2040 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN
Your RTC. Our Community. 1] 2040 RegionalAdopted Transportation May Plan 18, 2017
The 2040 Regional Transportation Plan for the Washoe County metropolitan area articulates the vision and priorities that will enhance the region’s quality of life.
2016 Population City of Reno
286,436
City of Sparks
107,475
Unincorporated Washoe County in the Urbanized Area
41,619
Washoe Valley
5,115
Incline Village
9,297
Other areas of Washoe County
805
Total Washoe County
450,747
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Letter from the Executive Director The RTC is pleased to present the 2040 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) to the citizens of Washoe County. The RTP is the region’s 20-year long range plan. The overarching vision contained in this plan focuses on transportation as a catalyst for developing economic opportunities that sustain our valued quality of life. The plan defines the long range policies and priorities for the community’s future transportation system and serves as the blueprint to maintain our public transit network and improve our roadways, improving accessibility to all regardless of age or ability. It is a key component to improving our region’s quality of life and air quality. Thank you for your support and in the opportunity we have to inspire, innovate and implement an integrated, efficient regional transportation system.
Sincerely, Lee Gibson, AICP Executive Director
RTC CHAIR RON SMITH Sparks Mayor Pro Tem
RTC VICE CHAIR BOB LUCEY Washoe County Commission Chair
COMMISSIONER NEOMA JARDON Reno Vice Mayor
COMMISSIONER PAUL MCKENZIE COMMISSIONER MARSHA BERKBIGLER Washoe County Commission Vice Chair Reno Councilmember
LEE GIBSON RTC Executive Director
RUDY MALFABON NDOT Director, Ex-Officio
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A special thank you goes out to those who had a significant contribution in developing this document. THE RTC BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
REGIONAL AGENCIES
Ron Smith, RTC Chair, Sparks Mayor Pro Tempore Bob Lucey, RTC Vice Chair, Washoe County Commission Chair Neoma Jardon, Reno Vice Mayor Paul McKenzie, Reno Councilmember Marsha Berkbigler, Washoe County Commission Vice Chair Rudy Malfabon, NDOT Director
Carson Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Patrick Pittenger Dirk Goering Tahoe Regional Planning Agency/Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization John Hester Nick Haven Karen Fink Tahoe Transportation District
CITIZENS MULTIMODAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Carl Hasty Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency Kimberly Robinson Jeremy Smith Lauren Knox Washoe County Health District — Air Quality Management Division Dan Inouye Kevin Dick Kelli Seals Yann Ling-Barnes VA Medical Center Daren Farr Nevada Association of Counties Jeff Fontaine University of Nevada, Reno Heidi Gansert Reno Housing Authority Amy Jones Truckee Meadows Community College Dave Roberts
Mark Nichols Gwendolyn Lomas Ernie McNeil Mark Tadder Molly O’Brien Marcedes Parsons Harvey Katz
Rodney Young Chun (Alan) Chao Gabrielle Enfield Paul Malikowski Kyle Smith Dora Uchel Genevieve Parker
AGENCY WORKING GROUP LOCAL AGENCIES City of Reno Steve Bunnell
Lynn Barker
Claudia Hanson
William Gall
Sienna Reid City of Sparks Neil Krutz Jon Ericson Armando Orneles Jim Rundle Washoe County Clara Lawson Kevin Schiller C. Hunter Leslie Williams Kelly Mullin Washoe County School District Police MJ Cloud Washoe County School District Rick Martin Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority Dean Schultz Lissa Butterfield
STATE OF NEVADA Nevada Department of Transportation Anita Lyday Kevin Verre Coy Peacock Sondra Rosenberg Bill Hoffman Mark Costa Thor Dyson Mike Fuess Joseph Spencer Jae Pullen State Historical Preservation Office Rebecca Palmer Office of the Governor Alex Quagge
NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES Reno-Sparks Indian Colony Scott Carey
Scott Nebesky
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FEDERAL AGENCIES
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Marcy Haworth U.S. Forest Service Kevin Wilmot
Federal Highway Administration Abdelmoez Abdalla Paul Schneider Susan Klekar Christina Leach
TRANSIT OPERATORS
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kristine Hansen Bureau of Land Management Brian Buttazoni U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Karina O’Connor Federal Transit Administration Ted Matley Ray Sukys
Tom Wittig, MV Transit — RTC RIDE Leilani Longo, First Transit — RTC ACCESS
Leslie Rogers
RTC STAFF Lee Gibson Denise Thompson Administration Department Lon Harter Steve Kemp John Ponzo Rob Reeder Angela Reich Lynn Smith
Engineering and Construction Department Carrie Byron Marjorie Martin Warren Call Julie Masterpool Scott Gibson Garth Oksol Jeff Hale Lee Ann Olivas Andrew Jayankura Blaine Petersen Michelle Kraus Yeni Russo Doug Maloy Jeffrey Wilbrecht Maria Paz Fernandez
Finance Department Nelia Belen Leslie Benton Sharon Britt Karin Copeland Rosanne Orozco Stephanie Haddock Karen Heddy Linda Merlin Chris Powers Keith Trimble Amy Zheng
Metropolitan Planning Department Amy Cummings Daniel Doenges Joseph Harrington Rebecca Kapuler Jacqueline Maldonado Michael Moreno Nancy Mues Cole Peiffer Xuan Wang
Public Transportation and Operations Department Ruby Barrientos Shirley Bessey David Carr Joel Danforth Justin Doerr Michael Dulude John Gutridge John Harris Deborah Hollis David Jickling Jennifer Meyers Chris McDivit Ed Park Carol Perry Heinz Schoner Siota Seui Marian Solares Susi Trinidad Judy Velez Tina Wu
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The 2040 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) identifies the long-term transportation investments that will be made in the urbanized area of Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County, Nevada, also known as the Truckee Meadows. The plan was founded on a people-based approach, which included extensive collaboration with the community and federal, state and local partner agencies. The RTP process was shaped by four guiding principles derived from community input: • Safe and healthy communities • Economic development and diversification • Sustainability • Increased travel choices The projects in this RTP (see Appendix A) support the vision that the Truckee Meadows is the best place to live, work, recreate, visit, and invest. The plan includes transportation projects, programs and services for walking, biking, driving, and riding transit. In addition, the plan provides for maintaining existing infrastructure in good condition and improving the operation of existing services. The goals of the RTP, which are discussed further in each chapter of the plan, include the following: • Improve safety • Integrate land use and economic development • Promote healthy communities and sustainability • Manage existing systems efficiently • Integrate all types of transportation • Focus on regional connectivity • Promote equity and environmental justice • Improve freight and goods movement, and • Invest strategically Programmatic Investments In support of these guiding principles and goals, the RTP includes four programmatic investments that will be ongoing throughout the life of the plan.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• • • •
Accessibility improvements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) — Ongoing implementation of the ADA Transition Plan is a priority for the RTC. With the segment of the population over 75 years old being the fastest growing demographic in the region, the importance of accessible pedestrian facilities will continue to grow. Annual funding will be programmed for spot improvements throughout the region to upgrade sidewalks, crosswalks, and curb ramps. Pedestrian and bicycle facility improvements — Ongoing implementation of the RTC Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan will be funded throughout the RTP planning horizon. These spot improvements will enhance the safety and regional connectivity of the pedestrian and bicycle network. Traffic Signals and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Operations — Technology and traffic operations strategies promote faster travel times on the existing roadway network. Investments in ITS have proven to be a cost- effective alternative to adding road capacity. The plan identifies annual funding to upgrade traffic signals and associated communications technologies. Pavement Preservation — Maintaining roads and bridges in good condition and extending the useful life of pavement on regional roads is a proven way to minimize long term costs. The RTP identifies annual funding to apply the appropriate pavement preservation treatment to regional roads and bridge decks, which can include surface seals, resurfacing, or reconstruction. RTC partners with the NDOT Highway Bridge Program to provide funding to replace or rehabilitate substandard bridges.
Transit Investments Transit is recognized as an essential part of the local economy that helps thousands of Washoe County residents get to work and access essential services each day. Transit helps shape development patterns and is an economic development tool that supports a higher density, mixed-use urban form. The Virginia Street RTC RAPID project is an example where a transit investment is helping spur new and revitalized investments from Downtown to Midtown and Meadowood Mall. 4] 2040 Regional Transportation Plan
The environmental benefits of transit are also well recognized: reducing the number of cars on the road reduces traffic congestion and air pollution. With the aging of the population, the public is also concerned with mobility issues that will face many residents over the next 20 years. A clear message expressed during the community outreach process is the need to plan, build, and operate services such as accessible bus stops and sidewalks, transit lines, and roadways that support an aging population. RTC recently developed the Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP), which provides a strategy for transit service over the next five years. The short-term fiscally constrained transit program includes existing service plus the following modifications planned for FY 2018 through 2022: • Extension of RTC RAPID on 4th Street/Prater Way (Lincoln Line) • Extension of RTC RAPID to the University of Nevada, Reno • Reallocation of service hours to achieve greater efficiency • Expansion of the RTC Villanova Maintenance Facility to accommodate larger and more technologically complex vehicles as well as an expanded fleet of electric vehicles in FY 2017 • Pilot program for 2-3 day per week circulator service in outlying areas, targeted to senior citizens • Increase subsidy and expand eligibility for Taxi Bucks/Washoe Senior Ride Program • Continue the FTA 5310 grant program to fund non-profit transportation services
Unfunded Vision for Transit The RTP outreach process provided an opportunity to develop a vision for transit in the Truckee Meadows over the next 20 years. This vision is not constrained by available financial resources. A series of community planning workshops and an online survey were used to gather input about the unfunded vision.
The vision includes the following elements: • Streetcar transit to connect the Reno-Tahoe International Airport to Virginia Street • Streetcar service on Virginia Street from the Reno Tahoe Convention Center to the University of Nevada, Reno • Expanded downtown circulator bus service • Express bus service on South Virginia to serve the Summit and UNR/TMCC Redfield Campus • Express bus service on US 395 to serve the North Valleys • Service between Reno and Truckee, California, connecting the RTC RIDE and TART system • Service between Reno and Lake Tahoe, including Incline Village, and the South Shore transit service provided by the Tahoe Transportation District • Express bus on Pyramid Highway to serve north Sparks and Spanish Springs • Express bus service from Reno and Sparks to the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center • Commuter rail service from Reno and Sparks to the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center • Larger maintenance facility for long term expansion Complete Streets Investments This RTP includes a package of roadway investments that promote livability and regional connectivity. All of these projects incorporate a Complete Streets design concept, which addresses the needs of all roadway users in a way that is sensitive to the local land use context. The primary purpose of Complete Street projects is to provide safe access and travel for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit users of all ages and abilities. Safety is an important aspect of all project planning, with high crash locations being improved through many of the recommended projects. Complete Street designs have reduced crashes up to 46% on regional roads in Washoe County. Projects that focus on regional connectivity link major concentrations of employment and housing across the Truckee Meadows. Completion of the region’s outstanding major capacity investments include the SouthEast Connector, I-80/US 395/ I-580 Interchange, US 395 North Widening, I-80 Widening, and the Pyramid Highway/US 395 Connector.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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PLANNED RAPID EXPANSIONS
Vision for RTC RAPID expansion
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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Major regional connectivity projects are described on the following page. Regional Connectivity Projects Project Name Photo Safety
Complete Street Elements Enhanced Bike Pedestrian Auto Transit Facilities Facilities OperStops/ ates/ Route Capacity
SouthEast Connector South Meadows Pkwy to Greg St. — new 6 lane road Pyramid/McCarran Intersection Enhance safety, operations & multimodal access I-80/I-580/US 395 Interchange (Spaghetti Bowl) Reconstruction & Capacity Expansion US 395 North Widening from Parr Blvd. to Golden Valley Rd. I-80 Widening System Wide Ramps & Freeway ITS Project, additional lanes Pyramid/US 395 Connector Widen Pyramid Hwy to 6 lanes from Queen Way to Los Altos Pkwy. and new 6 lane arterial from Pyramid Hwy to US 395
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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ITS
Other projects focus primarily on neighborhood livability and economic development. While these projects may not add new lanes for autos, they do improve ADA accessibility, connectivity of the regional bicycle network, facilitate safety through traffic calming, and improve the streetscape appearance through landscaping and unified design. Key livability projects are described on the following page. Livability Projects Project Name
Photo
Complete Street Elements Safety Enhanced Bike Pedestrian Auto Transit Facilities Facilities Capacity Stops/ Route
4th St./Prater Way Bus RAPID Transit Project RAPID & multimodal improvements from Evans Ave. to Pyramid Way Virginia Street Bus RAPID Transit Extension RAPID & multimodal improvement from Plumb Ln. to 17th St. Oddie Blvd/Wells Ave. Multimodal improvements from Kuenzli St. to Pyramid Way Sun Valley Blvd. Multimodal improvements from 2nd Ave. to Pyramid-US 395 Connector Sparks Blvd. Multimodal & capacity improvements from Greg St. to Springland Dr. Keystone Ave. Multimodal improvements & bridge replacement from California Ave. to I-80 Mill St./Terminal Way Multimodal improvements from Lake St. to Reno-Tahoe International Airport
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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ITS
Livability Projects (continued) Project Name Glendale Ave. Multimodal & safety improvements from Kietzke Ln. to McCarran Blvd.
Photo
Complete Street Elements
2nd St. Multimodal & safety improvements from Keystone Ave. to Kietzke Ln Kietzke Lane Multimodal improvements Virginia St. to Galletti Way
Conclusion This RTP was driven by the feedback of local residents, businesses, and partner agencies as well as the recognition that transportation plays a critical role in the region’s efforts to improve safety and sustain long-term opportunities. This plan identifies a path to improve the quality of life in the Truckee Meadows. Roadways are an important part of the local community and shape the daily experience of the people that travel them, whether on bus, bike, foot, or in a car. This plan supports the economic vitality of the region by promoting safety, providing accessible places to walk and bike, improving connectivity between where people live and work, and conserving resources through environmentally and fiscally sustainable practices.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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RESUMEN EJECUTIVO El Plan de Transporte Regional (RTP) para el año 2040 identifica inversiones en el transporte a largo plazo que se llevarán a cabo en la zona urbana de Reno, Sparks y el Condado de Washoe en Nevada. El plan se fundó con un enfoque basado en la gente, el cual incluye extensa colaboración con la comunidad y con las agencias federales, estatales y locales. El proceso del RTP se formó con cuatro principios guía derivados de la opinión de la comunidad: • Comunidades seguras y sanas • Desarrollo y diversificación económica • Sustentabilidad • Aumento en las opciones para viajar Los proyectos en este RTP (ver Anexo A) apoyan la visión de que la zona de Truckee Meadows es el mejor lugar para vivir, trabajar, recrearse, visitar e invertir. El plan incluye proyectos de transporte, programas y servicios para caminar, andar en bicicleta, manejar y usar el autobús. Además, el plan promueve el mantenimiento en buenas condiciones de la infraestructura existente y mejora la operación de servicios existentes. Los objetivos del RTP, los cuales se discuten a más profundidad en cada capítulo del plan, incluyen lo siguiente: • Mejorar la seguridad • Integrar el uso de la tierra y el desarrollo económico • Promover comunidades sanas y sustentables • Manejar eficazmente los sistemas existentes • Integrar todo tipo de transporte • Enfocarse en la conexión regional • Promover la equidad y justicia ambiental • Mejorar el movimiento de flete y mercancía • Invertir estratégicamente Inversiones Programáticas En apoyo a estos principios y metas guía, el RTP incluye cuatro inversiones programáticas que continuarán durante la vida del plan.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• Mejoras de acceso bajo el Acta de Americanos con Discapacidades (ADA) — La implementación continua de Plan de Transición ADA es una prioridad para la empresa RTC. Con el segmento de la población de más rápido crecimiento demográfico en la región de personas mayores de 75 años, la importancia de instalaciones accesibles a los peatones continuará creciendo. Los fondos anuales se programarán para mejoras en toda la región para mejorar aceras, cruces y rampas. • Mejoras para las instalaciones de peatones y ciclistas — La implementación continua del Plan Maestro para Peatones y Ciclistas de RTC se fundará en todo el horizonte de planificación de RTC. Estas mejoras aumentarán la seguridad y conectividad regional del peatón y de la red de ciclistas. • Señales de Tráfico y Operaciones para Sistemas de Transporte Inteligente (ITS) — Las estrategias de tecnología y operaciones de tráfico promueven tiempos más rápidos para viajar en la red existente de caminos. Las inversiones en el plan ITS han probado ser una alternativa eficaz para agregar capacidad a los caminos. El plan identifica fondos anuales para mejorar las señales de tráfico y tecnologías asociadas de la comunicación. • Preservación del Pavimento — El mantenimiento de caminos y puentes en buena condición y la extensión de vida útil del pavimento en los caminos regionales es una manera probada para minimizar los costos a largo plazo. El RTP identifica fondos anuales para aplicar el tratamiento apropiado de preservación del pavimento para los caminos regionales y puentes, los cuales pueden incluir sellos y cubiertas para la superficie o reconstrucción de la misma. La empresa RTC se asocia con el Programa de Caminos y Puentes de NDOT para proporcionar fondos para reemplazar o rehabilitar puentes en condiciones sub-estándar. Inversiones para Autobuses El autobús es reconocido como una parte esencial de la economía local que ayuda a miles de residentes en la zona del Condado de Washoe para viajar a su trabajo y tener acceso a servicios esenciales todos los días.
