Carson City Public Works to host March 14 workshop on downtown Carson Street parking plan
The Carson City Public Works Department will give a presentation and conduct a workshop Thursday, March 14 to answer questions and take public comment regarding proposed plans to create a pedestrian-friendly environment on Carson Street through the downtown area.
The presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Center, Sierra Room. The public is invited to ask questions of Public Works staff regarding the project and provide comments regarding the conceptual plans.
The plans include using striping to reducing travel lanes from four to two, generally between Fifth Street and Ann Street, and add on-street parking. The estimated cost of the project is approximately $30,000.
Downtown business representatives approached the city supervisors last year and requested consideration of a plan to stripe Carson Street through the downtown area to allow on-street parking. The purpose of the plan is to create a pedestrian-friendly environment to help make the downtown a destination for residents and visitors.
The goal of the conceptual plan is to support the downtown businesses by making it easier for potential customers to get out of their cars and shop in the downtown area, maintaining and enhancing its commercial viability as the freeway bypasses the downtown.
The conceptual plan would require no construction other than striping the pavement and removing the existing fence at some locations along the sidewalk. All existing landscaping would remain in place. Generally, parallel parking would be striped along the sidewalks and a single travel lane would remain in each direction, and turn lanes would remain. A graphic on the back of this notice shows a sample block with the conceptual street-section layout.
Points of Interest:
Traffic counts on Carson Street south of William Street:
— 2009: 28,887 ADT (Average Daily Trips)
— 2012: 18,724 ADT (35% less than 2009)
— The last year Carson Street carried less than 19,000 ADT at the same location was 1972.
— Roop Street and Stewart Street have been improved and have the capacity to carry additional north-south traffic to relieve demand on Carson Street. Stewart Street south of William Street had 9,857 ADT in 2012, with capacity similar to Carson Street.
— The Regional Transportation Commission has studied the possibility of reducing Carson Street to two lanes through downtown and determined that it could adequately accommodate traffic at Carson City’s buildout population (more than 30 years from now).
— Studies show there is a reduction in pedestrian crash risk when crossing two- and three-lane roads compared to roads with four or more lanes.*
— Studies show there is a reduction in vehicle crash frequency as a direct result of reducing travel lanes from four lanes down to two lanes with a turn lane.*
* Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration
Potential benefits of the plan to stripe additional parking:
— Provides additional parking for downtown businesses (adding approximately 86 spaces)
— Creates a safer, more pleasant pedestrian environment
— Emphasizes shopping opportunities to motorists
— Parking spaces could be used by adjacent businesses for outdoor seating or special events
— Relatively inexpensive and reversible way to implement a portion of the long-term vision to improve the downtown and prevent relocation of existing businesses
Downtown Survey Results
In November 2012 the Planning Division sent out notices to downtown businesses and property owners to solicit feedback on the conceptual plan. The businesses and properties to which notices were sent are generally located between 5th Street and William Street, with addresses on Curry Street, Carson Street, or Plaza Street, and including all side streets within that area. Notices went out to a total of 247 property owners (81) and businesses (166).
The Planning Division received a total of 40 surveys back. Those taking the survey were asked to check whether they were a property owner within the downtown area, a business owner or manager within the downtown area, a business owner or manager outside the downtown area, and/or a Carson City resident. Multiple categories may apply to individual respondents. Following is a summary of the number of surveys received from people in the various categories, with the results of their responses in parenthesis.
Persons who are downtown property AND downtown business owners: 11
(6 for, 4 opposed, 1 undecided)
Persons who are downtown property owners but not downtown business owners: 7
(2 for, 4 opposed, 1 undecided)
Persons who are downtown business owners but not downtown property owners: 14
(7 for, 5 opposed, 2 undecided)
Person who are neither downtown property nor business owners: 8 (2 for, 6 opposed)
— Patrick Pittenger is the Transportation Manager for Carson City. He can be reached at ppittenger@carson.org
- Carson City
- Carson City Public Works
- 000
- Business
- business owners
- cars
- carson
- Carson Street
- center
- City
- community
- Community Center
- Community,
- construction
- downtown
- Downtown Carson
- environment
- events
- feedback
- Fence
- help
- highway
- landscaping
- March
- May
- News
- outdoor
- Pedestrian
- planning
- public
- regional
- results
- shopping
- Show
- Sierra
- south
- special events
- staff
- Supervisors
- Support
- survey
- travel
- U
- vehicle
- workshop
- Freeway
- public works
- Traffic