RTC Commissioners, this is your January 2021 RTC Board Update eNews. This electronic newsletter is distributed monthly following your board meeting.
RTC Board Appoints New Chair, Vice Chair
The RTC Board elected RTC Commissioner and Reno City Councilmember Neoma Jardon as the RTC Chair at the January 15 RTC Board Meeting. Sparks Mayor and incoming RTC Commissioner Ed Lawson was appointed RTC Vice Chair. They will serve in this capacity for two years.
Chair Jardon has served on the RTC Board since December 2013. During her tenure, she has been a champion for transportation improvements in the region for our community. She received the 2016 American Planning Association Nevada Chapter DeBoer Award for Distinguished Leadership, Elected Official.
The RTC welcomes Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson to the RTC Board. He was elected to the Sparks City Council in November 2010, reelected in 2014 and 2018, and was sworn in as the Mayor of Sparks on September 14, 2020.
Virginia Street Project Construction Substantially Complete
Construction on the RTC's Virginia Street Project, both near the University and in Midtown, is now substantially complete. The final piece of the Virginia Street Project will be the extension of the RAPID Virginia Line service to the University in early 2021. Transit riders including students, faculty, and staff will be more connected to our region than ever before.
The University and the community will benefit from the extended RAPID service and new stations because of their convenient locations and quick access to destinations along Virginia Street from campus to downtown Reno, Midtown Reno, and Meadowood Mall.
Even though construction is substantially complete, construction crews will still be putting the finishing touches on the roundabout monument and some transit stations near the University.
Highlights of the project near the University of Nevada, Reno, include:
RAPID Bus Stations on both sides of Virginia Street (five total)
Sidewalk improvements (along Virginia Street between Maple Street and the University’s West Stadium Parking Complex entrance)
A roundabout on Virginia Street at the entrance to the University’s West Stadium Parking Complex to improve safety and traffic flow
Restriping of the roadway from two lanes of traffic in each direction to one traffic lane and one shared bus/bicycle lane for both northbound and southbound traffic flow
The bus route that will extend to the University is the RAPID Virginia Line, which is an enhanced transit service. The route has features that allow buses to travel more quickly on Virginia Street and with fewer stops than on regular bus routes, including transit stops approximately every half mile, raised level-boarding platforms to allow passengers to get on and off quickly, dedicated bus lanes in some locations, and technology that allows the bus to communicate with traffic signals to help keep the route on schedule. The new electric coaches are very quiet and passengers waiting at RAPID stations will be encouraged to pay extra attention when the bus is arriving. The RAPID routes (Virginia Line and Lincoln Line) are the highest-ridership routes in RTC’s transit system. Extending the RAPID Virginia Line to the University will increase ridership while providing students, faculty, and staff with an enhanced travel option through the Virginia Street corridor in Reno. In addition to the RAPID stations, other improvements include the addition of wider sidewalks that meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, bicycle lanes, and a center median in some areas.
Parking is limited in and around the campus. Transit helps improve access and walkability, reduces pollution, and is a sustainable solution that contributes to a better quality of life for those who live nearby transit stops and choose to ride transit. Construction near the University of Nevada, Reno began on March 6, 2020. How to Navigate a Roundabout: The Virginia Street Project includes two new roundabouts, one in Midtown at the intersection of Virginia Street/Center Street/Mary Street, and one at the University of Nevada, Reno, near the University’s West Stadium Parking Complex. Roundabouts provide for safer and more efficient travel for commuters and pedestrians. Studies indicate that roundabouts reduce vehicle collisions by 39% and the severity of injury-producing crashes by 76%. Roundabouts also improve traffic flow when replacing stop signs or traffic signals at intersections by as much as 75%. This safety video, created by the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) and the Nevada Office of Public Safety, provides good information to drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Roundabout safety requires vehicles to slow down and pay close attention to all roadway users in or near the roundabout, including other vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians. About the Virginia Street Project: The Virginia Street Bus RAPID Transit Extension Project improves safety and provides better access, enhanced transit service, and improved mobility for everyone. This includes extending the RAPID Virginia Line from Midtown to the University of Nevada, Reno. The project represents an approximately $90 million investment in our community. The project is funded with fuel tax revenue, sales tax revenue, and federal funds. Acknowledgements: The RTC thanks our partners in the Virginia Street Project for bringing this project to fruition: The City of Reno, University of Nevada, Reno, the Federal Transit Administration, the Midtown businesses, and the community. The RTC also thanks our local contractor Sierra Nevada Construction, construction manager and environmental consultant Atkins, and design consultants NCE and C A Group, Inc., for creating local jobs for Northern Nevadans and bringing this project to completion. Thank you to PK Electrical, LA Studios, Shields Engineering, CME, MAPCA, and Taylor Made Solutions. And thank you to A-1 Steel, Anark Corporation, Associated Concrete Pumping, Badger Daylighting Corp., Cinderlite Trucking Corp., Desert Commercial Sweeping, Eastern Sierra Engineering, Eastern Sierra Sweeping, Reno Iron Works, High Desert Surface Prep, Kustom Koatings, Moana Nursery, Morgan Construction, Nevada Barricade & Sign Co., Noah’s Park Tree Care, Northern Nevada Rebar, nvision Glass, Pavement Recycling Systems, Penhall Company, Reno Rock Transport, RFI Enterprises, Sierra Rental & Transport Co., Silver State Masonry, Titan Electrical, Underground Video Technology, Western Partitions, and YESCO. More information: For more information about the Virginia Street Project, visit VirginiaStreetProject.com and follow RTC on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The RTC's transit fleet is getting better for the environment as the RTC Board continues to make clean transportation a priority in our community. The RTC is set to add an additional 19 new buses to its fleet through February.