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El servicio del autobús ayuda a formar patrones de desarrollo y es una herramienta en el desarrollo económico que apoya una forma urbana de uso mixto y densidad más alta. El proyecto de RTC RAPID de la Calle Virginia es un ejemplo donde una inversión en el servicio de autobuses ayuda a estimular y revitalizar inversiones desde el centro de la ciudad, a la parte media de la ciudad y hasta el centro de compras Meadowood Mall. Los beneficios ambientales de los autobuses también son bien reconocidos: reducir el número de automóviles en las calles reduce la congestión del tráfico y la contaminación del aire. Con el envejecimiento de la población, el público también se preocupa por la movilidad a la que muchos residentes se enfrentarán en los próximos 20 años. Un mensaje claro expresado durante el proceso de las reuniones comunitarias es la necesidad de planificar, construir y operar servicios, tales como paradas de autobuses accesibles y aceras, líneas de autobuses y caminos que apoyen el envejecimiento de la población. La empresa RTC recientemente desarrolló el Plan de Autobuses a Corto Plazo (SRTP), el cual proporciona una estrategia para el servicio de autobuses durante los próximos cinco años. El programa de autobuses a corto plazo restringido fiscalmente incluye servicios existentes y además las siguientes modificaciones planeadas para el Año Fiscal 2018 al 2022: • Extensión del servicio RTC RAPID sobre la Calle 4ª/Prater Way (Línea Lincoln) • Extensión de RTC RAPID a la Universidad de Nevada, Reno • Reasignación de horas de servicio para lograr mayor eficiencia • Expansión de las Instalaciones de Mantenimiento Villanova RTC para acomodar vehículos más grandes y complejos y también una flotilla creciente de vehículos eléctricos para el Año Fiscal 2017 • Programa piloto para servicio circular de 2 a 3 días por semana en zonas de la periferia para adultos mayores
• Aumento en el subsidio y elegibilidad para el Programa de Viajes Taxi Bucks para Adultos Mayores en Washoe • Continuar con el programa de concesiones FTA 5310 para fundar servicios de transporte sin fines de lucro
Visión sin Fondos para los Autobuses El proceso de alcance de RTP proporcionó una oportunidad para desarrollar una visión para el servicio de autobuses en la zona de Truckee Meadows para los próximos 20 años. Esta visión no está restringida para los recursos financieros disponibles. En una serie de talleres comunitarios y encuestas en línea se consiguió información sobre una visión sin fondos. Esta visión incluye los siguientes elementos: • Servicio de tranvía para conectar el Aeropuerto Internacional de Reno-Tahoe con la Calle Virginia • Servicio de tranvía sobre la Calle Virginia desde el Centro de Convenciones Reno Tahoe hasta la Universidad de Nevada, Reno • Aumento en el servicio de autobús circular en el centro de la ciudad • Servicio de autobús exprés al sur de la Calle Virginia para dar servicio al Summit y al Campus Redfield de UNR/TMCC • Servicio de autobús exprés sobre la autopista US 395 para dar servicio a los valles del norte • Servicio entre Reno y Truckee, California, conectando el sistema de RTC RIDE y TART • Servicio de autobús exprés sobre la Pyramid Highway para dar servicio al norte de Sparks y Spanish Springs • Servicio de autobús exprés desde Reno y Sparks hasta el Centro Industrial Tahoe Reno • Servicio de metro riel desde Reno y Sparks hasta el Centro Industrial Tahoe Reno • Instalaciones de mantenimiento más grandes para una expansión a largo plazo
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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Inversiones de Calles Completas Este plan RTP incluye un paquete de inversiones para caminos que promueve la habitabilidad y la conectividad regional. Todos estos proyectos incorporan un concepto de diseño para Calles Completas, el cual atiende a las necesidades de todos los usuarios del camino de manera sensible al contexto local del uso de la tierra. El propósito principal de los proyectos de Calles Completas es proporcionar acceso y viajes seguros para peatones, ciclistas, conductores y usuarios del autobús de todas las edades y habilidades. La seguridad es un aspecto importante para todos los proyectos planeados, incluso ubicaciones de alto promedio de choques que han mejorado por medio de muchos de los proyectos recomendados. Los proyectos que se enfocan en la conectividad regional unen concentraciones mayores de empleo y vivienda en toda la zona de Truckee Meadows. Para completar las inversiones pendientes en la región de mayor capacidad se incluye la Conexión Sur-Este, Intersección Pyramid/McCarran, Intercambio I-80/US 395/I-580, Ampliación Norte del US 395, Ampliación del I-80 y la Conexión de Pyramid Highway/US 395. Los proyectos regionales más importantes de conectividad se describen en las siguientes páginas.
AMPLIACIONES RAPID PLANEADAS
Clave Ampliación planeada de la ruta RTC RAPID Ruta existente de RTC RAPID Rutas existentes de RTC RIDE Instalaciones de UNR y TMCC Centro Principal de Autobuses
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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Proyectos de Conectividad Regional Nombre de Proyecto Foto
Elementos Completos de la Calle SegurRuta InstalaInstalacioCapaciidad mejorada ciones nes para dad/ de altos del para peatones Operautobús ciclistas ación autos
Conexión Sur-Este Meadows Parkway Sur a Calle Greg — camino nuevo de 6 carriles Intersection Pyramid/McCarran Aumenta la seguridad, operaciones y acceso multimodal Intercambio I-80/I-580/US 395 (Spaghetti Bowl) Reconstrucción y ampliación para capacidad US 395 North Ampliación desde Parr Blvd. a Golden Valley Road I-80 Ampliación Rampas del sistema y proyecto ITS de la autopista sin peaje, carriles adicionales Conexión Pyramid/ US 395 Ampliar Pyramid Hwy. a 6 carriles desde Queen Way a Los Altos Pkwy. y arteria nueva de 6 carriles desde Pyramid Hwy. a la autopista US 395
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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ITS
Otros proyectos se enfocan primordialmente en la habitabilidad de los barrios y el desarrollo económico. Aunque estos proyectos no agregan carriles para autos, si mejoran la accesibilidad ADA, la conectividad de la red regional para ciclistas, facilitan la seguridad calmando el tráfico y mejoran la apariencia de las calles por medio de diseños unificados y de paisaje. Los proyectos clave para la habitabilidad se describen en la siguiente página. Proyectos de Habitabilidad Nombre del Proyecto
Foto Seguridad
Elementos Completos de la Calle Ruta me- Instala- Instalacio- Capacijorada de ciones nes para dad altos del para peatones autos autobús ciclistas
Proyecto de Autobús RAPID Calle 4ª/ Prater Way Mejoras al servicio RAPID y multimodal desde la Evans Ave. hasta la Pyramid Way Extension del Autobus RAPID en la Calle Virginia Mejoras al servicio RAPID y multimodal desde la Plumb Lane hasta la Calle 17 Oddie Blvd./ Wells Ave. Mejoras multimodal desde la Kuenzli St. hasta la Pyramid Way Sun Valley Blvd. Mejoras multimodal desde la 2ª Avenida hasta la Conexión Pyramid-US 395 Sparks Blvd. Mejoras multimodal y de capacidad desde la Greg St. hasta la Springland Dr.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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ITS
Proyectos de Habitabilidad Nombre del Proyecto
Foto
Elementos Completos de la Calle Seguridad
Ruta mejorada de altos del autobús
Instalaciones para ciclistas
Instalaciones para peatones
Capacidad autos
ITS
Keystone Ave. Mejoras multimodal y remplazo del puente desde la California Ave. hasta la autopista I-80 Mill St./ Terminal Way. Mejoras multimodal desde la Lake St. hasta el Aeropuerto Internacional Reno/ Tahoe Glendale Ave. Mejoras multimodal y de seguridad desde la Kietzke Ln. hasta el McCarran Blvd. Calle 2ª. Mejoras multimodal y de seguridad desde la Keystone Ave. hasta la Kietzke Ln. Kietzke Lane Mejoras multimodal desde la Virginia St. hasta la Galletti Way
Conclusión: Este plan RTP fue elaborado con la retroalimentación de residentes locales, comerciantes y agencias asociadas, y también por el reconocimiento de que el transporte juega un papel importante en los esfuerzos de la región para mejorar la seguridad y sostener oportunidades a largo plazo. Este plan identifica un camino para mejorar la calidad de vida y los caminos de Truckee Meadows son una parte importante de la comunidad local y dan forma a la experiencia diaria de la gente que los camina, ya sea en autobús, en bicicleta, a pie o en auto. Este plan apoya la vitalidad económica de la región promoviendo la seguridad, proporcionando lugares accesibles para caminar y viajar, mejorando la conectividad entre los lugares donde la gente vive y trabaja y conservando los recursos por medio de prácticas ambientalmente y fiscalmente sustentables.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Letter from the Executive Director Acknowledgements Executive Summary English Spanish
1 2 4 4 10
CHAPTER 1 — INTRODUCTION
23
1.1 About the RTC 23 - RTC Transit Services 25 1.2 Transportation Planning Factors 27 1.3 Guiding Principles 29 - Safe and Healthy Communities 29 - Economic Development and Diversification 29 - Sustainability 29 - Increased Travel Choices 30 1.4 Goals 30 - Improve Safety 30 - Integrate Land Use and Economic Development 30 - Promote Healthy Communities and Sustainability 30 - Manage Existing Systems Efficiently 31 - Integrate all Types of Transportation 31 - Focus on Regional Connectivity 31 - Promote Equity and Environmental Justice 31 - Improve Freight and Goods Movement 31 - Invest Strategically 31 1.5 2013-2017 Accomplishments 32 CHAPTER 2 — COMMUNITY BASED PLANNING 35 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5
RTP Agency Working Groups 36 - Agency Working Group (AWG) 36 RTC Citizens Multimodal Advisory Committee 36 Community Planning Workshops 37 - Community Planning Workshop #1 Alternatives Development 37 - Community Planning Workshop #2 Alternatives Evaluation and Prioritization 38 - Projects in the 2017-2021 timeframe 40 - Projects in the 2022-2026 timeframe 40 - Projects in the 2027-2040 timeframe 40 Elected Officials, Boards and Commissions 40 Community Forums 41 - Youth Forum 41 - Economic Development Forum 41 - Regional Rail and Bus Transit Forum 41 - Freight and Logistics Forum 42 - Senior and ADA Forum 42 - Veterans Forum 42 - Millennial Forum 43
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2.6 Broadcast and Digital Media Outreach 43 - RTC Website 43 - Online Survey 43 - Social Media 43 - RTC eNews 43 - MyRTC Email Updates 43 - Newspaper, Television and Radio Outreach 44 - The Road Ahead with RTC Segments 44 - Interviews with News Media 44 CHAPTER 3 — IMPROVING SAFETY 45 3.1 Planning for Safety 45 - Nevada Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) 46 - Zero Fatalities: Drive Safe Nevada 46 - Critical Emphasis Areas (CEA) 46 - Complete Streets Master Plan 46 - Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP) 46 - Data Analysis 47 - Corridor Plans and Safety Management Plans (SMP) 48 3.2 Community Awareness and Education 48 - Safe Routes to School 49 - RTC SMART TRIPS 49 3.3 Operations 49 - Safe Transit Operations 50 - Nevada Traffic Incident Management (NV TIM) 50 - Emergency Management Plan 50 - Washoe County Regional Resiliency Study 51 3.4 Safety Design Improvements 51 3.5 RTP Safety Projects 52 CHAPTER 4 — INTEGRATING LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 53 - Transit Oriented Development 53 4.1 Regional Planning 54 - Reno Housing Authority 54 - Reno-Tahoe International Airport 54 - Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency 55 - Washoe County Health District 56 - Air Quality Management Division 57 - Chronic Disease Prevention Program 57 - Community Health Improvement Plan 57 - 89502 Community Health Improvement Project 58 - Washoe County School District 58 - Washoe County Senior Services 58 - Truckee River Flood Management Project 60 - Flood Project Plan 60 - Floodplain Management 60
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4.2 Local Government Planning 60 - Washoe County 60 - City of Reno 61 - Urban Corridors 61 - Suburban Corridors 62 - Neighborhood Corridors 62 - City of Sparks 62 4.3 Tribal Governments 63 - Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe 63 - Reno-Sparks Indian Colony (RSIC) 64 4.4 Other Regional Partners 65 - Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Deveopment 65 - Nevada Center for Advanced Mobility 66 - University of Nevada, Reno 66 - Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) 66 4.5 Travel and Tourism 67 4.6 RTP Projects Supporting Land Use Plans 68 CHAPTER 5 — HEALTHY COMMUNITIES AND SUSTAINABILITY 69 - Sustainability Commitment 69 5.1 Air Quality 69 5.2 Active Living and Community Design 72 - Washoe County Senior Services 72 - Safe Routes to School 72 - Food Deserts and Transit Access 73 - Chronic Disease Prevention 73 5.3 Sustainability 73 - Sustainability Plan 75 - SMART TRIPS 75 - RTC Transit Service 75 - RTC Facilities and Vehicles 75 - Electric Vehicles, Clean Cities and Nevada Electric Highways 76 - Street Trees to ReLEAF 76 5.4 Planning and Environmental Linkages 76 5.5 Natural Resources 77 - Washoe County Open Space and Natural Resource Plan 77 - Bureau of Land Management Nevada 78 - Southern Washoe County Urban Interface Plan 78 - US Forest Service 78 - Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Land Resource Management Plan (LTBMU) 78 - Humbolt-Toiyabe National Forest Climate Change Vulnerability Report 79 - Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: Nevada State Parks 79 - State of Nevada Division of Water Resources 79 - Washoe County Protected Species 80 5.6 Resiliency and Stormwater Management 80 - Truckee River Flood Project 81 - Virginia Street Bridge 81 5.7 RTP Project Supporting Healthy Communities, Sustainability and Resiliency 82 19] 2040 Regional Transportation Plan
CHAPTER 6 — MANAGING EXISTING SYSTEMS EFFICIENTLY 83 6.1 Traffic Operations 83 6.2 Pavement Preservation 85 6.3 Transit Operations 87 - RTC RIDE 87 - RTC ACCESS 89 - Partnerships with Not-For_Profit Providers 89 - RTC VANPOOL 89 CHAPTER 7 — INTEGRATING ALL TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION 93 7.1 Complete Streets 93 - Livability Projects 94 - Regional Connectivity Projects 96 7.2 Walking and Biking 97 - The Bicycle Pedestrian Plan and ADA Transition Plan 97 - Corridor Plans and Road Safety Assessments 97 - Spot Improvements 97 - Bicycle Friendly America 97 7.3 Transit 98 - Short Range Transit Plan 98 - RTC RAPID Expansion 101 - Electric Bus Program 101 - Villanova Maintenance Facility Upgrades 101 - RTC ACCESS 102 - Supplemental Mobility Services 102 - Washoe Senior Ride/Taxi Bucks 102 - Dial-A-Ride Service 102 - Not-for-Profit Partnerships 103 - RTC SMART TRIPS 103 - RTC VANPOOL Program 103 - RTC INTERCITY Transit 104 - Token Transit — Smart Phone Fare Payment 104 - Unfunded Vision for Transit 104 7.4 Advanced Mobility 105 - Shared Mobility 105 - Ride Sourcing 105 - Bike Share 106 - Autonomous Vehicles 106 - Park and Ride Facilities 107 - Intelligent Mobility 108 7.5 Aviation and Rail 108
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CHAPTER 8 — FOCUSING ON REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY 109 8.1 Connectivity in Northern Nevada 110 - One Nevada Transportation Plan 110 - Carson City 110 - Lake Tahoe Region 111 - Pyramid Lake 113 - Storey County 113 - I-80 Corridor 113 - Reno-Sparks Freeway Traffic Study 113 8.2 Connectivity in the Urbanized Area 114 - SouthEast Connector 114 - Pyramid-US 395 Connector 115 - RTC RAPID Extension 115 CHAPTER 9 — PROMOTING EQUITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE 117 9.1 Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 118 - Equal Opportunity in Procurement 119 9.2 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 119 - RTC ACCESS Paratransit Service 120 - ADA Transition Plan 120 9.3 Executive Order on Environmental Justice 121 CHAPTER 10 — IMPROVING FREIGHT AND GOODS MOVEMENT 129 10.1 Nevada State Freight Plan 132 10.2 Air Cargo 136 10.3 Rail 136 - 2012 Nevada State Rail Plan 137 - Sparks Rail Yard 138 10.4 Roadways 138 - I-80 138 - I-580/US 395 138 - USA Parkway (I-80 to US 50) 139 10.5 Outreach and Coordination 139 10.6 RTP Projects Supporting Freight and Goods Movement 139 CHAPTER 11 — INVESTING STRATEGICALLY 141 - Revenue Projections 142 - Funding Sources 142 - 2016 Revenues by Fundings Source 143 - Plan Investment Needs 145 - Financial Summary 148 CHAPTER 12 — MONITORING, IMPLEMENTATION AND PERFORMANCE 149
- Safety Performance Measures
- Infrastructure Conditions/Transit State of Good Repair Performance Measures - Congestion Reduction - System Reliability - Freight Movement and Economic Vitality - Environmental Sustainability - Other Transit Measures
151 151 152 152 152 153 153
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TABLE OF TABLES 3.1 6.1 6.2 9.1 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6
Crash Reductions After Complete Streets Improvements Existing Regional ITS Resources 2016 Operating Characteristics Demographic and Socioeconomic Summary Funding Sources and Allowance Uses Summary of Fuel Tax Rates Revenue Projections Unfunded Transit Vision Public Transportation Needs by Activity Complete Street Needs by Activity
52 84 88 121 142 144 144 145 146 147
TABLE OF MAPS 1.1 2.1 4.1 6.1 6.2 7.1 8.1 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5
Functional Classification of Roadways Community — Identified Transit Accessibility Needs Water Resources and Flood Hazards Traffic Signal Timing Project Existing Transit Service Existing and Planned Bicycle Facilities Regional Map of Transit Systems in Carson, Tahoe and Reno/Sparks Census Tracts with Higher Limited English Proficiency Populations Census Tracts with Higher Low Income and Minority Populations Census Tracts with Higher Under 18 and Over 65 Population Environmental Justice Populations with Transit Environmental Justice Populations with RTP Projects Western US Highway Freight Flows, 2010 North American Ports By Container Traffic, 2013 Highway Freight Network And Projects Reno-Sparks Area The Potential Future Freight System Serving Nevada Freight Rail Facilities In Nevada
Appendix A RTC Projects (2017-2021) RTC Projects (2022-2026) RTC Projects (2027-2040) Appendix D Reno/Sparks Hydrographic Area #87
APPENDICES
A. Complete Streets Project Listing B. Project Prioritization C. Public and Agency Participation Plan D. Air Quality Analysis and Conformity Determination E. Access Management F. Congestion Management Process
157 171 183 191 200 212
28 39 59 90 91 99 112 123 124 125 126 127 130 131 133 135 137 161 164 169 194
G. Technical Documentation for the Population/Employment and Travel Demand Models and Level of Service Standards H. Revenue Assumptions I. Acronyms J. RTC Organizational Chart K. Resolution 22] 2040 Regional Transportation Plan
221 229 236 242 244
1
INTRODUCTION Transportation infrastructure and service investments offer the opportunity to shape the region’s economy and land use, creating new opportunities for prosperity. Transportation investments promote safety, a healthier community, regional connectivity, and neighborhood livability. All of these ideas are used in creating the 2040 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) for the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area of Washoe County, Nevada. The RTP is the region’s long- range, multimodal transportation plan. It defines the policies and priorities for the community’s future transportation system and is the blueprint to achieving clean air, making roadways accessible to all regardless of age or ability, and providing transportation options. It is a key component to improving the region’s quality of life. 1.1
ABOUT THE RTC
The Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County (RTC) serves three roles for the Washoe County urban area: it is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the transit service provider, and builds the regional roadway network. As the MPO, RTC conducts a collaborative short and long-range multimodal transportation planning program. RTC develops the 20-year RTP, 5-year Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP), 1-year Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), and the Public Involvement Plan, consistent with Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) requirements.
RTP GUIDING PRINCIPLES
• Safe and Healthy Communities • Economic Development & Diversification • Sustainability • Increased Travel Choices
As the transit service provider, RTC operates RTC RIDE regional fixed route bus system, the demand-responsive RTC ACCESS paratransit service and RTC VANPOOL. The RTC RIDE fixed route bus service includes 26 routes that provide about 8.5 million trips per year. RTC also operates RTC INTERCITY commuter service between Reno and Carson City. The RTC RAPID bus rapid transit service on Virginia Street is the premier service in the urban area providing high frequency connections between Meadowood Mall and Downtown Reno. RTC RAPID includes level boarding stations and uses 60-foot articulated hybrid diesel/electric buses. The service includes technology that allows buses to extend the green light at intersections. This design helps the RTC RAPID buses move faster and compete with auto travel times. In downtown Reno, RTC operates the RTC SIERRA SPIRIT circulator service. The RTC SIERRA SPIRIT runs from downtown to the University of Nevada, Reno. It operates 7 days a week from 7 am to 7 pm every 15 minutes.
