RTC Commissioners, below you will find your June 2020 RTC Board Update eNews. This electronic newsletter is distributed monthly following your board meeting.
COVID-19 Update
The RTC has gradually reopened its physical administrative offices to staff, but for everyone’s safety, offices currently remain closed to the public to minimize potential exposure to and transmission of COVID-19.
RTC 4TH STREET STATION offers limited public access for sales and customer service in the north building. Customer Service at RTC CENTENNIAL PLAZA STATION is open.
The public is asked to reach out to RTC’s departments by phone or electronically using the email addresses below. Calls and emails will be answered during normal business hours, Monday through Friday.
Public Comment Submissions for RTC Board Meetings: rtcpubliccomments@rtcwashoe.com. Comments should be submitted before each RTC monthly board meeting.
Transit Services:
Transit services continue on a normal schedule. RTC's transit contractors are continuing increased transit vehicle sanitation and the RTC is working with its transit contractors towards installing hand-sanitizing stations on each bus.
The RTC is in compliance with the mandatory wearing of face coverings Directive issued by Governor Sisolak, effective June 26, 2020. Face coverings are now required to be worn by transit riders. Exceptions are as follows:
People with breathing complications
People with medical conditions
Children ages 2-9
Transit riders may use their personal face covering or request a free one from customer service. We thank our transit passengers for complying with the Governor’s Directive for their safety and those around them.
The RTC thanks the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Transit Administration (in coordination with the FTA Region 9 Office), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security for their delivery of 1,500 masks for contracted transit employees and 6,000 masks for transit passengers.
Visit rtcwashoe.com to sign up for route-specific alerts, including detours and service modifications.
Public Meetings:
The RTC will continue to provide virtual community-engagement opportunities and will not have in-person public meetings until further notice.
More Information:
The RTC will continue to monitor and implement safety protocols and recommendations as directed by Governor Sislolak, public health authorities, and local leaders to ensure the safety and well being of our employees, our transit and construction contractors, our customers, and our community. This situation is fluid and is subject to change as needed. Go tortcwashoe.com and follow RTC onFacebook,Twitter,Instagram, andYouTube.
Construction is underway to improve Sun Valley Boulevard from 7th Avenue to Highland Ranch Parkway. The project will increase safety in the neighborhood and benefit drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users.
Two-way traffic will be maintained within the construction zone for the time being, but drivers can anticipate lane closures and potential intersection closures as the project progresses. During paving operations, one-way northbound traffic will be in place on Sun Valley Boulevard. The RTC will provide advance notice of one-way traffic operations.
The RTC does anticipate increased traffic within the construction zone and encourages drivers coming from Sparks to use Pyramid Highway instead of cutting through to Sun Valley Boulevard, when possible. Homes and businesses along this corridor will remain accessible during construction.
Phase one of the project includes improvements on Sun Valley Boulevard from 7th Avenue to Highland Ranch Parkway, including:
Two new pedestrian-activated rapid flashing beacon crossings at Quartz Lane and Middle Fork Drive
Dedicated left-turn lane from northbound Sun Valley Boulevard to Staci Way
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements
New sidewalks and bike lanes
New pavement
An upgraded traffic signal at Sun Valley Boulevard/7th Street and a reconfiguration of the intersection to improve safety
Aesthetic improvements
The project is anticipated to be substantially complete in December 2020, weather permitting.
The Sun Valley Boulevard Project was developed following the Sun Valley Boulevard Corridor Study in 2015, which focused on the area from Clear Acre Lane to Highland Ranch Parkway.
Phase one of this project represents an approximate $8-million investment in our community funded with local fuel-tax revenue.
RTC Asks for Community Feedback on 2050 Regional Transportation Plan
The RTC is planning for the future transportation needs of our region by developing the 2050 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). Community feedback is a vital component of the RTP and the RTC is inviting the community to participate virtually by watching a video presentation and taking an online survey. Through the survey, the community will help identify transportation solutions that they would like the RTC to consider in the plan.
The online survey will accept responses through July 20, 2020.
The 2050 RTP will build upon the 2040 RTP adopted in 2017. This community-based plan will be developed through a robust outreach process and conducted in collaboration with partner agencies and public input. The plan will address the safety, mobility, connectivity, and traffic-operations issues that are resulting from increased population, and employment growth in the region.
Federal regulations require that the long-range planning document be updated every four years. The RTP is the RTC’s long-range transportation plan as required under Title 23, Part 450 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). It contains major transportation projects and programs for Washoe County for all modes of travel. It functions as the major tool for implementing long-range transportation planning.
The RTP captures the community’s vision of the transportation system and identifies the projects, programs and services necessary to achieve that vision which may be implemented by RTC, member entities, and NDOT.
The RTP is on an 18-month schedule for the development and approval process. It is anticipated to be complete by or before May 2021.
At its June 19 Board Meeting, the RTC Board approved transit service improvements that are anticipated to be implemented this fall, including introducing more FlexRIDE microtransit services to improve transit access, passenger travel times and to allow for more community-wide connectivity.