Seventeen of the new buses are New Flyer Hybrid electric/biodiesel buses, and two buses will be Proterra electric buses. Some of the hybrid buses are already running as part of RTC's transit system. The two Proterra all-electric buses will debut on the RTC's extended RAPID Virginia Line when it launches in early March 2021.
The hybrid buses will replace aging, end-of-life vehicles. When all of the new buses are deployed, 55 out of the 68 buses in RTC's fleet, or more than 80%, will be hybrid or electric alternative-fuel vehicles. The RTC's goal is to have an all-alternative-fuel fleet by 2035. The RTC used federal funds to purchase the buses.
The RTC is committed to improving sustainability across the agency and throughout our community. Since 2010, the RTC has reduced total facility energy use by 25%, reduced criteria air pollutants per unlinked passenger trip by 13.1%, and increased our recycling rate to approximately 33%.
There are a variety of benefits to taking public transportation. For example, if you take a bus, you help reduce greenhouse gas emissions into our environment, which helps promote better air quality in the Truckee Meadows. In addition, public transportation can ease traffic, reduce congestion, and save energy and fuel.
In July 2017, the RTC Board formally adopted its award-winning Sustainability Plan as the guiding document on the future of sustainability for the agency. This plan identifies the existing transportation and operational sustainability measures undertaken by the RTC and establishes goals to continue to reduce fuel consumption, improve air quality, and further minimize the carbon footprint of RTC operational activities.
Sparks Blvd. Project Update
Since October, the RTC has been working with local, state, and federal agencies to identify a preferred alternative for the Sparks Blvd. Project, as well as reviewing the human and natural environmental resources in the corridor for the Environmental Assessment (EA). The RTC is in the final process of coming to a consensus with the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) and the City of Sparks and anticipates having a preferred alternative selected by the end of February.
What’s Next
Once there is a preferred alternative, the RTC will share this on the project website for you to review and to take comments on how we may improve it. Our team will complete the EA that captures all the environmental effects of the project along with the preferred alternative. Then, we will conduct a public information meeting with a 30-day comment period for the community to review the draft EA and our team’s evaluation of all the alternatives and why the preferred was selected. This will also be an opportunity for the community to provide feedback. The public information meeting and comment period is scheduled to occur in early spring.
Stay in Touch
The RTC always welcomes your comments and questions. Visit the project website, SparksBlvdProject.com, for current information, to leave a comment and to subscribe for updates or call the project hotline at (775) 789-9809.
RTC to Install New Traffic Signal at Rock Blvd./Edison Way
The RTC began construction on a new traffic signal at the intersection of Rock Boulevard and Edison Way in Reno on January 11, 2021. The traffic signal will be activated in spring 2021.
This intersection has seen an increase in traffic and was determined to warrant a traffic signal to help improve safety.
Drivers can anticipate minor lane and shoulder closures as part of the traffic signal installation process. As part of the Traffic Engineering Spot 9 – Package 2 project, the RTC will also be upgrading outdated traffic signal equipment at intersections in the Reno area, including:
Rock Boulevard/Mill Street
6th Street/Valley Road
Center Street/Plaza Street
Center Street/First Street
Mill Street/Lake Street
Sierra Street/First Street
Sierra Street/Second Street
Virginia Street/Court Street
4th Street/Arlington Avenue
4th Street/Ralston Street
2nd Street/Ralston Street
7th Street/Stoker Avenue
Mt. Rose Street/Arlington Avenue
Work on this project is anticipated to be complete in May 2021. This project is being done in partnership with the City of Reno and represents a $2.1 million investment in our community.