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23] 2040 Regional Transportation Plan
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RTC TRANSIT SERVICES
In 2015, 8.5 million rides were taken on RTC transit services. All Services listed below.
RTC RIDE — Local Fixed Route Service Description Regular fixed route service Ridership 6,641,582 Revenue Vehicle Hours 211,179 Productivity (Passengers 31.5 per Service Hour) RTC RIDE operates in the cities of Reno and Sparks, and areas of Washoe County using a fleet of 70 buses on 26 routes. The service area is approximately 136 square miles. All RIDE buses offer free WiFi. RTC RAPID — Virginia Street BRT Service Description Bus rapid transit on Virginia Street Ridership 1,320,401 Revenue Vehicle 29,175 Hours Productivity 45.3 (Passengers per Service Hour) Designed to be a lot like light rail, RTC RAPID is a faster transit service on Virginia Street from downtown Reno to Meadowood Mall. RTC RAPID includes level-boarding stations with more amenities served by modern 60-foot articulated hybrid diesel/electric vehicles. The service includes technology that allows the buses to communicate with the traffic signals to extend the green time several seconds for the bus. Design improvements help vehicles move around other traffic. RTC RAPID vehicles travel up and down Virginia Street significantly faster than regular transit buses.
RTC INTERCITY — RIDE Regional Service to Carson City Description Peak hour commuter service between Reno and Carson City Ridership 36,108 Revenue Vehicle Hours 3,311 Productivity (Passengers 10.9 per Service Hour) In partnership with the Carson City Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), RTC INTERCITY provides a connection between Reno and Nevada’s state capital. This route is 33 miles each way and offers free WiFi. It is ideal for commuters and runs 3 trips in the morning and 3 trips in the afternoon.
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25] 2040 Regional Transportation Plan
RTC TRANSIT SERVICES All Services listed below.
SIERRA SPIRIT Description
Downtown Reno circulator service 25¢ Adult fare; 10¢ Reduced fare 138,961 8,760 15.9
Ridership Revenue Vehicle Hours Productivity (Passengers per Service Hour)
The SIERRA SPIRIT route will take you from the University of Nevada, Reno all around downtown and back. It runs every 20 minutes every day, from 7 am to 7 pm. RTC ACCESS Description
Demand responsive ADA paratransit service Ridership 227,060 Revenue Vehicle Hours 82,869 Productivity (Passengers 2.7 per Service Hour) RTC ACCESS is the paratransit service that provides door-to-door, prescheduled transportation for people who meet the eligibility criteria of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). RTC ACCESS passengers have disabilities which prevent them from riding RTC RIDE independently some or all of the time. RTC VANPOOL Description Ridership Revenue Vehicle Hours Productivity (Passengers per Service Hour)
Commuter vans organized by volunteer participants 191,622 29,192 6.6
Vanpools offer people with long commutes a great way to reduce their transportation costs. Participants lease vehicles from a national vanpool company that covers the van’s maintenance and insurance. RTC subsidizes 40% of the cost of leasing the van as an incentive. CH.1 — INTRODUCTION
26] 2040 Regional Transportation Plan
As the agency responsible for maintenance of the regional road network, RTC is responsible for planning, designing, and constructing regional road projects. In addition to new capacity, the RTC emphasizes maximizing the life of existing roadway infrastructure by funding a preventive maintenance program that keeps roads in good condition. The RTC’s regional Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) program maximizes the operational efficiency of the existing roadway network by coordinating traffic signals and other communications technology. The RTC was formed in July 1979 by the Nevada State Legislature through the consolidation of the Regional Street and Highway Commission, the Regional Transit Commission and the Washoe County Area Transportation Study Policy Committee. The agency is governed by the RTC Board of Commissioners, which consists of five members: two representatives from the Washoe County Board of County Commissioners, two representatives from the Reno City Council, and one representative from the Sparks City Council. The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) Director is an ex-officio member of the RTC Board. The RTC has three standing advisory committees that provide recommendations to the RTC Board: the Technical Advisory Committee, which consists of staff from partner jurisdictions and agencies, the Citizens Multimodal Advisory Committee, and the Regional Road Impact Fee Technical Advisory Committee. 1.2 TRANSPORTATION PLANNING FACTORS This RTP was developed through a continuous, cooperative, and comprehensive planning process. Federal regulations require that the metropolitan planning process include consideration of eight planning factors. These factors, listed below, illustrate the need for transportation plans to recognize and address the interrelationship of transportation, land use and economic development planning. The factors are considered and integrated throughout the 2040 RTP. • Support the economic vitality of the metropolitan area, especially by enabling global competitiveness, productivity, and efficiency • Increase the safety of the transportation system for motorized and non-motorized users
• Increase the security of the transportation system for motorized and non-motorized users • Increase the accessibility and mobility of people and for freight • Protect and enhance the environment, promote energy conservation, improve the quality of life, and promote consistency between transportation improvements and state and local planned growth and economic development patterns • Enhance the integration and connectivity of the transportation system, across and between modes, for people and freight • Promote efficient system management and operation • Emphasize the preservation of the existing transportation system • Improving transportation system resiliency and reliability • Reducing storm water impacts of surface transportation • Enhancing travel and tourism • Consideration of intercity bus service Recognizing the special nature of transportation problems within major metropolitan areas over 200,000 residents, these areas — including the California-Reno-Sparks metropolitan area — have been designated as “Transportation Management Areas”, or TMAs, within which MPOs are given expanded responsibilities in planning for the safe and efficient movement of people, including motorists, transit customers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. The California-Reno-Sparks TMA is located in the urbanized area as defined by the U.S. Census, and is smaller than the Metropolitan Planning Area boundary. The planning area boundary encompasses all of Washoe County, with the exception of Incline Village, which is in the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency boundary. 2015 2040 Percent Change Washoe County 441,946 559,995 26.7% population Washoe County 265,878 365,354 37.4% employment TRI Center 4,920 33,906 589.1% employment Daily VMT will increase from 8.4 million in 2015 to 11.2 million in 2040 and that the projects in the RTP will reduce future average daily traffic delay by 12, 500 hours per day compared to no-action.
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FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF ROADWAYS MAP 1.1
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28] 2040 Regional Transportation Plan
The Reno-Sparks metropolitan region is expecting to gain over 120,000 new residents over the next 23 years, increasing from about 445,000 to over 565,000. The number of jobs in the region is expected to grow from 267,000 to over 360,000 during the same period. The increase in population will result in growing travel demand. The regional travel demand model forecasts that daily vehicle miles of travel will increase from 8.4 million in 2015 to 11.2 million in 2040. The multimodal projects in this RTP are expected to reduce the future average daily traffic delay by about 12,500 hours per day compared to a no-action alternative. 1.3
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The RTC worked closely with the community to develop guiding principles for the RTP at the beginning of plan development. The guiding principles are the overarching themes that recur throughout the RTP and on which the goals and selection of transportation investments are based. A description of the guiding principles is below. •
Safe and Healthy Communities Community safety and health are closely tied to transportation infrastructure in many ways. Roadway safety is perhaps the most obvious. RTC joins with NDOT in adopting the “Zero Fatalities: Drive Safe Nevada” initiative. RTC seeks to reduce the number of crashes that occur on area roadways and prevent traffic injuries and fatalities. Safety for bicyclists and pedestrians can be enhanced by providing safe and accessible space for all roadway users such as bicycle lanes and wider sidewalks. Offering safe and convenient infrastructure for active transportation, such as walking and biking, provides the opportunity for many other health benefits. Including physical activity as part of a daily routine helps prevent some of the chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, that are serious problems in Washoe County. Providing opportunities to walk, bike, and use transit also reduces the need for some auto trips, and subsequently vehicle emissions and air pollution. Cleaner air promotes respiratory health for all Washoe County residents.
•
Economic Development and Diversification Transportation infrastructure investments can position Washoe County for a sustained economic recovery in several ways. Construction of roadway, transit, sidewalk, and other multimodal improvements creates immediate jobs for local residents. The increased access and mobility provided by efficient transportation infrastructure systems and services allows for increased investment and job growth by local businesses. The quality of life improvements, like wider sidewalks, new bicycle lanes, and corridor beautification, create a unique sense of place and this makes the region more attractive to residents, businesses, and visitors. The multimodal investments in this plan improve regional connections, further strengthening the Northern Nevada Economy.
Victorian Avenue in Sparks. The project included the addition of a cycle track, wider sidewalks and improved bus stops. • Sustainability Transportation has an important role in environmental, economic, and social sustainability in Washoe County. RTC promotes sustainability by offering alternatives to driving: riding transit, walking, and biking. By partnering with the local jurisdictions, land use planning can be integrated with transportation to allow the creation of new opportunities and choices. Outcomes of these partnerships can include transit oriented development, reduced auto emissions, complete streets and increased mobility options. Strategies such as implementing car sharing, encouraging local businesses to be located adjacent to residential housing, and completing sidewalk and bicycle networks can all contribute to establishing more sustainable travel behaviors.
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• RTC also promotes sustainability through internal agency operations such as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified transit centers at RTC 4TH STREET STATION and RTC CENTENNIAL PLAZA, using hybrid biodiesel-electric buses and electric-only buses, recycling, using solar panels to generate power for administrative buildings, using recycled materials in construction, and using warm-mix asphalt in roadway resurfacing projects.
RTC RAPID articulated bus. • Increased Travel Choices Increasing travel choices means providing safe and convenient options for walking, biking, driving, and using transit. Providing local residents with a variety of mobility options increases the quality of life and daily convenience of getting to work, school and recreational activities. Providing these options can allow residents to engage in daily exercise, spend more time with their families by speeding up travel time and reduce the stress of driving on congested roadways. Increased travel choices also promote equality in transportation because it provides options to all residents regardless of age or ability. 1.4 GOALS Goals were developed through the public participation process to support the RTP guiding principles. These goals highlight the areas where transportation investments can significantly impact quality of life for the region and include the following: •
Improve Safety RTC seeks to improve safety for all modes of transportation and is committed to the Zero Fatalities goal. RTC tracks crash statistics for the region and monitors the safety impacts of transportation improvements. High crash corridors and intersections are prioritized for infrastructure and operational investments in this RTP.
CH.1 — INTRODUCTION
Safety investment can include the following: - Improving crosswalks at intersections - Decreasing speed on roads with high bicycle and pedestrian use - Providing separated bike lanes - Creating a network of connected sidewalks and trails - Adding concrete bus pads that allow passengers to load and unload - Installing traffic calming devices - Providing intersection and traffic signal upgrades - Ongoing community education • Integrate Land Use and Economic Development RTC is partnering with local jurisdictions and economic development agencies to identify how transportation investments can support regional development goals. This can be achieved by providing connectivity between communities and economic centers, supporting access to local businesses in transit oriented development districts and other areas, lowering transportation costs, and encouraging density and land use that supports walking, bicycling and transit. • Promote Healthy Communities and Sustainability Sustainable practices include preservation of existing facilities through initiatives such as the pavement preservation program, focusing on green technology to promote economic development, and utilizing renewable resources to reduce energy costs.
A healthier community can be realized by providing access to nutritious foods to local residents regardless of demographics or location, encouraging active transportation by improving bicycle and pedestrian accessibility and lighting for a safer walking/biking environment, supporting the needs of freight and logistics industries, and reducing dependence on automobiles in order to improve air quality.
School crosswalk on Mayberry Drive. 30] 2040 Regional Transportation Plan
• •
Manage Existing Systems Efficiently It is imperative that RTC minimizes the life cycle costs of area roadways and maximizes the utilization of existing infrastructure. By making the most of current transportation resources, RTC can stretch limited revenues farther. Examples of this include the RTC pavement preventive maintenance, annual signaling retiming, ITS, and bus maintenance programs. Integrate all Types of Transportation RTC seeks to have an interconnected multi-modal transportation system that gives residents more travel choices. Local residents have expressed a desire to have transportation options, which include convenient alternatives for walking, biking, riding transit, or driving. The regional transportation system must provide mobility options that are appropriate to the land use context and address the needs of neighborhoods, commercial districts, and goods movement.
Bike racks at RTC 4TH STREET STATION.
Bike repair station at RTC 4TH STREET STATION.
• • • •
Focus on Regional Connectivity Economic and transportation linkages tie Northern Nevada communities together, including Carson City, the Lake Tahoe region, Virginia City, Pyramid Lake, Storey County, and other nearby areas. The community desires regional connectivity for residents, businesses, and visitors alike to have multimodal travel options and freight mobility between these regions and into California. Promote Equity and Environmental Justice Work toward a more equitable and balanced transportation system that can be safely used by all regardless of age, race, economic status, or ability. It is a priority of RTC to ensure that transportation and mobility benefits are equitably shared among residents of the region. Improve Freight and Goods Movement Freight and goods movement contributes to the economic success of this region and plays a role in diversifying the employment base. Because of the strategic location of Reno and Sparks, the manufacturing air cargo, freight rail, and trucking industries bring significant opportunities for economic growth. Freight, logistics, and advanced manufacturing have been identified by the Governor as key areas for economic opportunity in Northern Nevada. Invest Strategically Funding is essential to provide a quality transportation system. RTC has limited state, local, and federal resources available and must maximize the positive impact of each transportation dollar. A top priority of investing strategically is to help the community realize that transportation is an investment in our future.
Formation of the guiding principles and goals was one of the first steps in the planning process because they help to determine priorities. They are the cornerstone to plan for the future of the community and assist in knowing where to invest limited economic, human and natural resources. These goals were an important part of the project selection process, which is described in Appendix B.
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1.5
2013-2017 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The 2035 Regional Transportation Plan, adopted in 2013, has guided transportation investments over the last four years. These transportation improvements have generated significant benefits for the region, including the following: • Keystone Avenue — bicycle lanes, sidewalks, and crosswalk improvements between Coleman Avenue and University Terrace.
•
McCarran Boulevard — widened from four to six lanes between Mira Loma Drive and Greg Street, installed sidewalks and multiuse path, including a pedestrian bridge over the Truckee River.
McCarran Boulevard at North Virginia Street — intersection widening and operational improvements. North Valleys — Installed pedestrian safety and ADA improvements at locations on Sky Vista Parkway, Silver Lake Road, Lemmon Drive, and Stead Boulevard. • West Plumb Lane — reconstructed pavement between McCarran Boulevard and Ferris Lane, improved drainage, and installed shared use path. • •
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Sun Valley Boulevard — installed crosswalks, sidewalks, and improved bus stops at 6th Street, Gepford Parkway, and Skaggs Circle. • Sutro Street — resurfaced pavement, installed bike lanes and sidewalks, improved crosswalks and bus stops from 4th Street to McCarran Boulevard.
•
• •
Virginia Street — replaced Truckee River Bridge. Installed 43.5 miles of bike lanes, 18.6 miles of sidewalk, and 318 ADA compliant curb ramps.
• • • •
Upgraded traffic signals region-wide. Implemented electric bus program. Improved bus stops region-wide. The SouthEast Connector, Pyramid/McCarran Intersection improvements, Villanova Bus Maintenance Facility upgrades, and 4th Street/Prater Way Bus RAPID Extension Project have advanced to construction.
•
Engineering for the Virginia Street Bus RAPID Transit Extension Project is underway. CH.1 — INTRODUCTION
33] 2040 Regional Transportation Plan
2
COMMUNITY BASED PLANNING The RTP is founded on a community outreach process designed to more fully understand the region’s diverse and complex transportation needs with a people based approach. Effective transportation planning requires involvement from community stakeholders, elected officials, business owners, schools, economic development groups, and property owners. Collaboration with the public allows for innovative ideas to emerge that address complex transportation issues including funding, promoting the development of multi-modal roadways, and increasing travel options on a regional level. Ensuring a broad base of participation helps develop a cohesive effort in planning region-wide. It also allows RTC’s priorities to interline with those of other groups and agencies who are working to enrich quality of life and create a more livable community. Strong community support for the planning process will also greatly enhance implementation of specific projects and programs in the plan. The 2040 RTP process was formed around five primary types of outreach: • Participation of advisory groups (the Agency Working Group and the RTC Citizens Multimodal Advisory Committee) that guided the planning process • Community Planning Workshops that were held at two strategic points of the plan development process —developing alternatives, and evaluating/ prioritizing alternatives • Forums that brought local residents together to focus on specific special topics important to the plan, including accessibility and senior transportation needs, freight and logistics, Veterans, and millennial transportation issues • Involvement of elected officials and other boards, commissions and community organizations — this included monthly reports to the RTC Board • Digital and traditional broadcast media to reach a broad audience — this included the RTC website, news releases, interviews, Facebook and Twitter, The Road Ahead with RTC (a television news segment), and meeting announcements in English and Spanish language publications. RTC adopted a Public and Agency Participation Plan to outline how to reach a diverse group of individuals who could contribute their expertise, ideas and suggestions to the planning process, which is included in Appendix C. An overview of the major community outreach components is provided in the illustration on the following page.
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SECTION 2.1 RTP AGENCY WORKING GROUPS The RTP Agency Working Group (staff from partner organizations) help guide the process.
20 40
SECTION 2.2 RTC CITIZENS MULTIMODAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE RTC Citizens Multimodal Advisory Committee (local resident volunteers) helped guide the process. SECTION 2.3 COMMUNITY PLANNING WORKSHOPS Alternatives Development
Evaluation of Alternatives Review Draft Plan
June 2016
August 2016
RT
P
OU
April 2017
TR
SECTION 2.4 ELECTED OFFICIALS, BOARDS, AND COMMISSIONS Briefings with the RTC Board, presentations & opportunities for feedback at City of Reno Council, City of Sparks Council, Washoe County Board of Commissioners, Washoe County Health District, Regional Planning Governing Board, Regional Planning Commission, Reno-Sparks Indian Colony.
EA
CH
PR
SECTION 2.5 ISSUE BASED FORUMS Freight & Logistics
Senior & ADA Transportation Issues
Millennials Transportation Issues
Veterans Transportation Issues
Regional Rail & Bus Transit
Economic Development
March 2016
April 2016
February 2016
April 2016
March 2016
March 2016
OC
ES
S
SECTION 2.6 BROADCAST AND DIGITAL MEDIA OUTREACH Press releases, media briefings, interviews (English/Spanish); The Road Ahead with RTC website, social media & meeting announcements in local newspapers.