The following improvements were approved by the RTC Board:
FlexRIDE: Implement two additional microtransit projects, known as FlexRIDE, in the Somersett and Spanish Springs areas.Spanish Springs will be merged with the current Sparks FlexRIDE service area to become the Sparks-Spanish Springs FlexRIDE zone. FlexRIDE allows passengers to request rides at their closest curbside location and get dropped off at another curbside location within the FlexRIDE service area. Rides can be requested on a smartphone using an app, or by calling the RTC directly. Please refer to the virtual presentation for the FlexRIDE zone area details. These new FlexRIDE services will launch by November 2020.
Route 5: Extend route to provide access to Desert Skies Middle School/Washoe County Food Pantry. This extension may be implemented at the start of the Washoe County School District school year.
Route 18: Add three additional trips on weekdays at 7:15 p.m., 8:15 p.m. and 9:15 p.m., and four additional trips on Sundays at 9:15 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., and 12:15 p.m. to fill in gaps of service.
Route 25: Discontinue and replace with Route 26.
Route 26: Reinstate Route 26, which will extend to Northern Nevada Medical Center. FlexRIDE will continue to service this area. The McCarran Blvd., East Lincoln, Howard loop would be eliminated.
All routes: Continuation of timetable adjustments to continue improving travel times and on-time performance.
The RTC continually analyzes its transit operations and performance data to maximize resources and improve efficiency to enhance quality customer service to riders. This analysis tracks ridership data and allocates buses and other resources to more productive routes, improving efficiency and transit-system operations within financial constraints.
The Virginia Street Project will have two new roundabouts, one in Midtown and one by the University. Learn how to navigate a roundabout by watching this video from the Nevada Department of Transportation and the Nevada Highway Patrol.
Virginia Street Project Update
Midtown Update:
The RTC and SNC are continuing construction operations in Midtown. Crews are finishing center median work, landscaping, roadway striping, and final utility work. Virginia Street is anticipated to reopen to two-way traffic in Midtown in August, when construction is expected to be substantially complete.
Construction on the roundabout at Center/Mary Streets continues and the roundabout is only partially open at this time. For everyone's safety, please slow down, obey traffic signs and pay attention as you drive through the roundabout. At this time, traffic is only one-way via a southbound detour through the east side of the roundabout. Watch the video above to learn more about how to drive in a roundabout.
The RTC encourages the community to continue to support Midtown businesses within the construction zone.
University of Nevada, Reno-area Update:
Construction crews are continuing sidewalk improvements on the east side of Virginia Street, between I-80 and the West Stadium Parking Complex entrance. Crews are also working on the roundabout near the West Stadium Parking Complex entrance. Current construction operations on the east side of the roadway will not significantly impact traffic on Virginia Street, which is expected to remain open to two-way traffic until mid-July, when it will switch to one-way, northbound traffic. At that time, southbound traffic will be detoured to Sierra Street.
More information
For more information about the Virginia Street Project, visit VirginiaStreetProject.com, text VIRGINIA to 797979, sign up for weekly stakeholder updates, and follow RTC on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Automatic Road Feature Extraction from LiDAR Data for Traffic Safety Analysis and Evaluation
The RTC, in partnership with the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), recently received a Safety Data Initiative grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation – Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST) for approximately $300,000 to develop a tool that automatically extracts highly accurate road geometric features from mobile light-detection-and-ranging (LiDAR) data collected on roads. The RTC and UNR will collaborate with the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) which collects and manages statewide mobile LiDAR data using their own data-collection vehicle. The RTC will use this tool to prepare road data that is essential to:
· Analyze relationships between crashes and road factors;
· Identify locations and characteristics of crashes using network screening;
· Select appropriate countermeasures and strategies; and
· Evaluate safety improvement projects.
The Automatic Road Feature Extraction from LiDAR (ARFEL) tool will integrate a user interface and a LiDAR-data processing engine as an add-in on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications. ARFEL will utilize the NDOT mobile LiDAR data, extract road features required for safety analysis, and create GIS data layers of road features. The generated road feature data will allow further query, analysis, and visualization in a GIS platform to evaluate detailed features such as the roadway configuration and geometry, shoulders, medians, curbs, pedestrian facilities, and roadside design.
The current lack of comprehensive roadway safety data, including information on the roadway and roadside features, limits the RTC from performing thorough safety analyses with the Highway Safety Manual and other data-driven safety analysis tools. The proposed ARFEL tool will bridge the available NDOT mobile LiDAR data and the road data required for traffic safety analysis. The models developed for northern Nevada can be modified and applied to other regions if local mobile LiDAR data is available.
NDOT currently collects mobile LiDAR data on road segments every few years. The ARFEL tool will significantly reduce the high labor and time costs of repeated manual measurements. Unlike existing published research or research for a specific agency, the proposed tool will be available for any owners/users of mobile LiDAR data with GIS software. The RTC anticipates completion of this effort within one year of the project initiation.