The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) continues to work on the design of Phase 1 of the Pyramid Highway project that consists of increased roadway capacity, safety, and multimodal improvements on Pyramid from Queen Way to Golden View Drive. Design of this phase is scheduled to be complete in August 2022. An Interlocal Agreement between the RTC and NDOT was presented to the RTC Board at the January 15 meeting. Working with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the RTC will be transferring the recently awarded $23 million BUILD grant to NDOT for construction of Phase 1, anticipated to begin in 2023. The estimated overall Phase 1 cost is $54.1 million. Additional phases to complete the project will be included in the 2050 Regional Transportation Plan.
The project will improve safety and mobility in the corridor and widen approximately 2.4 miles of Pyramid Highway, approximately 1.6 miles from Queen Way to Los Altos Parkway from four-lanes to six-lanes and reconstructing approximately 0.75 miles of existing four-lane roadway from Los Altos Parkway to Golden View Drive. It also includes installation of smart traffic signals, raised median, multi-use path, bike lanes, sidewalks, sound walls, and aesthetic enhancements.
The project will be delivered in cooperation with NDOT and FHWA, in collaboration with Washoe County, the City of Sparks, the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, and other regional stakeholders.
Eligible trips must start and end in the Reno-Sparks service area, pictured above.
RTC Seeking Participants for RTC Washoe-Uber Rides Pilot Program
The RTC is seeking participants for a new RTC Washoe-Uber Rides Pilot Program. Modeled after the RTC Washoe Senior Ride program, but with Ubers instead of taxis, the one-year pilot program provides flexible transportation options for people in our community.
Through this program, the RTC will subsidize 75% of your fare (up to $9) for trips on Uber that start and end in the Reno-Sparks area. Users can receive up to five subsidized Uber rides per month. With this program, eligible customers may now use Uber at a substantially discounted rate with a portion of the ride subsidized by the RTC. During the pilot program, we will only be accepting 50 applications.
The RTC Washoe-Uber Rides Pilot Program is funded by the one-fourth percent of Washoe County sales tax that is allocated for public transportation.
This pilot program provides alternative, reliable, and affordable transportation to Washoe County residents who are 60 years and older, RTC ACCESS client (any age), and Washoe County Veterans (any age). Please note, Washoe Senior Ride Taxi Bucks Program-eligible clients would not be qualified for participation in this pilot program.
Eligible applicants are encouraged to apply at rtcwashoe.com.
Watch this video to learn more about the Mt. Rose Corridor Study.
NDOT: The Future of Mt. Rose Highway
The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) is conducting a corridor study on Mt. Rose Highway from the Alternate U.S. 395 intersection to Douglas Fir Drive. The corridor study will also review Geiger Grade from the Alternate U.S. 395 intersection to the Veterans Parkway roundabout.
Current and future roadway use will be evaluated, including projected traffic volumes through year 2040 at 13 intersections on the corridor. The resulting corridor master plan completed at the end of 2021 will provide a high-level vision for potential options to improve traffic safety and mobility for all transportation types. Potential future improvements would be coordinated between Washoe County, City of Reno, Nevada Highway Patrol, RTC Washoe, and others.
Over the coming weeks, NDOT is hosting a virtual public meeting to gather feedback. By visiting the meeting link at nevadadot.com/mtrose any time between January 26 and February 9, visitors can scroll through study updates and provide feedback. A live virtual presentation, including question and answer session, will be held at 5:30 p.m. on January 26 for those who wish to attend. A recording of the live presentation will also be available on the website after January 26.
Infrastructure improvements help keep Nevada safe and connected. Those projects also provide good-paying jobs to Nevadans. The White House Council of Economic Advisers estimates that every $1 billion in highway and transit investment supports 13,000 jobs for one year.
Right here in the Truckee Meadows, NDOT’s phased spaghetti bowl improvements will support more than 26,000 jobs over the coming two decades. It also provides numerous business opportunities for Nevada-based suppliers and vendors.
As the first phase of spaghetti bowl improvements continue, that means an average of 215 full-time jobs created and supported across our region through the coming two years. These jobs will support Nevada families and help stimulate Nevada’s economy.
Community members can also keep updated at ndotspaghettibowl.com as spaghetti bowl and southbound I-580 bridges and ramps are widened and improved.
February 15 Presidents Day - RTC Transit on Saturday-level Holiday Schedule RTC Physical and Virtual Administrative Offices Closed
February 19 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, February 18, 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.