2.1
RTP AGENCY WORKING GROUPS
The Agency Working Group (AWG) helped to guide, inform and provide technical expertise in all areas of the plan. The AWG collaborated with the RTC to ensure consistency with other planning strategies, initiatives and policies in the region. This group contributed significantly to: • Coordinating regional planning efforts • Identifying the impacts of transportation on other agencies • Providing a forum to present innovative ideas at a regional level
2040 RTP Seniors and ADA forum working groups.
CH.2 — COMMUNITY BASED PLANNING
RTP Planning Workshop #2. 2.2 RTC CITIZENS MULTIMODAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE The Citizens Multimodal Advisory Committee is a standing committee that provides feedback to staff and the RTC Board of Commissioners. The group meets monthly and is made up of residents from throughout the region with an interest in the transportation system. This diverse group represents community needs and concerns related to all modes of transportation. CMAC provided input regarding priorities for projects and services in the 2040 RTP. The CMAC provided input regarding the project listing for roadways, the transit element, and the unfunded Vision for Transit. The group also reviewed and provided comments on drafts of the RTP document as it was prepared. 36] 2040 Regional Transportation Plan
PARTNERSHIPS AND INTER-REGIONAL COLLABORATION It is important that the RTP is comprehensive and illustrates the vision and “big picture” of planning efforts and challenges in Northern Nevada and the Lake Tahoe Region. Inter-regional collaboration with other nearby cities, counties, and MPOs ensures that RTC is able to build on transportation linkages and economic ties as well as reduce the duplication of efforts attempting to accomplish the same goal. As agencies continue to do more with limited resources, collaboration among regions allows for the development of greater ideas and partnerships that can have a positive impact on mobility options such as coordinating transit trips across regions utilizing two or more different systems. This collaboration can lead to funding projects that may not otherwise be possible. RTC is a member of the Trans-Sierra Coalition that seeks to coordinate transportation needs in northern Nevada and California. Partnerships are another crucial aspect of developing a long range plan. This includes partnerships with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, neighborhoods, academic institutions, and private businesses. When collaboration among these organizations occurs at the beginning phase of the plan, future efforts for project delivery can be expedited saving both time and money. This approach allows for a more sustainable planning process. 2.3
COMMUNITY PLANNING WORKSHOPS
Community planning workshops provided an opportunity for the public to actively participate in the planning process. By presenting technical information such as maps and baseline data, RTC staff assisted local residents in identifying and documenting transportation issues, concerns, alternatives, and priorities. The workshop format allowed people to document their ideas through discussions, in writing, and on maps or drawings, for the technical staff to use in the planning process. The workshops took place at two key decision points during the RTP including: • Identifying alternatives • Selection of priorities and recommendations The workshops were held in Reno and in Sparks. Spanish language translators were available at meetings and meeting materials were available in both English and Spanish. Workshop documents were uploaded to the RTC website (rtcwashoe.com). English and Spanish flyers were also developed and distributed throughout the community to create awareness of the 2040 RTP workshops.
Community Planning Workshop #1: Alternatives Development The first community workshop held was June 2, 2016 at the Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum in Reno. The purpose of the workshop was to garner comments and ideas from a diverse group of citizens. The following issues were discussed at the workshop: • Identify transportation issues that are important to the public • Share information about transportation programs and issues • Identify projects, programs, and services to consider in the 2040 RTP • Consider transit, roadway, pedestrian, and bicycle transportation needs • Discuss how transportation investments can improve our quality of life
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THE AGENCY WORKING GROUP WAS COMPRISED OF FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL AGENCY REPRESENTATIVES INCLUDING: • Bureau of Land Management, Nevada • Carson Area Metropolitan Planning Organization • City of Sparks • City of Reno • Federal Highway Administration • Federal Transit Administration • First Transit (RTC ACCESS) • MV Transit (RTC RIDE) • Nevada Department of Transportation
• • • • • • • •
NV Energy Nevada State Historic Preservation Office Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Reno-Sparks Indian Colony Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority Tahoe Regional Planning Agency/ Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization Tahoe Transportation District Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency
• • • • • • • •
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers U.S. Environmental Protection Agency U.S. Fish and Wildlife U.S. Forest Service University of Nevada, Reno Washoe County Washoe County – Health District-Air Quality Management Division Washoe County School District
The presentation included information about existing transportation facilities, transit service, congestion and mobility needs, funding sources, and the future of transportation. There were 41 attendees at the workshop. Some of the input received included the following: • Improve transit service • Plan for an aging population • Improve streets, sidewalks and bike facilities • Improve regional connectivity This workshop gave participants a general overview of the 2040 RTP process and background about RTC’s responsibilities. Citizens provided feedback on transportation issues and shared their ideas for the future. A total of 23 people attended the workshop, which included a presentation on the RTP. Community Planning Workshop #2: Alternatives Evaluation and Prioritization The second community planning workshop was held at The Nugget in Sparks on August 4, 2016. The purpose of the workshop involved: • Review of proposed projects, cost estimates, and transit ridership/average daily vehicle projections • Evaluating and prioritizing projects for inclusion in the RTP
A wide variety of projects and services were suggested for consideration in the 2040 RTP during the alternatives development phase of the planning process. Ideas for projects came from the existing RTP, corridor studies, community input at workshops and roundtables, the RTC website, social media and an online survey. Survey participants were asked to identify their top priorities for both transit and roadway projects. The survey mirrored the choices and options considered by attendees at the second community planning workshop. The online survey was taken by 77 individuals.
The workshop consisted of a presentation and displays that members of the public viewed at their leisure. Stickers were placed on the displays by participants, enabling them to prioritize their preferences for future improvements. CH.2 — COMMUNITY BASED PLANNING
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COMMUNITY — IDENTIFIED TRANSIT ACCESSIBILITY NEEDS MAP 2.1
CH.2 — COMMUNITY BASED PLANNING
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Other projects that received strong community support during the workshops and subsequent online survey are highlighted below. Projects in the 2017-2021 timeframe • 4th Street/Prater Way Bus RAPID Transit Project (construction) • US 395/I-580/I-80 (Spaghetti Bowl) improvements (PE/NEPA) • Pyramid-US395 Connector Phase 1, widen Pyramid Highway from Queen Way to Los Altos (PE/NEPA) • Sparks Boulevard, Greg Street to Baring Boulevard, multimodal improvements and widen from 4 to 6 lanes (PE/NEPA) • Virginia Street Bus RAPID Transit Extension Project (construction) • Center Street, South Virginia to I-80, widen sidewalks and add bike lanes • Sierra Street, California to 9th, widen sidewalks and add bike lanes • US 395/I-580/I-80, Spaghetti Bowl capacity expansion Projects in the 2022-2026 timeframe • Sparks Boulevard, Greg Street to Baring Boulevard, multimodal improvements and widen from 4 to 6 lanes (construction) • US 395/I-580/I-80 (Spaghetti Bowl) improvements (construction) • Kietzke Lane, Galletti Way to Virginia Street, multimodal improvements (construction) • Lemmon Drive, Fleetwood Drive to Deodar Way, widen 2 to 4 lanes (construction) • Lemmon Drive, US 395 to Military Road, widen 4 to 6 lanes (construction) • Forest Street, California to Mount Rose Street, bike lanes or cycle track • West 2nd Street (Reno), Keystone to Galletti, enhanced sidewalks, landscaping, and bike lanes • I-80/I-580/US 395 Spaghetti Bowl, I-80/ I-580/US 395 interchange and southbound lanes on US 395 from I-80 to McCarran, operational and capacity improvements, widen 395 to 8 lanes, phase 1
CH.2 — COMMUNITY BASED PLANNING
Projects in the 2027-2040 timeframe • Pyramid-US 395 Connector Phase 2, construct connector from US 395 to Pyramid Highway • Keystone Avenue, California Avenue to 4th Street, multimodal improvements (construction) • I-80, West McCarran Boulevard to Vista Boulevard, widen 1 lane in each direction (construction) • Geiger Grade realignment, Virginia Street to Toll Road, new 4 lane road (construction) • US 395/I-580/I-80 (Spaghetti Bowl) improvements (construction) • 4th Street (Reno), Keystone Avenue to North Virginia Street, enhanced sidewalks and bike lanes • I-80/I-580/US 395 (Spaghetti Bowl), I-80/ I-580/US 395 interchange and southbound lanes on US 395 from I-80 to McCarran Blvd, operational and capacity improvements — widen US 395 to 8 lanes • Wells Avenue, Moran Street to East 9th Street, bike lanes and bike/pedestrian facilities over the Truckee River 2.4 ELECTED OFFICIALS, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS The RTC also sought input about the 2040 RTP from local elected officials and appointed boards and commissions. Presentations and discussions were held with the following: Reno City Council, Sparks City Council, Washoe County Commission, RenoSparks Indian Colony, Washoe County Health District, Regional Planning Governing Board, and Regional Planning Commission.
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2.5
COMMUNITY FORUMS
Also critical to the development of the RTP was a series of community forums held on various topics including: youth issues, economic development, regional rail and bus transit, freight and logistics, senior and ADA issues, veteran issues and millennial issues. Each forum included community and elected leaders, local jurisdiction staff, and others with interests and expertise in the subject matter. They provided an open forum for discussion of issues and opportunities related to transportation. Youth Forum The Youth Forum was held at Wooster High School in Reno on February 29, 2016. More than 50 people participated in the forum. During the forum, participants were asked to rank the most important areas for transportation improvements. Transit improvements and more bike and pedestrian facilities were among top-priorities. Specifically, youths wanted more transit service to outlying areas and a better sidewalk network near schools. Economic Development Forum The Economic Development Forum was held at the University of Nevada, Reno Innevation Center in Reno on March 8, 2016.
A presentation by the RTC described the RTP process and the goals of the forum, which included: 1. Explaining the significance of the 2040 RTP 2. Exploring the relationship between economic development and transportation 3. Examining economic development challenges and opportunities Among feedback received was: • A desire for more capacity and connectivity in Spanish Springs, a community within the City of Sparks • New rail or transit service linking employment hubs and residential areas • Capacity and safety improvements made at the Reno/Sparks Spaghetti Bowl • Improved transportation connections to Storey County Regional Rail and Bus Transit Forum The Regional Rail and Bus Transit Forum was held on March 24, 2016 to garner input on regional rail and transit service in the community. The forum took place at the University of Nevada, Reno Innevation Center in Reno. Presentations were made by: • RTC • The Streetcar Coalition • HNTB Corporation Among the feedback received was: • Integrate transit with institutions of higher learning • Serve more areas with transit including: Spanish Springs and the North Valleys (in Reno) • Consider a streetcar in the community, serving Virginia Street and possibly linking to Reno-Tahoe International Airport • Consider commuter bus and/or rail from Truckee to Storey County
Presentations were made by: • The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) • The Reno Streetcar Coalition • RTC • University Center for Economic Development at UNR • Storey County CH.2 — COMMUNITY BASED PLANNING
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Freight and Logistics Forum The Freight and Logistics Forum was held on March 31, 2016 at the University of Nevada, Reno Innevation Center in Reno. The goal of the forum was to receive feedback on how transportation infrastructure and transit may support freight movements and other needs.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Presentations were made by: • The Nevada Department of Transportation • Reno-Tahoe International Airport • Union Pacific Railroad
Senior and ADA Forum The Senior and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Forum took place on April 14, 2016 at the Washoe County Senior Center.
Presentations were made by: • RTC • Connie McMullen, Senior Advocate
During this forum, participants were asked to identify challenges and strengths.
Some of the issues identified during the forum were: • More frequency of transit service, especially to medical centers • Increase service area for transit and paratransit • Make more online materials available to those with visual impairments • Improve reliability and timing of transit services
Strengths identified by the public: • The Reno-Tahoe International Airport functions well for the movement of freight • Economic growth is occurring and public agencies support the growth
Veterans Forum The Veterans Forum was held on April 19, 2016 at the University of Nevada, Reno Innevation Center in Reno. A subsequent presentation was made at the VFW facility in Reno for additional input.
Challenges identified by the public: • Capacity improvements are needed at the Spaghetti Bowl, on I-80, and on US 395 • Expansion of industrial development in the North Valleys • Issues associated with funding needed infrastructure improvements
CH.2 — COMMUNITY BASED PLANNING
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Presentations were made by: • RTC • The Veterans Resource Centers of America Some of the issues identified during the forum were: • More frequency of transit service, covering more locations • Need for transit service to locations where veterans sign up for and receive benefits • Desire to see a streamlined process of signing up for paratransit service • More accommodations for disabled individuals who use fixed-route bus service Millennial Forum The Millennial Forum was held at the University of Nevada, Reno on May 2, 2016. Representatives from UNR and Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) were present and helped engage students, faculty and staff.
2.6
BROADCAST AND DIGITAL MEDIA OUTREACH
RTC used a variety of tools to reach a broad spectrum of the community. In addition to workshops and other meetings, both traditional and electronic media were instrumental in sharing information and gathering feedback. RTC Website The RTC website was employed to encourage public participation, and as a method to store documents, presentations and other materials related to the 2040 RTP. Online Survey The RTC engaged the community with an online survey that mirrored discussion boards from the second community workshop. Social Media Public participation opportunities were promoted through social media outlets. These messages included links to the online survey and information about participating in forums and workshops. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube all featured content. RTC eNews Information about the 2040 RTP was included in the RTC’s monthly electronic newsletter which is distributed to elected and government officials, businesses, community leaders and stakeholders.
Some of the feedback received included: • There is a lack of sidewalks around UNR’s campus • A need for more bike lanes • Students said better lighting would encourage use of transit at night • Bus stops are far apart • Transit does not serve outlying areas where students who live off-campus reside
MyRTC Email Updates Members of the community who subscribe to MyRTC were also invited to participate. MyRTC enables internet users to sign up for updates on topics of interest to them.
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Newspaper, Television and Radio Outreach Another important component of the outreach program included news coverage, newspaper, television and radio. The RTC issued press releases to local media outlets (English/Spanish) and participated in media briefings and interviews to inform the public about the RTP process, its topics, ways to get involved and the importance of the RTP to the region. The RTC utilized its weekly news segment, “The Road Ahead with RTC” which airs on KOLO 8 TV News to further promote the RTP planning process including meetings and workshops (see schedule below). Advertisements for the community workshops were placed in local English and Spanish language newspapers. The Road Ahead with RTC Segments March 1, 2 and 3, 2016 RTC Seeks Community Participation for 2040 RTP Update August 2, 3 and 4, 2016 RTC Plans for Growth Interviews with News Media Northern Nevada Business Weekly — July Issue KUNR Radio — July 26, 2016 Reno Gazette-Journal — August 3, 2016 KRNV News 4 — August 4, 2016
CH.2 — COMMUNITY BASED PLANNING
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3
IMPROVING SAFETY Planning and building a safe multi-modal transportation system for the travelling public is the most critical goal of the RTC. Safety is involved in all types of transportation: driving, walking, cycling, and riding transit. RTC engages in innovative planning and data analysis, public education, interdisciplinary collaboration, operations, and design, with the purposeful goal of reducing the number of crashes and injuries in Washoe County. In addition, RTC is a partner with local emergency response teams and law enforcement agencies, in an effort to provide evacuation assistance and coordination during regional disasters. 3.1
PLANNING FOR SAFETY
RTC has placed a priority on proactive safety planning. At the cornerstone of this process is a close partnership with NDOT, law enforcement, emergency responders, the Cities of Reno and Sparks, Washoe County, and other partnering agencies. Safety investments are designed to be consistent with the needs of adjacent land uses, such as the locations of schools and redevelopment districts with lots of pedestrian activity. Issues related to the incorporation of safety into the regional plan include: • Continue building stakeholder partnerships • Engage multi-agency coordination and communication • Promote safety awareness and education through community outreach • Implement a Complete Streets approach • Enhance the accessibility and safety of transit stops and transfer points • Implement ITS technologies on transit and emergency vehicles • Secure financial resources to fund safety improvements • Conduct corridor studies to identify early actions and other safety priorities CH.3 — IMPROVING SAFETY
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Nevada Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) Nevada’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) is produced by NDOT in cooperation with many agencies, including the RTC. The SHSP is a statewide plan that covers five critical emphasis areas and suggests many safety improvement strategies using the 4E approach, which focuses on education, enforcement, engineering, and emergency response. This plan is incorporated in the RTP. Zero Fatalities: Drive Safe Nevada
RTC seeks to improve safety for all modes of transportation by fully committing to the Zero Fatalities goal. The Nevada SHSP was updated in 2015 with additional life-saving strategies to help reach the statewide goal. Nevada’s Zero Fatalities goal and commitment to safety have been shared through public service announcements, billboards, and bilingual materials. The state’s Zero Fatalities goal is consistent with the national Toward Zero Deaths strategy led by FHWA and others. Critical Emphasis Areas (CEA) CEAs are specific areas of concern relative to highway crashes. By identifying CEAs an agency can more efficiently set priorities and begin to focus on solutions to avoid specific crash elements. Nevada’s 2015 SHSP identifies six CEAs: impaired driving, intersections, lane departures, motorcycles, occupant protection, and pedestrians. NDOT has implemented strong public awareness campaigns regarding impaired driving and seat belt use. Because intersection crashes and incidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists are the most common on roads in the RTC planning areas, these CEAs receive the greatest focus in the RTP.
CH.3 — IMPROVING SAFETY
Complete Streets Master Plan Adopted in 2016, the Complete Streets Master Plan identifies a long range strategy to improve safety for all users on regional roadways. The plan is based on extensive community outreach and identifies corridors where multimodal infrastructure investments will improve safety and connectivity. Complete Streets can include a variety of elements and are designed to improve safety and accommodate local land use characteristics. Potential components of Complete Streets can include sidewalks, bike lanes, shared use paths, enhanced crosswalks, reduction in the number of travel lanes, and bus stops. Because each Complete Streets design is customized to meet corridor needs, not all of these elements will be present in each Complete Streets design. The improvements recommended in the Complete Streets Master Plan have been included in the project listing shown in Appendix A. Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP) The Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP) addresses safety for bicyclists and pedestrians in Washoe County. The PSAP encourages the state to spend funds on bike and pedestrian safety improvement projects, which include an updated contiguous regional map and bilingual educational information, distributed throughout the community. This plan is included in the Reno Sparks Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (RSBPMP) with the following objectives: • Improve Safety — According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2014 pedestrian fatalities accounted for 15 percent of all traffic fatalities in motor vehicle crashes, a 2-percent increase from pedestrian fatalities in 2013. Reducing the number of crashes involving pedestrians requires a plan that focuses on countermeasures that have the greatest crash reduction factors.
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• Encourage Walking — Walking saves energy, is good for the environment, and promotes public health. To encourage more walking requires a plan with strategies for investing in pedestrian facilities, enhancements to all ADA issues and insuring that people can walk safely to and from bus stops. • Create a Great Community — The public is demanding safe, walkable communities. In an increasingly mobile society, businesses are choosing to locate in cities where people can enjoy a good quality of life. Creating a great walking environment, by the use of Complete Streets, is central to economic development and improving quality of life. Data Analysis The collection and analysis of crash data is important for continuous safety planning. RTC works closely with NDOT to analyze and publish information about safety trends over time as well as the specific safety impacts of particular projects. RTC staff serves on the SHSP data team and receives weekly updates about data available from NDOT and the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). When conducting a before and after road project study, staff analyzes three years of data before and three years after the project. Also, RTC uses data from the OTS and the NDOT Safety Division, for safety reports presented to the RTC Board. Crash data has been used to develop a systemic approach to safety by taking a broader view of the types of crashes and what roadway factors have the greater safety risks.
