Carson City Regional Transportation Commission Meeting – August 12, 2026
Carson City Regional Transportation Commission Meeting – August 12, 2026
The Carson City Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) met on August 12, 2026 at 5:15 PM (immediately following the CAMPO meeting) in the Community Center Board Room. All commissioners were present (Bagwell, Shuty, Costa, Maloney, Novak), and the meeting was chaired by Madam Chair Bagwell. The agenda included discussion and action on contracts, interlocal agreements, and a feasibility study, as well as informational presentations.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Hope Sullivan, Director of Community and Economic Development, emphasized that the city’s master plan (adopted May 2021) integrates transportation and land use, and she offered support from her department for the North Carson Complete Streets study.
- Dee Dee Foremaster (Rural Center for Independent Living) expressed safety concerns about a large tractor parked on Fifth Street overnight, blocking a lane and impeding sidewalks. She urged better traffic control and closure of streets during construction.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes – June 10, 2026: Moved by Commissioner Novak, seconded by Commissioner Maloney, and unanimously approved.
Discussion & Action Items
5.A – Intercity Bus Service (Discussion Only)
- Alex Cruz (Senior Transit Planner, RTC Washoe) presented the Regional Connector commuter bus service between Carson City and Reno. Key points: Three morning and three afternoon trips, no weekend service; recent fare reduction to $2 (from $5) resulted in a 25% ridership increase (July 2026: 2,559 riders, ~80-90 per day); total ridership last fiscal year was 21,766. Challenges include rising labor costs ($126/revenue hour vs. ~$70-80 earlier), phasing out of electric buses (Proterra) due to maintenance issues, and limited midday service. Transition to hydrogen and diesel hybrid buses is underway. Commissioners discussed potential employer subsidies (e.g., state employees) and coordination with the upcoming JAC route refresh. No action taken.
5.B – Public Transportation Operating Services Contract with Transdev (Action)
- Motion to award a four-year contract (October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2030) to Transdev Services, Inc. (current operator of Jump Around Carson) for $7,212,994.07, plus two one-year options ($2,025,888.18 and $2,109,798.06) for a total not-to-exceed of $11,348,680.31. Staff reported Transdev had the lowest bid and highest technical score among six respondents. Commissioner Costa noted MV Transportation had a higher technical score but was more expensive. Motion approved unanimously.
5.C – Saliman School Zone Safety Project Amendment (Action)
- Amendment No. 1 with Wood Rodgers, Inc. for lighting design and right-of-way exhibits, increasing the contract by $17,500 to a total not-to-exceed of $115,750. Funded from previously allocated NV Energy savings. Approved unanimously.
5.D – Roop Street Reconstruction Amendment Ratification (Action)
- Ratification of Amendment No. 1 with F.W. Carson Co. for $126,832 (total now $2,068,050) due to unforeseen water issues requiring cement treatment of the roadbed. Work expected to begin shortly. Approved unanimously.
5.E – CDBG Subrecipient Agreement for District 4 Street Rehabilitation (Action)
- Agreement with Carson City to use $380,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for sidewalk and ADA ramp improvements on Curry/Division/10th/5th Streets. Motion included authorization for the Transportation Manager to execute the agreement and future non-substantive amendments. Approved unanimously.
5.F – Interlocal Agreement with Douglas County for Signal Maintenance (Action)
- New agreement (No. RTC-2026-01) replacing a previous underfunded arrangement. Key changes: (1) Clarifies Carson City has no responsibility for non-signal devices (e.g., license plate cameras); (2) Eliminates the $100,000 annual cap, replacing it with a prorated share based on actual costs (estimated $219,000 for FY27). Annual review of fee. Motion also authorized the Transportation Manager to sign and amend. Approved unanimously.
5.G – North Carson Complete Streets Feasibility Study (Discussion Only)
- Kelly Norman (Senior Transportation Planner) presented survey results from 569 respondents. Top three priorities: safety, beautification, and bike/pedestrian improvements. 80% use the corridor for business, 5% use transit. A Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting was held June 4, 2026. Next steps include a public meeting in November 2026, a business listening session hosted by Community and Economic Development, and development of design alternatives. Commissioners discussed lessons learned from East William Street and emphasized managing public expectations on project duration. No action taken.
