A map from Applied Pavement Technology showing Carson City roads color-coded by pavement condition index.
Courtesy
With a new report on pavement conditions, the Carson City Regional Transportation Commission on Wednesday recommended to the Board of Supervisors budgets for three transportation funds while excluding two requests for more personnel.
The vote was unanimous to send to supervisors a proposed budget of $3.1 million for the Transit Fund, $6.2 million for the Regional Transportation Fund, and about $6.9 million for the Street Maintenance Fund.
RTC members also serve on the Carson Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, which meets before the RTC. CAMPO members reviewed findings of a new pavement survey conducted by Applied Pavement Technology. The survey covered 276 centerline miles of roadway in Carson and 176 centerline miles in Douglas County (excluding the Tahoe Basin).
The survey found that overall PCI (pavement condition index) on local roads in Carson has, in two years, gone from 56, or fair condition, to 55, crossing the threshold into poor condition. Regional roads — arterials and collectors — have gone from 74, satisfactory condition, to 69, fair condition. Carson’s PCI for all roads dropped 4 percent in the time period from 62 to 60, slipping further down the fair category.
In Douglas County, local roads achieved an overall fair PCI of 60, while regional roads were satisfactory with a PCI of 83. The PCI for all roads surveyed in the county was 68, or fair.
“So PCI is for paved roads,” clarified Jon Erb, Douglas County’s transportation engineering manager who sits on CAMPO. “Douglas County has 43 miles, to be exact, of roads made out of grindings, so there are a lot of missing streets in the Johnson Lane and north county areas that aren’t on here.”
Regarding Carson pavement, CAMPO and RTC member Jim Dodson said the report shows pavement conditions for local roads in the city declining about 15 percent over the last 10 years.
“It certainly gets your attention that there’s something going on,” he said.
In November, Carson City voters rejected two tax measures designed to raise $7 million annually for local roads, which don’t qualify for federal grants like regional roads.
“I appreciate the report,” Carson City Supervisor Lisa Schuette, who sits on the transportation boards, said Wednesday. “And I think it really highlights the need for future discussions on road funding and the importance of the maintenance and preservation, especially what you said… that you have that window of opportunity for the slurry seal or the crack sealing.”
Transportation staff had used Race Track Road in south Carson as an example of quickly deteriorating pavement. In three years, the PCI of Race Track between Wheeler Peak Drive and Cone Peak Drive went from 97, or good, to 58, or fair.
“Race Track in District 3 is now on this edge with a 58 PCI where slurry can help now, but it will soon deteriorate to below that threshold to require a full reconstruction,” said Carson City Senior Transportation Planner Kelly Norman. “As an example, Presti (Presti Lane between Medical Parkway and Eagle Valley Ranch Road) was improved from a 50 PCI to a 91 with a slurry.”
When later reviewing budgets, RTC members were mindful of limited revenue. The Transit Fund, supported by federal grants, is for Jump Around Carson operations.
For road projects, Carson City rotates every year between five performance districts. RTC members prioritize projects in June. The fiscal year 2026 tentative budget for the Regional Transportation Fund seen Wednesday reflected $1.05 million allocated for District 3 regional road projects and $580,000 for possible District 3 local road projects.
Carson City Transportation Manager Chris Martinovich said in the upcoming prioritization process (typically focused on regional roads), the city could consider local roads, too.
“I will say I don’t need direction on that tonight, but I think there would be some changes to the budget as needed,” he said.
RTC Chair and Carson Mayor Lori Bagwell argued the Regional Transportation Fund, reliant on fuels taxes, “needs an infusion from another source to create more dollars to be available to meet these needs.” She warned PCI will continue to decline without new funding.
Moving to the Street Maintenance Fund (used for street repairs, striping, cleaning, snowplowing and traffic signal and sign maintenance), RTC members recommended excluding two supplemental requests from Public Works.
The first request was for $20,245.60 or 20 percent funding for a new full-time compliance officer who would also work at — and be partially funded by — the landfill, water and wastewater divisions along with street maintenance.
The second request was for $190,000 a year to contract up to three workers for trash and weed removal, weed control and other cleaning of the public right of way — a proposal RTC members did not believe was a priority.
Addressing the compliance officer, Public Works Deputy Director Rick Cooley gave the example of illegal dumping and code-violating election signs affecting street crews. He maintained he didn’t want to use managers or other staff to deal with compliance issues.
“This was just trying to alleviate some of that load that is being distributed to others,” he said. “When folks pick up the phone, we’re responsible, and so it comes with a price.”
Bagwell lauded staff for being responsive to public complaints but said road funding and street maintenance have limited dollars.
“We’re really hurting in the road arena, and I just don’t feel comfortable adding positions that are not directly fixing a road,” she said.
The mayor indicated the issue of code compliance could be examined at the Board of Supervisors level.
RTC members generally agreed other Public Works divisions could take up a new compliance officer without a contribution from street maintenance.