MOTORIST TIPS TO HELP KEEP PEDESTRIANS SAFE: • Look for and yield to pedestrians at intersections and in crosswalks. • Pay attention — avoid distractions such as talking on your cell phone and texting while driving (it is against the law in Nevada). • Watch for vehicles slowing down around you. They could be yielding to a pedestrian. • Never pass a vehicle that is stopped at a crosswalk — it may be stopped for a pedestrian crossing the road. • When turning at intersections, always look for pedestrians on both the streets you are leaving and entering. • Slow down — speeding greatly increases the likelihood and severity of a crash. At 20 MPH, it can take a car 69 feet or more to stop and at 40 MPH, it can take 189 feet or more for a car to come to a stop — more than two and a half times the distance at 20 MPH. Many factors (reaction time, pavement condition, vehicle size, tire age, driver experience, etc.) can also increase stopping distances greatly. Pedestrians can also help prevent crashes by remembering the following tips: • Make eye contact with drivers before you step into the street. Make sure they see you, plan on stopping and have time to stop. • Cross the street at crosswalks where motorists expect to see you. • Just because one car has stopped for you, others may not. Be cautious. Keep looking. • Always use sidewalks when they are available. If not, walk on the left side of the street facing traffic. • Wear light or bright colors, reflective material or vests and flashing lights to increase your visibility to drivers. • Use caution and be aware of the hazards of impaired walking: nationally, 1/3 of pedestrian fatalities involve a pedestrian under the influence of alcohol.
Some examples of systemic improvements to reduce severe crashes include reduction of conflict points through access management, installation of Flashing Yellow Arrows to retroreflective backplates at traffic signals, modifying signal timing to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists, use of Intersection Control Evaluations (ICE) to determine appropriate traffic control at intersections, reduction of pedestrian exposure through implementation of Complete Streets projects, installation of bulb-outs, median refuge, intersection lighting and tighter radii at crosswalks, use of rumble strips on shoulders and centerlines along curves, incorporating surface friction treatments, shoulder widening and slope flattening, use of Advertisement for the Street Smart campaign pavement safety edge to reduce drop offs, and several others. CH.3 — IMPROVING SAFETY 47] 2040 Regional Transportation Plan
Corridor Plans and Safety Management Plans (SMP) Corridor planning is used to identify safety concerns and infrastructure solutions. The RTC has conducted plans for several regional corridors that have been incorporated into the investments shown in the RTP project listing. These plans incorporate safety analysis, needs for multimodal investments such as bicycle lanes and sidewalks, and other operational needs. Projects in several corridor plans have advanced to design and delivery, including Keystone Avenue bicycle lanes and sidewalks, Sun Valley Boulevard sidewalk and crosswalk improvements, sidewalk and crosswalk improvements throughout the North Valleys, and multimodal improvements in the 4th Street/Prater Way Bus RAPID Transit Extension project. In a continued effort to reduce the severity of crashes and improve roadway safety, transportation and safety experts take part in NDOT’s Road Safety Assessments (RSA) and Safety Management Plans (SMP) along with various corridors within the region. The assessments and plans are conducted in partnership with NDOT, RTC, and local government agencies. RSA’s and SMP’s are formal safety performance reviews of existing or future road or intersections by multidisciplinary teams which are performed to support corridor studies and identify short, medium, and long term safety improvements. RSA’s qualitatively evaluate and report on potential road safety issues and opportunities for improvements in safety for all roadway users. Performing both day and night field reviews, the teams look at how all users interact on a roadway, and review any potentially confusing road elements such as signs, trap lanes, skewed right-hand turn lanes, and poor nighttime visibility, as well as pedestrian and bicycle safety concerns. Safety assessment members include a safety engineer, traffic or roadway design engineer and district engineering representatives, along with law enforcement and regional planners. When the safety assessment is conducted within the vicinity of a school the Washoe County Safe Routes to School Program provides input as well. CH.3 — IMPROVING SAFETY
The teams may also include engineers from local government agencies, emergency medical responders, bicycle and pedestrian experts and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) personnel, who work independently of the road project design teams and assure a cross-section of viewpoints.
Safety Management Plans take the RSA to the next level by developing preliminary roadway plans which may be used to implement recommended safety improvements. RSA’s have been used to include safety enhancing improvements on numerous RTC roadway projects, such as the 4th/ Prater BRT project and the Virginia Street BRT Extension. A SMP for 2nd Street and Arlington Avenue is currently underway, which will provide the groundwork for additional safety improvements along the corridor. Other safety focused improvements under construction include Sun Valley Boulevard pedestrian improvements (6th Avenue, Gepford Parkway, and Skaggs Circle intersections), Kietzke Lane Pedestrian Safety improvements (Roberts Street, Taylor Street, Apple Street and Grove Street intersections), and North Virginia Street Safety Improvements (Talus Way, Moraine Way, and Hoge Road intersections). 3.2 COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND EDUCATION Raising public awareness about safety concerns and providing educational materials is an important tool in improving safety. Of particular importance is awareness of pedestrian and bicycle safety best practices.
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Safety is the top priority for the RTC and guides the design for street improvements. RTC attends various outreach events and provides the community with safety materials and information. Safety measures are often shared with the public through programs such as “The Road Ahead With RTC” segments on KOLO 8 as well as Safe Routes to School, Truckee Meadows Bicycle Alliance, SMART TRIPS, Healthy Communities, and website outreach. Safe Routes to School RTC works closely with the Washoe County School District and NDOT to implement a successful Safe Routes to School Program (SRTS). This includes a significant educational component geared toward students, parents, and school staff. The School District Police Department Safe Routes to School Coordinator conducts regular school-based events to teach K-8 grade students how to be more visible to motorists and how to follow safety precautions. The SRTS Coordinator works with parents and school faculty and staff to reconfigure school zone areas in a way that minimizes potential conflicts. The SRTS Coordinator also provides input to RTC about capital investments that would improve safety on regional roads near schools.
RTC SMART TRIPS The RTC SMART TRIPS program assists businesses and citizens in using sustainable modes of transportation and adopting trip reduction strategies. The reduction in vehicle trips is a critical step toward maintaining and improving air quality in the Truckee Meadows and lessening traffic congestion. Lower congestion is linked to a reduction in crashes. Additionally, studies indicate that as the number of bicycle and walking trips increase there is a reduction in the crash risk for those travel modes. Major RTC SMART TRIPS components include a bus pass subsidy program, a subsidized vanpool program, and a web-based trip matching service that facilitates finding carpool, bus, bike and walking buddies. A free consulting service is offered to local businesses to assist them in encouraging their employees to make sustainable transportation choices. In addition to promoting the benefits of sustainable transportation, the program helps educate the public on how to travel safely. Safety messages for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians are distributed throughout the year at public events and employee benefit fairs. Safety lights that can be worn on clothing or placed on bikes are also given to members of the public at these events. Safety brochures can be downloaded from the RTC website.
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3.3 OPERATIONS Operations are another key component of the RTC safety program. Safety is a vital priority of the RTC RIDE and RTC ACCESS transit services. Safety operations include RTC’s partnership in the Nevada Traffic Incident Management (NV TIM) program as well as emergency management.
Safe Routes to School event. CH.3 — IMPROVING SAFETY
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Safe Transit Operations The Short Range Transit Plan identifies the provision of safe and secure transit service as a primary goal. The policies to implement this goal are provided below: • The RTC shall pursue specific programs to enhance the safety of public transportation and minimize the number of avoidable accidents involving transit vehicles. • The RTC shall work with local, state, national, and private law enforcement agencies to eliminate security incidents in the RTC public transportation system. • The RTC will inspect equipment and facilities biweekly based on industry-defined condition performance standards. Deficiencies shall be corrected immediately and before placing equipment and facilities into service. • Maintain visible level of system-wide security presence and surveillance coverage throughout the operating periods of the system. The RTC inspects equipment and facilities continuously based on industry defined condition performance standards. Deficiencies shall be corrected immediately and before placing equipment and facilities into service. RTC works with the local jurisdictions to improve pedestrian safety at bus stops by enhancing ADA accessibility, installing solar-powered lights where feasible, installing security cameras at RTC RAPID stations and at RTC 4TH STREET STATION and RTC CENTENNIAL PLAZA, and promoting general roadway safety.
Nevada Traffic Incident Management (NV TIM) The Nevada TIM program is a partnership of agencies and organizations working together toward a common objective: to reduce roadway and incident clearance times, and to reduce secondary crashes. It is a systematic, state-wide, multi-agency effort to improve the management of highway incidents (crashes), disabled or abandoned vehicles, debris in the roadway, work zones, adverse weather and any other events and emergencies that impact the transportation system. TIM is in line with a unified goal for traffic incident management to restore roadways quickly and safely following an incident and to save lives. There are TIM coalitions in northern urban, southern urban, and rural Nevada. NV TIM partners include: • Law Enforcement • Federal Highway, Homeland Security, and Federal Transit • Fire and Rescue • Emergency Medical Services • Transportation Agencies • Towing and Recovery Companies • Emergency Managers • Hazardous Materials Responders and Environmental Agencies (private and public) • Media and Agency Public Information Officers • Medical Examiner and Coroner’s Office • University Systems
Emergency Management Plan The RTC Emergency Management Plan (EMP) is the frame-work for emergency response and preparedness throughout Washoe County. The EMP Research by the Federal Transit Administration is intended to support a comprehensive, all-hazards and the US DOT Federal Motor Carrier Safety approach to emergency response management. Administration indicates that riding a bus is 26 times The plan will respond to a region wide spectrum safer than driving an automobile. Fatality rates per of emergencies as warranted by external professional 100 million passenger miles are .93 for motor emergency response organizations. The purpose vehicles and .10 for bus travel. This is an improveof the plan is to protect life, minimize damage, and ment as the 2035 RTP reported that riding a bus ensure continuity of operations so essential services was 9 times safer than driving an automobile. may continue to be provided to the community. The overall ability of safety personnel to effectively respond to an emergency will rely primarily upon two factors: • The comprehensive quality of the EMP; and • The preparedness of the population to respond quickly and knowledgeably to any type of emergency. CH.3 — IMPROVING SAFETY
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In addition, the ability to recover from an emergency will depend primarily upon the efforts of individual departments toward the development of effective business continuity plans. These plans are designed to outline how various partners will continue to provide their specialized services which may be disrupted by an emergency or disaster. The Emergency Management Plan applies to all emergencies that could impact Northern Nevada. Planned training, exercises and drills are part of the EMP. These planned events provide better coordination, response and management of actual incidents or events. Planned events allow regional partners to test and exercise plans to improve the response and management of actual events. Washoe County Regional Resiliency Study The Washoe County Regional Resiliency Study (Resiliency Study) was completed in 2014. The Resilience Study was prepared in response to potential climate variability related impacts specific to the Northern Nevada Region. The last several decades have seen dramatic growth in the region, coupled with increased resource demands that have forced local governments to consider how these impacts will affect the region and may, in turn, impact the regions ability to provide essential services. The Resiliency Study reflects a philosophical approach to governmental policy-making that integrates regional planning and development, economic development, community and private sector engagement, social services planning, and emergency management. Resiliency plans provide a forecast of short and long term trends based on projected climate impacts, an analysis of potential government services delivery shortfalls from those trends, and a plan of anticipated future service delivery approaches to address the shortfalls. Resiliency plans help policy makers guide governmental preparedness. Components of the Resiliency Plan are considered and incorporated throughout the RTP.
3.4
SAFETY DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS
When building or reconstructing regional roads, RTC includes safety as a primary factor in project selection and design. RTC’s implementation of safety investments takes on many forms, and can include the following: • Improving crosswalks at intersections • Decreasing speed on roads with high bicycle and pedestrian use • Providing separated bike lanes • Creating a network of connected sidewalks, bike lanes and trails • Adding concrete bus pads that allow for passengers to safely load and unload • Installing traffic calming devices • Providing intersection and traffic signal upgrades
The RTC adopted a Complete Streets Master Plan in 2016. The Complete Streets program has successfully reduced crashes on many regional roads by between 31 and 46 percent. This is accomplished by providing a center turn lane, and adding bicycle lanes. By reducing the number of travel lanes and/or narrowing travel lanes, these design improvements result in slower vehicle travel speeds, usually to the posted speed. Roundabouts are another important design tool that improves safety at intersections by reducing potential conflict points and reducing vehicle speed.
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By installing design treatments that encourage cars to travel at speeds closer to the posted speed limit, RTC is able to reduce the number and severity of crashes. Crash Reductions After Complete Streets Improvements Table 3.1 Location % Reduction in Crashes Wells Avenue 31% California/Mayberry 42% Arlington Avenue 46% Mill Street 43% Sutro Street 38% Plumas Street 41% Sierra Street 31% Victorian Avenue 35% Complete Streets design principles apply context sensitive solutions to support all types of transportation. The primary purpose of Complete Street projects is to provide safe access and travel for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit users of all ages and abilities. These design treatments have been demonstrated to consistently reduce crashes on regional roads in the Reno-Sparks metropolitan region.
3.5
RTP SAFETY PROJECTS
Safety was a key project prioritization factor in this RTP. While all projects are designed to improve safety, projects that address safety issues in highcrash locations or issues identified in road safety audits are listed below. • Pyramid Highway/McCarran Boulevard intersection improvement • Pyramid Highway/Sun Valley/US 395 Connector • Sutro Street multimodal improvements • 4th Street/Prater Way multimodal improvements • Oddie Boulevard/Wells Avenue multimodal improvements • Kietzke Lane multimodal improvements • Mill Street/Terminal Way multimodal improvements • Keystone Avenue multimodal improvements • Sparks Boulevard multimodal improvements • Sun Valley Boulevard multimodal improvements • Spaghetti Bowl improvements
The range of improvements, which are selected based on corridor land use characteristics and transportation patterns, include the following: • Roundabouts • Narrow (less than 12-foot) travel lanes on regional roads • Reducing vehicle and pedestrian conflict points by reducing underutilized travel lanes • Adding center turn lanes • Adding bicycle lanes, shared paths, cycletracks, or bike boulevards • Installing or upgrading sidewalks and crosswalks • Installing pedestrian crossing/waiting areas in median islands • Installing or upgrading transit stops • Access management
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4
INTEGRATING LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Land use, economic development, and transportation are deeply connected. Transportation investments support development by enhancing access and mobility, improving the quality of the streetscape, and helping to create public spaces where people want to be. Vibrant communities include a variety of housing and transportation options and offer nearby destinations, such as shopping and dining, that are easy to access. Transportation infrastructure is needed to serve the new growth and development that is occurring in the community, both in the urban core and outlying areas such as the North Valleys. A safe and efficient regional road and freeway network is needed to support industrial growth related to logistics, distribution, and advanced manufacturing.
Integration of Land Use, Transportation, and Economic Development
Land Use
Transportation
Land development generates travel
Travel generates the need for new facilities
Economic Development
Further development is attracted as accessibility increases
Figure 4.1 Source: This graphic is based on a document produced by the U.S. Department of Federal Highway Administration called An Overview: Land Use and Economic Development in Statewide Transportation Planning.
Transit Oriented Development One of the best ways to increase transit ridership is to encourage high density housing and employment near transit stops. Providing convenient, enjoyable, and accessible pedestrian connections to bus stops is also essential. The Transit Oriented Development policies established by Reno, Sparks, and the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency have incentivized this type of development in the Virginia Street, 4th Street/ Prater Way, and other key transit corridors. Several successful examples of TOD have emerged in the Virginia Street corridor served by the RTC RAPID, including new retail, restaurant, office, and housing developments. As a result, Midtown has emerged as a major shopping and dining destination with a growing residential and office component. Victorian Square in downtown Sparks has also experienced a resurgence, as evidenced by the housing development currently under construction near RTC CENTENNIAL PLAZA. In addition, affordable housing and essential services are best suited to locations near transit lines to promote accessibility. Multimodal infrastructure can provide residents and visitors with more transportation options to get to work, school, recreational activities and provide access to necessary goods and services, such as food and medical appointments. High capacity transit combined with Complete Streets design elements that provide pedestrian and bicycle access provide the ideal environment for urban redevelopment. Multimodal transportation infrastructure investments will facilitate access and mobility in the urban corridors of Reno and Sparks as reinvestment continues to occur.
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The Virginia Street RAPID Extension to the University of Nevada, Reno, will support the growth in student housing and the expanding innovation-based economy associated with University research activities. Transit supports regional tourism and economic development initiatives. It plays an important role in getting people to conventions, athletic venues, and other special events. As an example, RTC RAPID connects the Reno-Sparks Convention Center to downtown and major resorts supporting the tourism and convention industries. The RAPID extension to UNR will provide access to education and employment opportunities, as well as football, basketball, and other sporting events. A safe and efficient regional road and freeway network also supports industrial growth related to logistics and distribution. Along with the regional benefits of integrating land use, economic development, and transportation, this practice is supported at the federal level by provisions in Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21). This legislation states that an MPO must “protect and enhance the environment, promote energy conservation, improve the quality of life, and promote consistency between transportation improvements and state and local planned growth and economic development patterns.” The FAST Act further supports transportation planning that advances tourism. 4.1
REGIONAL PLANNING
The RTC collaborates with other regional agencies that influence land use, quality of life, and economic development. These organizations include the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority, Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency, the Washoe County Health District, Washoe County School District, Washoe County Senior Services, the Truckee River Flood Management Authority, and the Reno Housing Authority. A summary of planning policies that influence transportation investments are described below. Reno Housing Authority The Housing Authority of the City of Reno (Reno Housing Authority or RHA), was founded in 1943. RHA has been appointed as the Public Housing Authority for the City of Sparks and Washoe County. CH.4 — INTEGRATING LAND USE
RHA currently owns and manages 764 units of Public Housing (475 for families) in eight different locations in the City of Reno and Sparks under the Public Housing programs and, through the use of the Neighborhood Stabilization Programs and other funding, owns over 100 rental properties specifically targeted for low income households. RHA also provides housing subsidies to more than 2,500 low income families in Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County through Rental Assistance programs. Reno-Tahoe International Airport Owned and operated by the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority, the Reno-Tahoe International Airport is located in the core of the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area and is essential to the economic growth of the region. It is the 66th busiest commercial airport in the nation and serves 3.5 million passengers per year. The airport is crucial to the success of tourism and cargo related industries in Northern Nevada. In addition to the core airfield operations, the airport offers many other important resources: • Passenger facilities — In recent years, the ticketing lobby, baggage claim area, security checkpoint, and federal inspections facility have all been renovated or reconfigured and reconstructed to better serve passenger demand and expectations. Expansion capabilities are in place to meet long term growth. • Air cargo facilities — The existing 67,000 square foot facilities, on 25 acres, are at capacity, with about 100 additional acres available in the southwest quadrant of the airport for expansion. • General aviation facilities — 120 acres have fueling, maintenance, repair, and hanger facilities. • Military facilities — 60 acres are leased to the Nevada Air National Guard housing the 152nd Airlift Wing.