Non-Action Items
6.A – Transportation Manager’s Report (Chris Martinovich)
- E-bike survey now available; JAC Rider Survey active on buses; Jack Transfer Center (Plaza Street) nearing design completion with lighting and ADA ramp upgrades; school zone beacons updated for new school start times; Safety Sally appearances planned; ongoing construction projects (East Fifth Street, Edmonds, Racetrack Road, Roop Street).
6.B – May and June Street Operations and Traffic Control Reports
- May: crack sealing on multiple streets. June: weed abatement spraying. Traffic control responded to a crash at I580/US 50, installing temporary measures.
6.C – Project Status Report and Future Agenda Items
- Staff plans to add a revenue table to the project status report. Currently there are $22.8 million in active projects. Commissioners requested greater public visibility of the report and inclusion of major punch list items or delays. Updates on Ash Canyon Road (borings completed, 30% design expected in September) and Stuart Street (potential acceleration lanes if new city hall proceeds).
Key Outcomes
- All five action items (5B through 5F) were approved unanimously.
- Transportation Manager authorized to execute agreements for 5E and 5F.
- Upcoming public meetings: North Carson Complete Streets (November 2026), business listening session (date TBD).
- Project status report format to be updated starting next month.
- Meeting adjourned at approximately 6:45 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Bagwell. Here. Vice Chair Shooty. Here. Commissioner Costa. Commissioner Maloney. Here. Commissioner Novak. Here. A quorum is present. Thank you so much. Okay, we're going to move on to agenda item three. This is our opening public comment. Do I have anyone that would like to make opening public comments? Miss Sullivan. Thank you. Um, Hope Sullivan. I'm the director of community and economic development, and I don't believe I've ever spoken to you all before. So it's good to be here. Um I oversee basically land use in the city. And I'm in May twenty twenty-one, the Board of Supervisors adopted a master plan. And in that master plan, there's a lot of discussion. I've gone over it with Kelly and Chris, and it's in your master plan about transportation in the intersection between transportation and land use. And so I really came out today on item 5G. And I just want you to know as you talk about North Carson Street and the complete streets program. That in the master plan, when we look at land development and land use, we're also looking at that component, the transportation component, and the entire corridor, and looking at things like access management, um, the safety of the street, of course, but also how how the two integrate, because you can't have one without the other, they're very integrated. And that's how the master plan speaks throughout throughout the um discussion corridors. So I just wanted to let you know that transportation's not an asylum that's definitely integrated, and I look forward to hearing your discussion. And if there's anything we can do on the land use side that helps promote what you're doing on the transportation side, that's what the master plan expected that the board adopted. Thank you. Thank you. Do I have any other public company comment? Uh Ms. Warmaster. Hi, I'm DD Foremaster for the record. I'm with the Rules Center for Independent Living. And um I just want to remind you that uh Fifth Street is getting a little dicey as far as signage for sidewalks go. And I'm extremely concerned because on the west side, everyone walks. And so uh I don't think it's a very good idea to have a huge tractor parked in the middle of Fifth Street with uh blocking one total lane of traffic, and so you have to drive around it all night long, it was parked there. And there was no one directing traffic, of course, in the middle of the night. And uh although there was little cones around it, it still was a very dangerous situation, and so kind of need to keep an eye peeled over there on that fifth street corridor because um it's uh getting a little dicey over there, and uh someone could have easily come down that shot up Fifth Street there and rammed right into that really nice tractor that I'm sure is probably city property. So and also again, they're building on both sides of the street again. So if they're gonna do that, they need to close down the whole street and have people drive around because when you're blocking both sides of the roadway, people who are walking cannot easily get around things, and I'm extremely concerned someone's gonna get hit because uh that is very narrow to begin with over there in that area. And uh there's cones everywhere, and it's uh they're even impeding the sidewalks that are supposed to be utilized. So I'm just uh voicing my concerns. Thank you very much for your time. Thank you. Do you have anyone any other public comments? Good. Okay, with that, then we're gonna move on to the agenda.
openpublica.com