A rendering from Carson City showing a proposed roundabout at Goni and Arrowhead in north Carson from a bird’s eye view.
Courtesy
The Carson City Regional Transportation Commission on Wednesday will consider a roundabout at Goni Road and Arrowhead Drive in the north stretch of the city.
The RTC meets after the Carson Area Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting, which begins 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the community center board room.
RTC members will evaluate findings of a study on the Goni Road intersection. The proposed roundabout is part of the District 1 Goni Road Rehabilitation Project.
“The project includes pavement rehabilitation and safety improvements on Goni Road between College Parkway and Arrowhead Drive,” according to the agenda. “Staff, with consultant support, completed the study for the intersection of Goni Road and Arrowhead Drive to evaluate the intersection’s long-term traffic operation needs and opportunities to address those needs as part of the project.
“The intersection is forecast to have Level of Service (LOS) of E or worse in both the morning and afternoon peak periods by 2026. The study considers three different intersection control types and recommends the construction of a roundabout at Goni Road and Arrowhead Drive.”
Levels of service are ranked by letter, with A being the highest and F the worst condition. According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, level E “describes operation at capacity.”
“Operations at this level are highly volatile because there are virtually no usable gaps within the traffic stream, leaving little room to maneuver within the traffic stream,” according to the NCDOT. “Any disruption to the traffic stream, such as vehicles entering from a ramp or a vehicle changing lanes, can establish a disruption wave that propagates throughout the upstream traffic flow.
“At capacity, the traffic stream has no ability to dissipate even the most minor disruption, and any incident can be expected to produce a serious breakdown and substantial queuing. The physical and psychological comfort afforded to drivers is poor.”
Transportation staff and Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc., which conducted the study, considered maintaining the current all-way stop control (AWSC) at the intersection, a traffic signal, and a roundabout.
“The existing AWSC configuration has failing operations in the morning peak period and is forecast to have declining operations in the future as development continues to occur,” reads a staff report. “The intersection is expected to exceed Carson City’s LOS threshold of D in 2026, and staff initiated the study to evaluate options to improve the LOS.”
The roundabout is the more expensive option. A fiscal impact statement from the city puts the estimated cost of a roundabout at approximately $3.2 million versus $1.8 million for a traffic signal.
“Neither alternative is currently funded. The roundabout alternative may be eligible for Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds, and staff is considering requesting HSIP funds as part of a possible call for proposals to be issued by the Nevada Department of Transportation in January or February 2025,” reads the fiscal impact statement. “HSIP funds require a 5% local match which is partially budgeted within the current project budget for planned improvements at the Arrowhead Drive intersection.
“Additional local funding may be collected through pro-rata contributions made by future development projects that, through the completion of a traffic impact study, show an increase to traffic at the intersection.”
Presentation materials for Wednesday’s meeting note: “This location is an important link for industrial/employment centers to College Parkway and I-580.”
The study itself recommends a roundabout “due to the safety benefits when compared to a signalized intersection.”
“Roundabouts are a FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) proven safety countermeasure with the potential to have up to a 78% reduction in fatal and serious injury crashes by promoting lower vehicle speeds and reducing conflict points,” the study says. “Understanding the roundabout alternative is close to twice the cost of a traffic signal, it is recommended that Carson City explore Highway Safety Improvement Program funding options with the Nevada Department of Transportation for the implementation of the roundabout.”
In other action, RTC members will select their chair and vice chair for the new year.
“Under NRS 277A.180 (3) and CCMC 11.20.030, the chairperson must be one of the two members of the Board of Supervisors appointed to the RTC. The vice-chairperson can be any member of the RTC,” according to the agenda.
Ward 4 Supervisor Lisa Schuette and Mayor Lori Bagwell serve on the RTC along with Jim Dodson, Lucia Maloney and Gregory Novak.