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• Reno-Stead Airport — The Reno-Stead Airport is a 5,000 acre general aviation facility owned and operated by the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority. It is home to the National Championship Air Races and contains an FAA-designated unmanned autonomous systems (UAS) test range. A master plan for the Reno-Stead Airport has been completed that includes extensive advanced manufacturing, research, and industrial uses. Development of the Reno-Tahoe International Airport Master plan is currently underway. Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency The Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency (TMRPA) is responsible for the preparation and implementation of the Truckee Meadows Regional Plan (referred to as the Regional Plan). The TMRPA is comprised of the Regional Planning Governing Board (RPGB), the Regional Planning Commission (RPC), and staff. The RPGB members include elected officials from Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County. Additionally, the RPC is comprised of members from each jurisdiction’s Planning Commission. The Regional Plan addresses regional urban form, natural resource management, infrastructure, and service provision within Washoe County. The agency implements the Regional Plan by making conformity findings for local government plans and projects of regional significance in relation to the Regional Plan. The Regional Plan defines the land use framework for the metropolitan region. This land use framework includes Regional Centers and Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Corridors that aim to promote development that is mixed-use, higher density, walkable, and visually attractive. Additional key elements of the plan include: • Regional Form and Pattern — The Truckee Meadows Service Area (TMSA) guides urban and suburban development by ensuring the orderly provision of services and infrastructure. The Regional Plan promotes a regional development pattern that minimizes sprawl and supports a higher intensity and density of development within transit corridors, and strongly promotes infill development within transit corridors to optimize existing infrastructure.
• Centers and TOD Corridors — The Regional Plan designates a series of Centers and Corridors for the Cities of Reno and Sparks. Centers include Downtown, Regional, and Emerging Employment Centers, which are considered to be areas of major significance for the region. TOD corridors provide physical linkages between Centers and other areas of the city and will be the focus of mixed-use, transit oriented development. • Infill Development — The Regional Plan gives priority to infill development, especially within defined TOD corridors and Centers.
The Regional Plan designates two Downtown Centers (Downtown Reno and Sparks), eight Regional Centers, and five TOD Corridors. The TOD corridors link the regional centers and are located on the historic north-south and east-west spines of the region: Virginia Street and 4th Street/ Prater Way. The Regional Centers include: • Convention Regional Center • Medical Regional Center • Reno-Tahoe International Airport Regional Center • Reno-Stead Airport Regional Center
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• University of Nevada, Reno Regional Center • Dandini Regional Center (Truckee Meadows Community College and Desert Research Institute area) • Stead Regional Center • Redfield Regional Center • Western Gateway Regional Center TMRPA also works closely with the local jurisdictions to develop population and employment projections by Traffic Analysis Zone (TAZ), which are used in the RTC travel demand forecast model. In accordance with RPGB policy, the Washoe County population and employment projections, called the Consensus Forecast, are approved by the RPC every even-numbered year. The forecasts are the average of the most recent published data from the Nevada State Demographer, Woods & Poole, Global Insight, and Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA). During 2012, TMRPA completed development of a GIS-based model to allocate the projected population and employment increases to each parcel in the region. TMRPA engaged the local jurisdictions, RPGB, and RTC in a scenario analysis process to determine the geographic distribution of future population and employment growth. Using the Consensus Forecasts as the region-wide population total, TMRPA worked with stakeholders to identify factors that are likely to influence growth patterns. These elements include approved but unbuilt development projects, vacant lands, planned land use and zoning, topography, existing infrastructure, available public services, and other development suitability factors. Centers and TOD Corridors were a key focus during the development of alternative scenarios for the Consensus Forecast. TMRPA analyzed historical growth trends and presented scenarios allocating varying amounts of new growth to Centers and TOD Corridors. Due to changing market factors and consistent with adopted land use policies seeking to absorb increasing amounts of population in the region’s traditional urban cores, RPGB adopted a population growth scenario with 25 percent of new growth occurring in Centers and TOD Corridors. CH.4 — INTEGRATING LAND USE
This reflects the mobility needs of the region’s aging population and recognition that senior housing and services will be most effective in locations with frequent transit service and other amenities. In addition, market analysis developed for the Oddie Boulevard/Wells Avenue Corridor Study indicates that the demographic age group in their 20s and 30s often seeks housing and employment opportunities close to the urban core with convenient access to transit service, restaurants, entertainment, and shopping opportunities. RTC and TMRPA collaborate closely on a wide range of data management and analytical issues. Through a Shared Work Program, the two agencies are able to access data on a common server and undertake joint technical studies. Collaborative efforts include development and refinement of the population and employment model, an industrial land use analysis, and the Truckee Meadows Housing Study. Washoe County Health District The Washoe County Health District is a strong partner with RTC in promoting a healthy community. The District’s Air Quality Management Division (AQMD) and Chronic Disease Prevention Program actively support transportation investments that improve community health. The World Health Organization defines a healthy community as "one that is safe with affordable housing and accessible transportation systems, work for all who want to work, a healthy and safe environment with a sustainable ecosystem, and offers access to health care services which focus on prevention and staying healthy." The Health District sponsors several healthy community initiatives based on the concept that health is more than the absence of disease, and is defined broadly to include the full range of quality of life issues.
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Air Quality Management Division The AQMD implements clean air solutions that protect the quality of life for residents of Washoe County through community partnerships and programs such as air monitoring, permitting and enforcement, planning, and education. The Division monitors ambient air quality for the determination of compliance with National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
The Chronic Disease Prevention Program has participated in RTP outreach activities and shared RTC meeting information through the Chronic Disease Coalition monthly newsletter. In addition, the Health District has worked with RTC to identify food deserts in Washoe County and analyze how transit routes serve these areas.
All areas of Washoe County currently meet federal air quality standards, but portions of the county were previously designated non-attainment for ozone, carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10). RTC and AQMD jointly developed the Washoe County Transportation Conformity plan to ensure that air pollution levels from future growth will continue to meet the NAAQS. In 2015, EPA strengthened the ozone NAAQS. Transportation is the largest category of ozone precursor emissions. Reducing VMT and transportation related emissions will be critical to meeting the ozone standard. Violating the NAAQS may mean future growth must offset their impacts, plus an additional amount so the net result is an air quality improvement. EPA will finalize initial designations in October 2017. The AQMD is participating in EPA’s Ozone Advance program to implement voluntary initiatives to reduce ozone levels. Many local governing boards have adopted resolutions supporting Ozone Advance’s goals. A key, long-term Ozone Advance initiative is to incorporate smart growth elements into the built environment to reduce our region’s per capita trips and VMT. Providing transportation choices improves air quality and public health. Chronic Disease Prevention Program In addition to the link between auto emissions and respiratory health, RTC works with the Washoe County Health District to promote active transportation and awareness of its associated health benefits. Active transportation includes walking, biking, and riding transit (which generally begins or ends with walking to or from a bus stop). Including physical activity as a part of daily activities helps to reduce obesity and the resulting chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. However, this will occur only if safe and accessible sidewalks and bicycle facilities are readily available.
RTC participates in the bi-annual Healthy Living Forum hosted by the Health District. This important event brings together local residents, health practitioners, and other wellness advocates to discuss opportunities to improve health outcomes in the Truckee Meadows. RTC is also a member of the Washoe County Chronic Disease Prevention Coalition that meets quarterly to address local health concerns. GetHealthyWashoe. com is a website sponsored by the Health District that includes information about active living and biking to work, in coordination with RTC. Community Heath Improvement Plan The Health District, in partnership with Truckee Meadows Healthy Communities, developed a Community Health Improvement Plan in 2016. This plan developed priorities and action plans to improve health in the region with a focus on access to healthcare and social services, behavioral health, education, and food security. The plan incorporated transportation policies relating to access to healthcare and social services. The plan included a goal to expand public and private transportation options that support access to transportation for essential services, such as medical appointments and social services, and allow seniors to live independently.
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89502 Community Health Improvement Project The Health District and Truckee Meadows Healthy Communities have partnered together on the 89502 Community Health Improvement Project. The need for this initiative was identified in the 2014 Community Health Needs Assessment conducted by the Health District and Renown Health. The 89502 zip code is an area of great need, containing concentrations of poverty and exhibiting higher mortality rates than the region as a whole. The project uses community health fairs to coordinate the deployment of services that have a direct impact on health. Participating organizations include RTC, the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, the Reno Housing Authority, area hospitals, and other medical providers. RTC provides free bus passes, transit service information, lights to be worn on bikes and clothing to promote safety, and opportunities to comment on ongoing transportation planning issues. Immunizations are offered by the Health District. Other services offered include legal assistance on immigration issues, job application advice, and free dental care. Washoe County School District RTC works closely with the Washoe County School District and the Nevada Department of Transportation on the Safe Routes to School Program (SRTS). The School District Police Department implements this program, which includes a combination of capital investments, organization of parent volunteers at school zones, development of operational plans, and student education. The School District’s SRTS Coordinator participates in RTC corridor studies Road Safety Assessments (RSAs), as well as the 2040 RTP planning process to identify issues important to student safety and accessibility. The program is funded by RTC through Surface Transportation Block Group grant funds.
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RTC also works closely with School District regarding school siting and associated transportation infrastructure needs. The regional school population is growing and passage of the WC-1 ballot measure in 2016 increases funding for school construction. The expansion of the number and capacity of area schools is now underway. In conformance with the Truckee Meadows Regional Plan, new arterials will not be planned adjacent to proposed new or existing school sites, as identified in the School District facilities plan. Washoe County Senior Services Washoe County Senior Services assists older adults in the community so they can maintain independence and quality in their lives. Washoe County Senior Services offers a nutrition program, legal services, social services, adult day care, and recreational activities at the Washoe County Senior Center and Sparks Senior Citizens Center. The Strategic Plan for Washoe County Senior Citizens identifies the short and long term issues facing the region’s aging population, including mobility and accessibility. The Strategic Plan highlights the importance of locating senior housing developments and other services near existing transit routes and improving the sidewalk network to promote active, healthy lifestyles. Senior Services is a partner with RTC in providing transportation information and other resources to local senior citizens.
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WATER RESOURCES AND FLOOD HAZARDS MAP 4.1
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Truckee River Flood Management Project The mission of the Truckee River Flood Management Project is to reduce the impact of flooding in the Truckee Meadows, restore the Truckee River ecosystem, and improve recreational opportunities by managing the development and implementation of the Truckee River Flood Management Project. The Flood Project is a joint effort between the cities of Reno and Sparks, Washoe County, the US Army Corps of Engineers and numerous stakeholders. The Truckee River Flood Project developed an action plan that provided a forum for residents, businesses, community leaders, regulatory agencies and government officials to conduct an analysis of flooding issues and evaluate possible solutions. Flood Project Plan Based on the work that was accomplished during the development of The Living River Plan, a six-year effort by the Truckee River Flood Project’s Community Coalition, a draft version of the Flood Project Plan has been designed to provide a variety of public safety, economic, recreational and environmental benefits to the Truckee Meadows region. Its primary goal is to create a more resilient community by reducing flood damages and deaths resulting from a 1997-type flood event (117-year event). Additionally, the Plan incorporates certain recreational and ecosystem restoration features within the footprint of the flood protection infrastructure. As part of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 (WRRDA 2014), Congress authorized and pledged almost $200 million in federal funds to construct the Corps National Economic Development (NED) Plan, which is designed to provide 50-year flood protection for the Truckee Meadows. Section 1036 of WRRDA 2014 directs the Corps to build a Locally Preferred Plan (LPP) that provides a higher level of flood protection than the authorized NED Plan as long as the LPP meets certain Corps requirements. Per Section 1036, the Flood Project Plan — which provides cost-effective 100-year flood protection for the Truckee Meadows — can be constructed with federal support, including funds authorized for the NED Plan (almost $200 million). CH.4 — INTEGRATING LAND USE
Floodplain Management Washoe County has been a member of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) since 1984 reviewing all new development in special flood hazard areas (Flood Zones). All development in the flood zones are controlled by Washoe County Flood Hazard Ordinance 416, and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regulations. In May 2009, Washoe County qualified to be part of the FEMA Community Rating System (CRS). The program rewards communities that initiate more than the minimum NFIP requirements to help citizens prevent or reduce flood loses. Washoe County qualified for class 7 in the CRS program which provides the unincorporated Washoe County residents 15% discounts on flood insurance premiums. The goal of the CRS is to encourage, by use of Flood Insurance Premium reductions, community and state activities beyond those required by the NFIP to reduce flood loses, to facilitate accurate insurance ratings and to promote awareness of the availability to purchase flood insurance. A map of the flood plains can be found in Map 4-1. 4.2
LOCAL GOVERNMENT PLANNING
The City of Reno, City of Sparks and Washoe County are responsible for local land use planning in the region. A summary of key land use policies for each is provided below. In addition, RTC participates in the development review processes with each local government to provide input on access management (see Appendix E) as well as needed transit, pedestrian and bicycle facility improvements, and consistency with long range transportation plans. Additional coordination occurs at a local and regional level between all agencies when needed for specific projects or activities. Washoe County The Washoe County Master Plan guides the creation of livable and economically viable communities. It includes distinct plans for the 13 varied communities (Area Plans) within unincorporated Washoe County. The Master Plan is implemented through review of development applications and instituting and enforcing land use and business licensing codes.
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The primary focus of the Land Use and Transportation Element (LUTE) of the Master Plan is to provide for future population and employment in Washoe County. There are many factors that influence where future development will occur including historic growth patterns, economic conditions, natural constraints and regional policy. The purpose of the land use and transportation section is to encourage sustainable growth practices while discouraging sprawled communities where the automobile is viewed as a necessity to obtain daily amenities. The four following goals are conveyed throughout the plan: 1. Develop a connected network of streets and sidewalks to promote public transportation, bicycling and walking 2. Establish a high quality, pedestrian oriented street environment that is visually interesting 3. Follow policies to promote alternate modes of transportation to reduce dependence on the automobile 4. Create a multimodal corridor along Sun Valley Boulevard that completes sidewalks, coordinates signals and enhances transit stops City of Reno The City of Reno is in the process of updating their Master Plan, titled ReImagine Reno, which will more clearly reflect the characteristics of the different types of centers and corridors in the city. Different land use typologies have been defined with the intent to streamline existing and future neighborhood plans. The following describes the hierarchy that is being proposed for the city’s corridors, which reflects the community’s desire for enhanced pedestrian and bicycle connections between neighborhoods and centers, and is intended to help prioritize transit supportive infill and redevelopment (generally within the McCarran Loop) while providing opportunities for less intensive mixed-use development in outlying locations where transit is not in place.
Urban Corridors Urban Corridors are multi-modal in character and serve areas within the McCarran Loop. Urban Corridors have existing high-frequency transit service in place or are planned for high-frequency transit (i.e., BRT) in the near future. An integrated mix of higher-density residential, retail, commercial and other employment and service-oriented uses is encouraged throughout the corridor, especially within ¼ mile of transit stations. Opportunities for infill and redevelopment exist along most Urban Corridors, along with opportunities for the adaptive reuse of historic or otherwise viable structures. Ongoing investments in public spaces, sidewalks, and other elements of the public realm are needed to enhance mobility within corridors as well as to improve first and last mile connections to transit stops from adjacent neighborhoods and Employment Centers. Examples: East and West 4th Street (within the McCarran Loop), Virginia Street (within the McCarran Loop)
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Suburban Corridors Suburban Corridors are auto-oriented in character and serve areas outside the McCarran Loop. Although a mix of higher density residential, retail, commercial, and other employment and service-oriented uses are encouraged along Suburban Corridors, most uses will continue to be low intensity and function fairly independent from one another. Suburban Corridors typically have limited frequency transit service or none at all. Development along Suburban Corridors should incorporate clear pedestrian and bicycle connections along corridors and to surrounding neighborhoods. Nodes of higher-intensity development are encouraged along Suburban Corridors to promote enhanced access to services and housing options, as well as to support the gradual transition of these corridors to Urban Corridors over time. Examples: North and South Virginia Street (outside the McCarran Loop) Neighborhood Corridors Neighborhood Corridors are intended to provide enhanced multimodal (pedestrian, bicycle, transit, etc.) connections between existing or future Neighborhood Centers and other Centers and Corridors in the City of Reno. Most Neighborhood Corridors are predominantly residential in character. However, higher density or mixed-use development may be appropriate in some locations. Examples: Seventh Street between Keystone Avenue and McCarran Boulevard; Moana Lane between S. Virginia Street and Lakeside Drive
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City of Sparks The City of Sparks recently completed its comprehensive plan, Ignite Sparks, which addresses the relationship between land use, economic development, and transportation. The following goals and policies from the plan highlight this relationship.
Goals • Maintain a land use plan which integrates land uses and facilitates access by multiple modes of transportation • Promote compact development to reduce the per capita cost of providing infrastructure, public facilities and public services • Develop a complete, efficient transportation system that gives Sparks residents and visitors access to employment, housing, services and recreation throughout urban Washoe County • Provide a transportation network that supports business formation and attraction and economic vitality • Facilitate non-motorized travel throughout the community
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Policies • Work with the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) to ensure completion of the Prater Way and Oddie Boulevard corridor enhancements • Work with the RTC to add roadway capacity as necessary to accommodate Sparks’ growth • Ensure streets with multiple modes of transportation remain multi-modal. If a transportation mode is removed from a street, it must be provided in another facility that provides for comparable multi-modal connectivity in the same area • Require sidewalks for pedestrians on all street networks within the City • Convert 4th Street to a bike boulevard • In Sparks' Transit Corridor promote infill development and create a pedestrian-friendly environment that facilitates walkability and transit ridership • Encourage bus service for special events • Work with the RTC and Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) to plan and design major road capacity expansions to minimize the degree to which the widening of roads divides neighborhoods or adds barriers for pedestrians, bicyclists and other nonmotorized travel • Promote a mix of uses, including restaurants and shopping, to create a vibrant downtown district at Victorian Square • Promote a variety of housing types, including in mixed-used settings, throughout Sparks to expand the choices available to meet the financial and lifestyle needs of a diverse population and workforce • Connect housing with multiple transportation options Implementation of some of these goals and policies can been seen in Downtown Sparks where improvements were made to the plaza area in front of the movie theatre allowing for additional pedestrian and transit use as well as an improved area to hold special events.
This area is home to the RTC CENTENNIAL PLAZA bus transfer terminal. Plans are also in place to make transportation improvements on Oddie Boulevard that will accommodate bicycles, pedestrians, transit and automobiles to facilitate a more livable and safer corridor. The City of Sparks is also home to a major Union Pacific Railroad intermodal transfer facility and a significant concentration of industrial employment south of I-80. 4.3
TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS
Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe The Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation is comprised of 476,728 acres in Northern Nevada and contains Interstate 80 and several State highways including SR 445, SR 446, SR 447 and SR 427. The over 2,800 members of the Tribe are direct descendants of the Northern Paiute people who have occupied the vast areas of the Great Basin for thousands of years. Pyramid Lake is located 35 miles northeast of Reno and is the property of and managed by the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and is visited annually by over 150,000 people from around the world. Pyramid Lake is known as being North America’s most beautiful desert lake and home to many year round recreational activities and the Tribe works closely with Federal, Tribal, State and Local partners to protect unique ecosystem and natural resources of the reservation. Pyramid Lake was designated as the first National Scenic Byway entirely on an Indian reservation and tourism remains important source of revenue and employment for the Tribe and its members. Transportation to and from the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation remains a critical issue for economy of the reservation as well as for Tribal Members to access employment and services.