The RTC would like to thank the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Nevada Congressional Delegation for their support of the grant award.
RTC Plans Pavement Preservation Projects for California Ave., Mayberry Dr. and First St.
The RTC is beginning the design of pavement preservation projects planned for California Avenue, Mayberry Drive and First Street as part of a combined project called Reno Consolidated 20-01. Since May 27, the community has had the opportunity to provide comments on the project and can still do so through June 30.
The RTC keeps an inventory of the condition of our regional roadways to ensure they are maintained in good condition. California Avenue, Mayberry Drive and West First Street were noted as pavement preservation candidates last year. These streets are beginning to deteriorate and it is time to repair them. In addition to repairing the streets, the RTC will make these areas more accessible for pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users.
California Avenue:
On California Avenue, between Booth Street and Hunter Lake Drive, the RTC will rehabilitate the roadway, make ADA improvements, create bicycle and pedestrian connectivity, add and maintain sidewalks, and improve safety. At the California Avenue/Mayberry Drive intersection, the RTC plans reconfigure it to a four-way intersection with crosswalks, use engineering to slow traffic entering the neighborhood, and create fewer conflict points between pedestrians, bicycles and cars, creating a safer roadway. The RTC will also improve ADA access to the Route 16 transit stops on California Avenue near Arbutus Street and Hunter Lake Drive.
Mayberry Drive:
In addition to the intersection improvements mentioned above, on Mayberry Drive, from Memory Lane to California Avenue, the RTC will rehabilitate the roadway and maintain sidewalk connectivity and existing bike lanes.
First Street:
On First Street, from Sierra Street to Virginia Street, the RTC plans to rehabilitate the roadway, make ADA improvements and replace sidewalks.
To provide comments or ask questions, visit rtcwashoe.com, provide comments by mailing them to Judy Tortelli, RTC Project Manager, 1105 Terminal Way, Suite #108, Reno, NV 89502, emailing jtortelli@rtcwashoe.com, or calling (775) 335-1824.
These projects represent an approximate $4.4-million investment in our community funded with fuel tax revenue. Final project design is expected in December 2020 and construction is anticipated to begin in late summer of 2021.
RTC University-Area Transportation Study Approved by the RTC Board
The RTC presented a draft of its University-Area Transportation Study to the RTC Board at its June meeting. The study identifies ways to improve safety and mobility around the University of Nevada, Reno, campus.
The RTC studied multimodal transportation and roadway operations in the area just south of the university campus. This study considered the development plans slated to occur on or near the campus in the coming years and identified needed connectivity, safety, and access improvements for alternative-transportation modes on regional roads within the study focus area. The RTC Board accepted the report and approved the study.
The RTC is set to start a roadway rehabilitation project on Lakeside Drive in mid-July. The project includes the rehabilitation of Lakeside Drive between McCarran Boulevard and Evans Creek Drive.
The pavement in this section of Lakeside Drive has deteriorated and needs to be replaced. As part of the project, some sidewalks and curbs will also be replaced. The RTC will also add new bike lanes on both sides of the roadway and make ADA improvements.
The project is anticipated to take about three months to complete. The project represents a $2.2-million investment in our community.
NDOT Spaghetti Bowl Xpress Update
Major construction will launch this summer as part of Nevada Department of Transportation's (NDOT) Spaghetti Bowl Xpress (SBX) project. The team conducted design survey operations and utility identification in April and May.
Beginning in August, northbound I-580 lane reductions and shifts are scheduled to take place between Villanova Drive and the spaghetti bowl as NDOT replaces aging interstate concrete. NDOT also anticipates construction of the Reno Sparks Indian Colony neighborhood wall adjacent to I-580 and utility relocations to begin in summer 2020. Drivers will see minor traffic control on Mill Street and Second Street/Glendale Avenue associated with the neighborhood wall construction. Major traffic control will be communicated in advance.
New Project Interactive Map
View project improvements over the existing roadways. Information is preliminary and subject to revision. View the map online.
Now - June 30 Virtual Community Presentation - Reno Consolidated 20-01 Project
Visit rtcwashoe.com to watch the video presentation and provide comments.
Now - July 20 Virtual Community Presentation - 2050 RTP Alternatives Analysis
Visit rtcwashoe.com to watch the video presentation and take the survey.
July 3 RTC Administrative Offices closed in observance of Independence Day
July 4 RTC Transit on a Sunday schedule in observance of Independence Day
July 17 RTC Board Meeting
Watch on YouTube at 9 a.m.
This meeting will be available to view on RTC's YouTube page. In-person attendance will not be allowed, but this meeting will be available to view online.
Following are approved ways for the public to participate in the meeting without having to be physically present:
Leave a voicemail at (775) 335-0018 (3-minute time limit)
Please note that public comments and voicemails submitted by 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, will be entered into the meeting record.
Please contact Michael Moreno or me with any questions you may have.
Michael can be reached at (775) 335-1869 or email at mmoreno@rtcwashoe.com.
Archived editions are available at: rtcwashoe.com.
