Crosswalks at North Saliman Road and East Robinson Street on Feb. 7.
Photo by Scott Neuffer.
The Carson City Regional Transportation Commission meeting for Wednesday has a theme, with several agenda items focusing on pedestrian and vulnerable road user safety.
The meeting starts after the 4:30 p.m. CAMPO meeting in the boardroom of the community center, 851 E. William St.
First, commissioners will hear a discussion-only item on the College Parkway and Fairview Drive Pedestrian Safety Project.
“The project focuses on multi-lane, unsignalized, and higher speed roadway intersections with a focus on pedestrian and vulnerable road user safety,” according to the agenda. “Staff will present preliminary design concepts for six intersections located along College Parkway and Fairview Drive. The six intersections are College Parkway and Imperial Way, College Parkway and Northgate Lane, College Parkway and Airport Road, Fairview Drive and Gordon Street, Fairview Drive and Desatoya Drive, and Fairview Drive and Edmonds Drive.”
It's been nearly a year since Carson Area Metropolitan Planning Organization completed a Local Road Safety Plan identifying priority intersections and road segments for safety improvements.
“Staff utilized the LRSP to develop the project to decrease severity of crashes and to promote vulnerable road user safety,” says a staff report. “A vulnerable user is someone using transportation facilities who is not inside of a vehicle, including pedestrians, wheelchair users, and cyclists.”
In developing the project, transportation staff prioritized locations “with the highest risk for high impact crashes involving a vulnerable road user.”
“All six locations will receive new yield signs, advance pedestrian warning signs, reflective striping on sign posts, and updated yield bar locations,” reads a staff report. “Intersections at Airport Road and Desatoya Drive will have relocated crosswalks to accommodate a pedestrian refuge. Imperial Way, Northgate Lane, and Gordon Street will also include pedestrian refuge however existing turn lanes will be impacted. Imperial Way, Airport Road, Desatoya Drive, and Edmonds Drive will receive additional overhead lighting. Edmonds Drive includes work at S. Lompa Lane/Fairview Drive, and sidewalk connectivity along Fairview Drive between Edmonds Drive and S. Lompa Lane.”
The city estimated the cost of the project to be approximately $1.14 million. Staff anticipated pursuing federal Highway Safety Improvement Program funds for the project.
After the discussion, commissioners will consider three HSIP grant applications to the Nevada Department of Transportation. The one for the aforementioned project would ask for $906,342 with a 5 percent local match of $47,703, according to the agenda.
Another grant application would ask for $308,750 for the Curry Street Complete Streets Project with a 5 percent local match of $16,250. The third grant submittal would be for $689,034 for the Saliman Road School Routes Improvement Project with a 5 percent local match of $36,265, according to the agenda.
“The Saliman Project will install new radar feedback signs, crosswalk lighting, raised medians, signal upgrades, ADA improvements, and sidewalk widening to improve safety and connectivity along the Saliman Road corridor with three schools between East William Street and Sonoma Street,” says a staff report. “The Saliman Project is referenced in both the LRSP and the Carson City Safe Routes to School Master Plan.”
Commissioners will also consider a letter of intent and grant application to the Nevada Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety for $13,333, with a 25 percent local match of $3,333. The money would be used for an educational campaign “aimed at increasing awareness of bicycle and pedestrian related laws and reducing fatal and serious injury crashes,” according to the agenda.
In April 2024, the Appeal published the results of an investigation into pedestrian deaths in Carson City, revealing 19 such deaths since 2013. That total included a 2016 fatality at Fairview and Gordon and a 2022 death on College Parkway near Imperial Way.