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On March 18, 2011 the Tribal Council unanimously adopted the Pyramid Lake Economic Development Plan. This award winning document seeks to create long term profit-making opportunities, to create optimum employment opportunities, and to establish a high quality recreation area at Pyramid Lake for the Tribe and its Members. The plan consists of seven key elements that focus on accomplishing the purpose of the plan: • Recreation and Fishing — Goals of this element include adding recreational facilities and amenities at Pyramid Lake, improving public safety for visitors, protecting Pyramid Lake and its fisheries, market Pyramid Lake as a destination, and using natural and cultural resources to increase tourism. • Tribal Enterprises — Goals of this element include developing new Tribal Enterprises on and off the reservation, developing partnerships with other native Tribes, and developing partnerships with successful private industries. • Energy — Goals of this element include developing geothermal, solar, and wind energy projects on the reservation to create jobs and create revenue for the Tribe. • Good Governance and Education — Goals of this element include improving the Tribal Government to be more attractive to outside investment and improving education to provide higher paying jobs for Tribal Members. • Industrial and Commercial Development — Goals of this element include developing high quality industrial and commercial development, building tourism oriented development, and developing new infrastructure. • Agriculture and Ranching — Goals of this element include improving the existing agricultural and ranching industries on the reservation and creating new opportunities for jobs and revenue for Tribal Members. • Tribal Entrepreneurship — Goals of this element include promoting Tribal Members to open their own businesses as a way to create additional jobs and revenue on the reservation.
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Reno-Sparks Indian Colony (RSIC) The Reno-Sparks Indian Colony is a federally recognized Native American Tribe located within the Reno/Sparks metropolitan area. The Reno-Sparks Indian Colony was established in 1917 and was formally recognized in 1936 under the Indian Reorganization Act. Currently, the tribal membership consists of over 1,200 members from three Great Basin Tribes — the Norther Paiute (Numu), the Western Shoshone (Newe), and the Washoe (Wa She Shu). The reservation lands primarily consist of the original 28-acre residential Colony and 55 acres of commercial and public facilities is located on the east side of Reno near the Reno Spaghetti Bowl and the 15,394-acre Hungry Valley reservation located 19 miles north of the downtown Colony. In 2016, the Nevada Native Nations Land Act was signed into law which transferred 13,434 acres of land in Hungry Valley to the Colony. Other parcels of land acquired for economic development are located on South Virginia Street, East Second Street, Mill Street, Verdi in Reno, and on Pyramid Way and Pyramid Highway in Sparks.
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Creating a diverse and reliable economic base to promote self-sufficiency and provide essential government services to the Colony’s members has been the principal focus of its economic development activities. The East 2nd St/Glendale Ave interchange and Mill Street interchange provide convenient access for customers visiting Tribal Enterprises and businesses located on Tribal land. The Colony has emphasized that temporary disruptions of access to these Tribal Enterprises and businesses during construction activities would negatively impact tribal government revenues and that a permanent disruption of access due to interchange reconfiguration could have a long-term, negative impact on Tribal Government revenues and could result in a loss of Tribal Member employment opportunities and Tribal Government services. Over the past three decades the Colony has assembled various development sites in Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County, representing 83 acres of commercial property. The redevelopment of Reno’s East Second Street neighborhood, where half the Colony’s residents live, consists of the development of the Three Nations Plaza (Wal-Mart), relocation of the Northern Nevada Transitional Center and the RSIC Health Center. The development of the 65,000 square foot out-patient Health Care facility was constructed from the proceeds of the Colony’s economic development projects for the benefit of its community members and over 9,000 Native Americans residing in the region. In pursuing development plans the Colony seeks to partner with private businesses and with federal, state and local governments to advance development goals. One recent example of the latter partnerships is the Colony-funded installation on a new traffic signal system and roadway improvements at the cost of $509,000 on South Virginia Street at McCabe Street. Extension of the Truckee River Path to the Tribal Health Center and other RSIC lands is currently in development.
The transit system also includes regular stops near the RTC CENTENNIAL PLAZA in Sparks and the RTC 4TH STREET STATION in Reno. Tribal Members and customers to Tribal Enterprises & economic development projects are also served by RTC Route 18, Route 14, Route 2 and Route 56. 4.4
OTHER REGIONAL PARTNERS
Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development The Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development was created in 2011 to promote a robust, diversified and prosperous economy in Nevada. The focus of the Office is on stimulating business expansion and retention, encouraging entrepreneurial enterprise, attracting new business, and facilitating community development. Nevada’s economic platform will be driven by human ingenuity along with collaboration and strategic alliances with the broader community. The Office developed Moving Nevada Forward: A Plan for Excellence in Economic Development 2012-2014 to guide development and infrastructure investments in the state. The plan identifies several target industries in Northern Nevada that are heavily reliant on an efficient transportation network: • Business IT ecosystems—E-commerce operations and headquarters • Logistics and operations — warehousing and distribution, advanced logistics, air cargo, integrated manufacturing-distribution, and freight transport RTC is partnering with the State of Nevada to invest in infrastructure that supports these strategic economic development sectors. In addition, the neighborhood livability projects that improve walkability and safety promote the attractiveness of the region for people growing local businesses or relocating to the region.
The Reno-Sparks Indian Colony operates a fixed route transit system between the Reno and Hungry Valley communities. The transit system runs Monday through Saturday and includes nine stops to connect Tribal Members with Tribal Government services, the RSIC Health Center, residential neighborhoods and Tribal Enterprises. CH.4 — INTEGRATING LAND USE
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Nevada Center for Advanced Mobility The Nevada Center for Advanced Mobility (CAM) provides the contact point bringing together industry, government and academia to develop and deploy policy, standards and technology around advanced mobility including electric, connected, autonomous vehicles and related infrastructure. RTC is a partner with the Nevada CAM in outreach activities. In 2011, Google worked with Nevada DMV to pass the first ever autonomous vehicle law and create the first autonomous testing and consumer regulations. Nevada maintains leadership in regulation and policy development at the city, regional, and state level serving as a reference for other cities and states. Nevada CAM works with partner agencies such as RTC, industry representatives, and other stakeholders to gather input and help shape the future. University of Nevada, Reno The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) was established in Reno in 1891 and as of fall 2015 had over 20,000 students. Student enrollment has grown dramatically over recent years, increasing about 5 percent compared to 2014. It is one of the largest activity centers in the region. RTC often partners with UNR staff and students to conduct research related to engineering and planning projects. UNR is not only a valuable resource for collaboration on projects but also works closely with RTC to promote safe multi-modal transportation for its students especially in the downtown and campus area. Extension of the RTC RAPID transit service to UNR is a key priority in this plan. The project will bridge the divide between the campus, Downtown Reno, and the rest of the community by reducing transit travel times, providing premier service every 10 minutes, and improving pedestrian connectivity. RTC will be working collaboratively with the University and the Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) to implement a pass program that allows students to ride transit using their UNR or TMCC identification cards. In many other University towns, this is accomplished by including transit as part of student registration or tuition costs. CH.4 — INTEGRATING LAND USE
Including this affordable mobility option for all students will reduce the need for cars on campus, reduce parking requirements, and greatly expand the travelling convenience for the student population.
Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) EDAWN is a private/public partnership committed to recruiting and expanding quality companies that have a positive economic impact on the quality of life in Greater Reno-Sparks-Tahoe. In accordance with the Economic Development Strategic Plan, EDAWN works to support job growth in target industries including: • Aerospace/Aviation/Defense • Back Office/Business Support (call centers) • Clean Energy/Geothermal • Distribution/Logistics • Financial and Intangible Assets • eCommerce Fulfillment • Headquarters for any type of industry • Manufacturing EDAWN is a strong supporter of RTC’s initiatives to promote transportation investments such as bicycle, pedestrian and transit amenities that attract people to the region. These amenities lead to a better quality of life, a healthier community and contribute to the recreational opportunities that are an asset to the Truckee Meadows. In addition, transportation investments in roadways promote a regional network that facilitates good movement. This is a benefit for attracting businesses especially in the logistics and distribution industries.
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4.5
TRAVEL AND TOURISM
The travel and tourism industry is central to the Northern Nevada economy. With over 20,000 hotel rooms in the Reno-Sparks metro area, resorts and gaming have long been major economic drivers for the region. Reno is a gateway to the outdoor mountain destinations surrounding the Lake Tahoe area, including world-class ski resorts. The growing arts community, including Reno’s annual Art Town festival and the many events associated with the Burning Man Festival, are expanding the tourism base. Public art, including sculptures and murals, further integrate this vibrant creativity into the fabric of the community. This emerging arts tourism is further supported by the growing craft brewery and restaurant scenes in downtown Reno and Sparks. The Reno-Sparks metropolitan area is uniquely suited to hosting large events due to the strength of the existing hospitality industry. Other strengths include the centrally located Reno-Tahoe International Airport and the successful RTC RAPID transit system. The region’s major resort hotels are connected to downtown Reno and Sparks as well as the Reno-Sparks Convention Center by the existing and planned RAPID transit service on Virginia Street and 4th Street/Prater Way. Sporting events at various levels, ranging from professional events such as the Reno Aces to high school and senior tournaments, support the local tourism industry and wider economy. Public transit and the efficiency of traffic operations on the regional road network play a key role in facilitating the movement of tens of thousands of visitors during these events.
Sports tourism has a major impact on the regional economy. The premier professional sporting venues in the region, including Greater Nevada Field, the Reno Events Center, and the National Bowling Stadium, are adjacent to the RTC 4TH STREET STATION. Sporting events supported by the regional transportation network that have a positive impact on Northern Nevada include: • University of Nevada, Reno Division I Games — The Nevada Wolf Pack sports teams play at Mackay Stadium and Lawlor Events Center, which are located on North Virginia Street. These venues are currently served by RTC RIDE routes 7 and 17, and will be the northern terminus of the RAPID extension, which is included in this plan. • Reno-Tahoe Senior Winter Games — This event is sponsored by the City of Reno Senior Advisory Committee, Senior Care Plus, and Harrah’s Hotel and Casino. The program is dedicated to promoting and implementing fitness programs and activities for people 50 years and older.
RTC partners with the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority to support the travel and tourism industry.
CH.4 — INTEGRATING LAND USE
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• Reno Aces Baseball Games — The 2012 AAA National Championship team plays at Greater Nevada Field in downtown Reno, a block from RTC 4TH STREET STATION. The Reno Aces are a team affiliate of the Major League Baseball (MLB) Arizona Diamondbacks. In addition to serving as the home of the Reno Aces, Greater Nevada Field began hosting the Reno 1868 Football Club (FC) in March 2017, the newest professional soccer team of the United Soccer League. The Reno 1868 FC is an affiliate of Major League Soccer’s San Jose Earthquakes.
4.6
RTP PROJECTS SUPPORTING LAND USE PLANS
Consistency with local land use plans was an evaluation factor in selecting projects for inclusion in this RTP. Several projects were developed with a specialized focus toward supporting land use and economic development policies, as listed below. All of these projects are located in a current TOD Corridor. • Virginia Street RAPID Extension Project • 4th Street/Prater Way Bus RAPID Transit Project • Oddie Boulevard/Wells Avenue multimodal improvements • Mill Street/Terminal Way multimodal improvements
Aces baseball game • Reno Bighorns Basketball Games — This National Basketball Association (NBA) development league team plays at the Reno Events Center, located in downtown Reno across the street from RTC 4TH STREET STATION, and is an affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. • United States Bowling Congress Tournaments — This national championship event is held at the National Bowling Stadium, which is located across the street from RTC 4TH STREET STATION. • Reno-Tahoe Open — This golf tournament is held at Montreux Golf & Country Club, which is located on Mount Rose Highway in south Reno. • National Freestyle Skiing Championships and U.S. National Alpine Skiing Championships — These national ski competitions are hosted by venues in or near the Lake Tahoe Basin.
CH.4 — INTEGRATING LAND USE
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5
HEALTHY COMMUNITIES AND SUSTAINABILITY Transportation plays an important role in community health and environmental sustainability. This chapter describes initiatives related to improving air quality and opportunities for active transportation, as well as efforts to improve energy efficiency. The RTP supports the RTC Sustainability Policy, which was adopted in 2011.
RTC SUSTAINABILITY POLICY The RTC shall provide a safe, effective and efficient transportation system that addresses environmental, social, and economic sustainability issues. By providing sustainable transportation the RTC can actively play a role in improving the health and economic competitiveness of the region as well as reduce costs by using resources more efficiently.
Sustainability Commitment In an effort to continually reduce greenhouse gasses and promote sustainable practices, RTC signed the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Sustainability Commitment in October 2012. This commitment sets sustainability principles and requires an action plan to encourage and track agency progress toward implementing sustainable practices. It requires putting core internal processes and actions into place which set the basis for continuous improvements on environmental, social and economic sustainability. The commitment also supports the exchange of good practice and aims to mark the achievements in sustainability the public transportation industry is making overall. RTC is developing a Sustainability Action Plan in accordance with the APTA Sustainability Commitment which will help RTC operate more efficiently by implementing sustainable practices and continuing to provide sustainable and reliable transportation options throughout the Truckee Meadows. 5.1
AIR QUALITY
Initiatives to improve air quality benefit both cardiovascular and respiratory health and can help to conserve resources. Through the promotion of active transportation and use of alternative fuels, RTC is working to improve air quality. By increasing the number of passengers who utilize transit service there will be less single occupant vehicles on the road, leading to reduced air pollutants. One concept that promotes transit and alternate modes of transportation is Complete Streets. Complete Streets are roadways that accommodate all modes of transportation including transit, bicycles, pedestrians, and automobiles.
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Data collected at recent RTC projects indicates that people are more likely to utilize alternate modes of travel if there are safe facilities such as bike lanes and wide sidewalks. RTC data demonstrates that the proportion of people walking in a corridor increases ten times when sidewalks are provided and the proportion of people biking doubles when bike lanes are provided. Walking and bicycling not only promote improved air quality, but can lead to a healthier and more active community. RTC works closely with the Washoe County Health District Air Quality Management Division (AQMD) to promote efforts that improve air quality. The Truckee Meadows is approximately 200 square miles in size and includes Hydrographic Area 87 (HA 87) as defined by the State of Nevada Division of Water Resources. This geographic area is subject to air quality monitoring. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set health and welfare based National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for the following pollutants: • Ozone (O3) • Particulate matter less than or equal to 2.5 microns (PM2.5) • Particulate matter less than or equal to 10 microns (PM10) • Carbon Monoxide (CO) • Nitrogren Dioxide (NO2) • Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) • Lead (Pb) The mission of the AQMD Monitoring Program is to monitor and assure the accuracy of the ambient air quality data collected for the determination of compliance with the NAAQS. The AQMD has established a monitoring network to collect ambient air quality data from around the metropolitan portion of Washoe County and Incline Village. The network is reviewed annually to ensure it reflects the actual air quality of the County and that it is measuring for the pollutants of highest concern. The Air Quality Index provides daily reports about air pollutants. There are two distinct pollution seasons in Washoe County – wintertime PM2.5 and summertime ozone.
CH.5 — PROMOTING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES & SUSTAINABILITY
In previous years, Washoe County has failed to meet air quality standards for carbon monoxide and particulate matter (PM10). Due to successful efforts to improve air quality over recent decades, the region now meets current standards and has plans in place to maintain or further improve air quality. The redesignation from serious nonattainment to attainment and maintenance for PM10 occurred in 2015. Additional information about air quality measurements, state implementation plans, and maintenance plans are available at the Health District’s website OurCleanAir.com.
The Environmental Protection Agency regularly reviews each air quality standard to ensure they are set at levels that protect public health. In 2015, EPA strengthened the 8-hour ozone standard from 0.075 to 0.070 ppm. This revision was based on dozens of health-based studies showing that lower levels of ozone are harmful to the public. The State of Nevada recommended that Washoe County be designated as attainment of the standard based on recent air monitoring data (2013-15) and EPA’s exclusion of several wildfire-related ozone exceptional events. EPA is expected to finalize initial designations in October 2017. The AQMD is taking proactive steps to reduce ozone levels prior to EPA’s designations. AQMD is participating in EPA’s Ozone Advance program, which includes voluntary initiatives to improve ozone levels. The initiatives focus on three categories of strategies — technology, behavior, and the built environment.
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Resolutions supporting the Ozone Advance program have been adopted by the District Board of Health, Board of County Commissioners, City of Reno, City of Sparks, Regional Planning Governing Board, and Regional Transportation Commission. This program supports additional transportation options to reduce motor vehicle trips and VMT (vehicle miles traveled) and a clean and efficient motor vehicle fleet mix in Washoe County. Transportation has a substantial impact on air quality in Washoe County, as outlined below. • Motor vehicles, trucks, and buses on our roadways cause 57% of nitrogen oxides (NOX) pollution, which are precursors to ozone, during the summer time when ozone is usually at its highest levels. • Motor vehicles cause 24% of volatile organic compound (VOC) pollution, another ozone precursor. • They cause 6% of small particulate pollution (PM2.5) during the wintertime PM2.5 pollution season. • They cause 2% of large particulate pollution (PM10) during the wintertime particulate pollution season. • Vehicles traveling on our roadways also create air pollution from the re-entrained road dust. Air pollution results from dust created by street sanding and salt. • In addition, air pollution is created from road construction activities and from non-road mobile equipment used for roadway construction, as well as from other transportation sources such as railroad locomotives and aircraft.
As discussed above, transportation accounts for 57% of nitrogen oxide pollution in the Truckee Meadows. RTC’s Electric Bus Program addresses this issue by replacing diesel buses with zero emission vehicles. This program eliminated the use of over 53,000 gallons of diesel fuel. As described in Chapter 7, the RTC includes a Complete Streets program to encourage walking, biking, and transit as an alternative to driving. RTC also supports the Idle Free Zones that encourage people to turn off their vehicles while waiting in school pick-up and drop-off lines.
CH.5 — PROMOTING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES & SUSTAINABILITY
Students at Reno’s Wooster High School Supporting the Idle Free Zone (https://acespace.org/regions/reno-tahoe)
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5.2
ACTIVE LIVING AND COMMUNITY DESIGN
Community design influences access to physical activity opportunities, healthy foods, jobs, schools, and other essential services. Many neighborhoods, shopping centers and employment centers are designed to require a car to access services, thus leading to a lack of daily physical activity associated with mobility/ transportation. This lack of activity has contributed to an increase of chronic diseases. In Washoe County only 21% of high school and 32% of middle school students are getting the recommended amounts of physical activity and 57% of adults report being overweight or obese. (GetHealthyWashoe.com) These statistics are not uncommon across the United States and communities are now working together to find ways to improve the health of residents. One way to encourage active living is to create a community with mixed land uses that allow residents to walk to school, work, parks and shopping. As demonstrated in the RTC Bicycle and Pedestrian County Program, providing sidewalks and bike lanes correlates to an increase in the proportion of people walking and biking on regional roads. Washoe County Senior Services The Strategic Plan for Washoe County Senior Citizens identifies transportation as one of the most significant challenges for people that care for seniors. In a survey of care providers conducted for the strategic plan, transportation needs follow finding medical/dental care and obtaining necessary medication in importance. Public transportation and walkable neighborhoods are both top transportation priorities that contribute to the plan’s mobility goals for seniors. This is especially true for seniors who live in isolation and would benefit from links to resource centers and other services.
