for a new trailhead and improvements in the Ash Canyon area.

The RTC will consider amending an agreement with the Nevada Department of Transportation regarding the Carson City DMV Multi-Use Path Project, an amendment that would “revise the scope and name of the project, update references to applicable environmental regulations, update the parties' contact information, and remove $310,212 in federal Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) funding, as well as $16,327 in related local match, from the project for a new total of $1,548,500 in federal funding and $81,500 in local match for the project,” according to the agenda.

The amendment would remove the portion of the project near the DMV and rename the project the Carson City Multi-Use Path Improvement and Rehabilitation Project, according to the agenda.

The project, a staff report states, “includes the construction of a new multi-use path, extending from the existing Linear Ditch multi-use path along Roop Street to the entrance of Governor’s Field. The project will also rehabilitate up to 7 miles of Carson City’s existing multi-use path network.”

“In December 2020, NDOT awarded Carson City the TAP (Transportation Alternatives Program) grant in the amount of $1,548,500. An amendment to the agreement was approved in November 2023 which added $310,212 in CRP funding to ensure adequate funds were available to construct the project,” reads the report. “Staff were not able to secure an easement with the state of Nevada to allow for the planned construction of a new multi-use path south of the DMV facility. Because of this, this portion of the work has been removed from the project.”

Project design is complete, according to staff, and construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2025.

RTC members will also be asked to revisit and ratify a Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) grant submission for the Ash Canyon Road and Trailhead project.

“Staff received approval from the Regional Transportation Commission to submit a FLAP grant application for the project in the amount of $6,361,000, including $410,000 in local match. At the time of submission, the FLAP grant application required that project cost estimates include price escalation as additional contingency, which raised the total project estimate from $6,361,000 to $7,363,653,” according to the agenda. “Staff submitted the FLAP grant application on July 15, 2024, with a total project cost of $7,363,653 which included $6,953,653 in federal funding and $410,000 in local match.”

The revised project costs did not affect the local match amount, which would include $150,000 from the Regional Transportation Fund, $200,000 from the Stormwater Drainage Fund and $60,000 from the Quality-of-Life Fund. The Board of Supervisors approved the grant submission as part of the consent agenda on Oct. 3.

“The project will reconstruct Ash Canyon Road between the intersection of Winnie Lane and the end of the paved section west of the Wellington subdivision,” reads a staff report. “The project will also improve stormwater facilities along Ash Canyon Road, improve multi-modal accessibility, and construct a trailhead parking lot with a vault toilet on Carson City owned property located near the existing water tanks on Ash Canyon Road. This project will remove the drainage dips on the segment of road west of the Wellington subdivision and provide a bike lane along Ash Canyon Road going up the hill to the west.”

The staff report notes that two “nationally recognized local trails” can be accessed from the location: the Ash-to-Kings Trail and the Capital-to-Tahoe Trail, “which together provide direct connectivity with the Tahoe Rim Trail and indirect connectivity with the Pacific Crest Trail.”