Carson City RTC wants to fund free senior JAC passes

Submitting a grant application for $65,000 to fund continued Jump Around Carson (JAC) passes for free senior citizen bus ridership was authorized Wednesday by the Regional Transportation Commission.

The Carson City commission (RTC) voted to have staff submit the grant application to the Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division and to authorize the RTC chairman to sign it, along with associated documents, to keep a program going that provides 70,000 free JAC rides annually. Staff told RTC members seniors sign forms to obtain the passes at the city’s Senior Center.

Transportation Manager Patrick Pittenger said Carson City is unique in providing this JAC program for seniors with the funding. The $65,000 would cover the period from July 1 to mid-year in 2016.

The commission heard a report from Pittenger, Danny Rotter of the Public Works Department and Mike Bennett of Lumos Associates on the panel’s upcoming role in the downtown makeover design involving Carson Street, West 3rd street and later work on Curry Street. Lumos is the lead firm in the design process and project; Rotter is the city’s project manager.

Pittenger said the commission and the Redevelopment Authority Citizens Committee (RACC) will act at points as review panels, places in which public input may be added, and as advisory units for the Board of Supervisors as design is done this year. Construction is set for 2016. Pittenger said a public “theming workshop,” and 30 percent, 60 percent and 90 percent design stage points are planned before design is done at the end of this year.

Rotter said the theming workshop is set for April 20 and the 30 percent design stage open house is June 22, after which the commission is going to be consulted. Mid-day and after work hours are planned, but times aen’t set yet.

Bennett said three-dimensional laser survey work downtown is done and it saves considerable time while giving a complete snapshot of the existing streetscape details to help propel design decisions.