Feature of S. Carson Street project to be determined

Carson City is looking for feedback on at least one feature of the South Carson Street Complete Streets project.

Public Works staff along with design and construction contractors held a well-attended public meeting Tuesday to discuss the major road project, which is now 30 percent designed.

The project, which should start construction late next year, will run from 5th Street to Snyder Avenue, and reduce the road to two lanes in each direction with a center turn lane, install a roundabout at Stewart Street, add a multiuse path, and include other pedestrian and safety features.

Among those changes will be three new pedestrian crossings, including one near Arby’s and the Carson Mall, another near Rhodes Street, and a third to be determined depending on public feedback.

The options the city are considering are near Les Schwab Tire Center, 3020 S. Carson St.; close to Applebee’s Grill and Bar, 3300 S. Carson St.; or near Michael Hohl’s Chevy Buick GMC Cadillac, 3700 S. Carson St.

The signal for crossing will be pedestrian-triggered, with a refuge island in the middle of the road.

Dan Stucky, city engineer, said the city also is interested in any information the public has on historic and cultural resources that are along the project route.

Stucky gave a presentation on the project then fielded questions from some of the 60 or so attendees.

Several people asked about the multiuse path, which will run on the east side of the street until Clearview Drive, where pedestrians and bicyclists using it will have to cross Carson Street to connect to an existing path built by the Nevada Department of Transportation on the west side.

In addition, the east side of the road from Clearview Drive to Highway 50 West, as currently designed, will have neither a multiuse path nor a bike lane, which concerned several bicyclists at the meeting.

“We’re early on in the design so that is great feedback to have,” said Stucky.

Others were concerned about additional traffic on Curry Street.

Dirk Goering, senior transportation planner, said a traffic study determined that Curry Street would maintain an acceptable level of traffic even with more drivers using it as an alternative to South Carson Street as well as projected population growth.

The city is posting information on the South Carson Street Complete Streets project — including a virtual reality video of how the street will look that Stucky showed during the meeting — at carsonproud.com, where people can also leave feedback.