Carson City supervisors set to discuss downtown traffic, parking issues today

A presentation of surveys and comments regarding downtown Carson Street traffic and parking is on today’s agenda for Carson City’s Board of Supervisors meeting.The agenda item will deal with views of downtown business and property owners on whether to convert part of the street from four to two lanes of traffic, allowing some parallel parking. City staff, which previously held a workshop and collected the data, is set to make the presentation.If any action is taken, the agenda calls for supervisors to provide city staff with direction on a conceptual plan to reduce travel lanes and allow parking in some places between 5th street on the south and Ann street on the north.Mayor Robert Crowell has said conversion of Carson Street from state to city government oversight, which was due to the freeway bypass, will offer the city a chance to experiment regarding downtown parking issues.“I want to hear what people have to say,” he said Wednesday, adding the Downtown Business Association and others may be on hand to provide additional comments. One study shows that Carson Street traffic loads have decreased by as much as 35 percent since a freeway bypass around town was extended to link with Fairview Drive well to the southeast of downtown.Also on the agenda is whether to end or continue relief from time limits on banners advertising businesses, relief in effect by ordinance since 2009 because of difficult economic times.In addition, the agenda includes potential discussion and action on specific open-space zoning and audit/finance issues.