CH.5 — PROMOTING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES & SUSTAINABILITY
The plan also includes a goal for healthy aging, or increasing the percentage of seniors living in the setting of their choice with support to remain as independent and healthy as possible. Community design and infrastructure that provide access to services and a sidewalk network that promotes walking will support healthy aging and allow seniors to reside in their homes longer. To further support this goal, new senior housing developments and other services targeted to seniors should be located in areas with existing transit service. Safe Routes to School RTC has partnered with the Washoe County School District Safe Routes to School Program. The goal of the program is to improve the health of school age children and build life-long habits of walking and bicycling. The SRTS coordinator works with individual schools (K-8) by collaborating with groups of concerned parents, teachers, public works officials, law enforcement officers and health officials to encourage students to walk and bike to school. The program provides encouragement for walking and biking as well as safety education and awareness training throughout the school year. RTC funds SRTS through the Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) program.
Representatives of the SRTS program are included in many Road Safety Assessments and Walking Audits. These assessments and audits allow RTC staff to better understand and plan for pedestrian improvements such as connectivity, sidewalks, lighting, and ADA accessibility that will benefit local students. For example, the local coordinator identified the primary path students take to access the Lemmon Valley Elementary School on Patrician Drive.
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SRTS then worked with the builders of a new community to assure families moving into that area would have sidewalks and open gates that access the Lemmon Valley Park and the school itself. This information allowed for a design that specifically focused on providing safe sidewalks and a walking and biking friendly community. In addition to assessments and audits, Safe Routes to School staff are also included on corridor study technical advisory committees, city planning reviews, and are consulted on transit issues near local public schools. The RTC also annually adopts schools to partner with on Walk to School and Bike to School days.
The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe provides transit service to rural communities that are identified as food deserts such as Wadsworth-Pyramid Lake.
Food Deserts and Transit Access Access to fresh and nutritious foods is an important part of community health. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had identified areas where convenient access to healthy food is limited. Food deserts are defined as low-income census tracts where a substantial number of residents have low access to a supermarket or large grocery store. To be identified as a food desert tract, at least 33 percent of the tract’s population or a minimum of 500 people in the tract must have low access to a supermarket or large grocery store. Low access to a healthy food retail outlet is defined as more than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store in urban areas and as more than 10 miles from a supermarket or large grocery store in rural areas.
Projects in the RTP that further improve access to essential services, such as grocery stores, in food deserts include the Virginia Street RAPID Extension, Sun Valley Boulevard multimodal improvements, and Sparks Boulevard multimodal improvements.
A total of nine census tracts in Washoe County are identified as food deserts and they include areas around the University of Nevada, Sun Valley, North Valleys, Downtown Sparks, and the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation.
RTC has studied transit access in food desert census tracts and identified the routes serving these areas, as shown below. The ridership on routes through these census tracts is strong, highlighting the need to provide regional mobility to areas with limited auto ownership. Transit provides a vital service to low income residents in these areas, offering connectivity to areas with grocery stores.
Chronic Disease Prevention Three of the top 11 leading causes of death in Washoe County can be influenced by physical activity and air quality: heart disease, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes. The Washoe County Chronic Disease Coalition brings together agencies that can have a positive impact on the health of our local community, including transportation, emergency response, medical, and regulatory sectors. 5.3
SUSTAINABILITY
The RTC is committed to providing Washoe County with sustainable multimodal transportation options including bicycling, transit, driving and walking. The Complete Streets program advanced through this RTP will continue to increase infrastructure that supports active transportation. As a part of this commitment the RTC Board of Commissioners adopted a sustainability policy in September 2011. This policy affirms RTC’s initiatives to promote, continually improve upon and implement sustainable practices within the agency. This policy contributes to improving the health and economic competitiveness of the region and reducing costs by using resources more efficiently. The RTC also signed the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Sustainability Commitment in October 2012.
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FOOD DESERTS AND TRANSIT ROUTES MAP 5.1
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The APTA Sustainability Commitment requires signatories to enact core sustainability principles throughout their organization and to also develop sustainability action plans aimed at improving environmental, social, and economic sustainability throughout the community and the organization itself. RTC also participates in the Sustainability Partners in Northern Nevada (SPINN) coalition, which coordinates initiatives to advance sustainable practices throughout the region. Sustainability Plan In conjunction with signing this commitment, the RTC is developing a Sustainability Plan. The Sustainability Plan will create a benchmark of the current sustainability initiatives in which the RTC engages; document the implementation of the APTA Sustainability Core Principles; and include a comprehensive organizational vision of sustainability to guide the agency’s future planning and construction efforts, operations and maintenance, and internal activities. Additionally, the Sustainability Plan will allow RTC to continue to monitor key sustainability metrics and provide an easy tool to gauge the effectiveness of various initiatives. Currently, the RTC has many programs that support sustainable practices: SMART TRIPS • Bus pass and vanpool subsidy program • Trip matching program • Guaranteed ride home • Bike to Work Week promotion • Partnership with “Safe Kids Washoe County” and SRTS • Street Smart program to increase the number of safe pedestrian trips
RTC Facilities and Vehicles RTC incorporates sustainable practices into its facilities and participates in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Program. For example, RTC’s Reno transit center, RTC 4TH STREET STATION is LEED Gold Certified and the Sparks transit center RTC CENTENNIAL PLAZA is LEED Certified. In addition to the transit centers, all three RTC administrative facilities have received upgrades such as improving the efficiency of the HVAC system, completion of an interior lighting retrofit installation at the Terminal Way office remodel, and added solar lights at several bus shelters. Exterior LED lighting retrofits were completed at the 6th Street bus storage facility with several more LED lighting upgrades planned for completion FY 2017. A sustainability study was conducted of the RTC electrical systems and a strategy was developed for improving electrical infrastructure and reducing energy use over the next five years. Providing fuel efficient buses helps to reduce emissions and reduce energy consumption. Of RTC’s 72 buses, four are 100% electric, 10 are dieselelectric hybrids and 58 are clean diesel buses. The RTC ACCESS program includes 50 vans, which all run on compressed natural gas (CNG). Planning is underway to purchase additional buses with the following funding sources: • $6.4 million Small Starts for 4th Prater BRT for five buses and one fast charging station. • Small Starts grant for the Virginia Street RAPID Extension for two additional articulated electric buses. • $40.8 million CMAQ and other federal funds for up to 41 all electric buses and charging stations planned for the next five years.
RTC Transit Service • Bike racks • Senior Adventures Travel Training • Mobility Travel Training • Use of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) • Environmentally friendly products at the transit centers • Electric bus program and use of other alternative fuels • Complete Street projects
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Technological innovations provide opportunities to reduce harmful auto emissions. Alternative vehicle fueling technologies include electric, hybrid, CNG, and hydrogen fuel cells. As described previously, RTC transit vehicles include a mix of CNG, hybrid bio-diesel, and electric fuel types. Electric Vehicles, Clean Cities and Nevada Electric Highways The RTC participates in a stakeholder group interested in pursuing Clean Cities designation for Northern Nevada. Participation in the coalition will provide access to information on new alternative fuel vehicles and petroleum reduction technologies; fuel economy improvement strategies, funding opportunities, upcoming regulations and potential compliance strategies, community projects, networking to share common problems and to identify common solutions, and alternative fuel market development. RTC supports the efforts underway by the State of Nevada to establish the Nevada Electric Highway system. This initiative will allow electric vehicle drivers to power their cars as they drive across the state by tapping into Nevada’s renewable energy resources. Charging stations will be installed along the US 95, I-80, US 50, and US 93 corridors. Street Trees to ReLEAF The ReLEAF Reno program is sponsored by the City of Reno to increase the tree canopy. At 5.2 percent, the Reno tree canopy is less than that of other comparable cities. As identified by the ReLEAF Reno program, trees provide many benefits including the following: • Remove carbon dioxide • Filter air pollutants • Reduce stormwater run-off • Recharge groundwater • Provide shading • Cut costs for heating and cooling • Increase property values • Boost business and tourism • Contribute to physical, mental and social well-being
CH.5 — PROMOTING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES & SUSTAINABILITY
RTC is committed to incorporating street trees into transportation improvements throughout the region, in coordination with the landscape policies of each local jurisdiction. As an example, RTC initiated a Neighborhood Tree Program as part of the SouthEast McCarran improvements in 2015, which offered trees at no charge to residents in the adjacent neighborhood to plant in their yards. RTC is planting over 600 trees as part of the SouthEast Connector project and will be planting street trees in the downtown areas as part of the 4th Street/ Prater Way and Virginia Street RAPID Extension projects, among others. 5.4 PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL LINKAGES Linking the planning process with analysis and documentation under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) will improve project design and expedite delivery. An integrated process will assist in gaining regional consensus, getting public support, and responding to community needs early in the project. According to the Federal Highway Administration, the NEPA environmental analysis process has trended up from 2.2 years in the 1970s to 5 years in the 1990s. Due to the length of time the NEPA process takes and the importance of the findings, it can speed up the project approval process when NEPA is considered during the planning phases. The RTC has incorporated this concept into both corridor studies and the regional plan. An example of this is the 4th Street/Prater Way corridor study, where there are a number of historically significant buildings from the corridor’s early days as a section of the Lincoln Highway.
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At the onset of the study, the project team was aware of the unique characteristics of these buildings and partnered with the University of Nevada, Reno to do an inventory of the buildings and to conduct a series of oral history interviews to establish the historic context of the corridor. Due in part to the outcome of the research it was determined that roadway improvements would be completed primarily within existing right of way to eliminate any adverse impacts to historic resources. NDOT has adopted Planning and Environmental Linkages guidance, which RTC incorporates into projects on NDOT facilities. Planning and environmental linkages are built upon in the 2040 RTP by considering the land management and environmental resource management plans that have been developed for the region. As described in greater detail in Section 5.5, this includes the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Consolidated Resource Management Plan, Southern Washoe County Urban Interface Plan, the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Land Resource Management Plan, and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Climate Change Vulnerability Report. Available GIS datasets are also used to map sensitive habitats areas and other sensitive environmental resources. 5.5
NATURAL RESOURCES
Quality of life in Northern Nevada is greatly enhanced by the natural resources that are available all around the region. The community is well known for its trails with stunning views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Truckee River, where kayakers take advantage of the summer sun. Many agencies and organizations contribute to the preservation and quality of these recreational opportunities, and the regional transportation network provides access to these resources. Identifying natural resources is an important step toward avoiding, minimizing, or mitigating adverse environmental impacts on sensitive resources. RTC considers environmental resources as transportation projects are developed in the early planning stages. The SouthEast Connector, 4th Street/Prater Way BRT project, and the Southeast McCarran Widening project highlight how cultural and environmental resources influence project design.
• The SouthEast Connector incorporates context sensitive design elements to reduce adverse environmental impacts and implement benefits where feasible. Careful mapping of wetlands allowed for the development of an avoidance alternative that minimizes impacts to waters of the U.S. Design elements to protect resources include bioswales that minimize stormwater runoff and landscaping that uses native species to support wildlife habitat. • The 4th Street/Prater Way BRT Project is located in a historic urban area and incorporated context sensitive design elements to integrate architectural preservation and historical interpretive materials into project development. • The Southeast McCarran Widening Project provided multi-modal improvements identified in the SE McCarran Corridor Study and incorporated the Truckee River into the project design. This project included the construction of a 10-foot wide multi-modal path and a standalone pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the Truckee River, which serves to highlight the aesthetic and recreational qualities of this vital natural resource. Washoe County Open Space and Natural Resource Plan Open space is a critical component of the quality of life in Washoe County. This includes access to world class recreation, defining views of the ridges and peaks of the region, and a unique landscape of natural and human history. Open space also serves to define the many local communities. Ridges, hills and open space areas shape each community’s unique character. The geology of the region provides special places, including springs, geological structures, playas and canyons. This region is also home to numerous wildlife and plant species that are found only in Washoe County, and these species depend on the natural functions of open space. The 2008 Washoe County Open Space and Natural Resource Plan seeks to maintain, conserve, and restore the open spaces and natural resources of the region. The plan creates an inventory of unique geological features, areas of critical environmental concern, unique water resources, cultural resources, recreational opportunities, and urban open space.
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Unique water resources in Washoe County include the Truckee River, Steamboat Creek, floodplains, wetlands, and the network of irrigation ditches in the urban area. In addition, Washoe Lake, Pyramid Lake, and Lake Tahoe are identified as valuable environmental resources. Bureau of Land Management Nevada To ensure the best balance of uses and resource protections for America’s public lands, the BLM undertakes extensive land use planning through a collaborative approach with local, state and tribal governments, the public, and stakeholder groups. Based on this collaboration, the BLM establishes Resource Management Plans that provide the framework to guide decisions for every action and approved use on the National System of Public Lands. In Nevada, the BLM administers nearly 48 million acres of public lands. BLM public lands make up about 67 percent of Nevada’s land base. BLM lands are adjacent to the Reno-Sparks urbanized area. The BLM of Nevada provides public land statistics, manages the wild horse and burro program, administers permits to ranchers who raise livestock on public lands and plays a leading role in the goal for new energy such as production of solar, wind, geothermal and biomass energy. The BLM also assists wild land fire management efforts. The program includes fire suppression, preparedness, predictive services, fuels management, fire planning, community assistance and protection, prevention and education, and perhaps most significant, safety. Another responsibility of the BLM is to regulate outdoor recreational activities and oversee the 315,000-acre Black Rock Desert Wilderness. The Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area (NCA) is located approximately 100 miles northeast of Reno. The Carson City Field Office maintains the district’s Consolidated Resource Management Plan. This plan is currently being updated and will be released in 2017.
CH.5 — PROMOTING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES & SUSTAINABILITY
Southern Washoe County Urban Interface Plan The objective of this plan is to improve management of public lands in the southern portion of Washoe County, where public lands are in proximity to urbanized areas. The plan identifies 160,020 acres that will be retained in public ownership under the administration of the BLM. These lands will be managed to protect open space, visual, recreation, watershed, and wild-life resources. Public lands are an important natural resource for open space for the people of the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area. The plan designated 4,390 acres for use by state and local governments for recreation purposes and 2,140 acres for potential disposal into private ownership. US Forest Service The US Forest Service manages the HumboldtToiyabe National Forest lands adjacent to the RenoSparks urbanized area. These National Forest lands in the Carson Ranger District include nearby attractions such as the Mount Rose Wilderness Area, Galena Creek area trails, and Tahoe Meadows trails. These resources are popular recreation places for residents of the metropolitan region as well as tourist destinations. Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Land Resource Management Plan (LTBMU) The LTBMU was established in 1973, to facilitate unified management of Forest Service lands within the Lake Tahoe Basin watershed. These lands were previously managed by three separate national forests: the Tahoe, the Eldorado, and the HumboldtToiyabe. The LTBMU encompasses over 154,000 acres of Forest Service lands (78% of the land in the Lake Tahoe Basin), and ranges in altitude from approximately 6,225 feet at lake level to 10,881 feet. Projects and programs include habitat management, fire management, and urban forest parcel management. Additionally, the LTBMU provides and maintains high quality recreational opportunities for millions of visitors and residents annually. Many common forest activities such as mining or grazing are either not a part of LTBMU management or play a very small role. The LTBMU manages Forest Services lands within a mix of forest and urban communities that surround Lake Tahoe. The work of the Forest Service supports (and is supported by) many partners. 78] 2040 Regional Transportation Plan
Other federal, state and local agencies are working together with the LTBMU to conserve and restore natural and cultural resources, and enhance the recreational values of the Lake Tahoe Basin. The plan focuses on watershed health, forest health, sustainable recreation, and access to National Forests. It supports the use of alternative transportation options such as public transit, pedestrian, and bike trails to access Forest Service lands. Reducing dependence on the auto- mobile for site access will alleviate pollution and crowding, thereby protecting sensitive environmental resources. Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Climate Change Vulnerability Report Climate change is expected to have significant impacts on the Great Basin by the mid-21st century. In the last 100 years, the region warmed by 1 to 3°F and is projected to warm another 3.6 to 9°F by the end of the century.
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: Nevada State Parks The Division of State Parks manages and maintains 24 parks in the State Parks system, including the Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park and Washoe Lake State Park in Washoe County. The purpose of the Division is to plan, develop and maintain a system of parks and recreation areas for the use and enjoyment of residents and visitors. The Division also preserves areas of scenic, historic and scientific significance in Nevada. State of Nevada Division of Water Resources The mission of the Nevada Division of Water Resources (NDWR) is to conserve, protect, manage and enhance the State’s water resources for Nevada’s citizens through the appropriation and reallocation of the public waters.
In addition, the Division is responsible for quantifying existing water rights; monitoring water use; distributing water in accordance with court decrees; Since about 1980, western U.S. winter temperatures reviewing water availability for new subdivisions have been consistently higher than long-term and condominiums; reviewing the construction and values and average winter snow packs have operation of dams; appropriating geothermal declined. Periods of higher than average precipitation water; licensing and regulation well drillers and have helped to offset the declining snow packs. water rights surveyors; reviewing flood control projects; monitoring water resource data and Winter temperatures are increasing more rapidly records; and providing technical assistance to the than summer temperatures, particularly in the public and governmental agencies. northern hemisphere, and there has been an increase in the length of the frost-free period in mid- and high-latitude regions of both hemispheres. The onset of snow runoff in the Great Basin is currently 10-15 days earlier than 50 years ago, with significant impacts on the downstream utilization of this water. Annual precipitation (in the Northwestern and Intermountain regions) increased by 10% on average, and by as much as 30-40% in some areas. Higher temperatures will increase evapotranspiration and the region will likely become more arid. Since 1986, the length of the active wildfire season has increased by 78 days and the average burn duration of large fires has increased from 7.5 days to 37.1 days. Forest wildfire frequency is nearly four times higher and the total area burned by these fires is more than six and a half times its previous levels.
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Washoe County Protected Species The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides data about the threatened (T), endangered (E), proposed, and candidate species (C) in Washoe County, as listed in the following table. Amphibian C Mountain yellow-legged frog Rana muscosa (Sierra Nevada Distinct Population Segment) Bird C Greater sage-grouse Centrocercus urophasianus Fishes E Cui-ui Chasmistes cujus T Lahontan cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi T Warner sucker Catostomus warnerensis Invertebrate E Carson wandering skipper Pseudocopaeodes eunus obscurus Plants E Steamboat buckwheat Eriogonum ovalifolium var williamsiae C Tahoe yellow cress Rorippa subumbellata C Webber’s ivesia Ivesia webberi C Whitebark pine Pinus albicaulis 5.6 RESILIENCY AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT As described in the Washoe County Regional Resiliency Study (discussed further in Chapter 3), the Truckee Meadows area has endured significant flood events over the course of its history. Some of the earliest documented floods coincided with deep snow accumulations, followed by unprecedented heavy rain and flood events that were occurring in California during the 1860’s (now labeled as atmospheric river events). Regionally destructive flood events have periodically followed with notable floods occurring in 1907, 1955, 1963, 1997 and 2016. Economic impacts and infrastructure damage was significant to area business and transportation features. Over $700 million in economic and actual damage is attributed to the 1997 flood event by itself.
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The Northern Nevada Region has evolved a proactive approach in determining flooding potential since the 1997 event by developing a flood warning system of river and precipitation gauges and the regional Truckee River Flood Warning Plan. Current plans involve the design, funding, and construction of the Truckee River Flood Control Project that would protect critical areas of the region to a 1% frequency (100 year) flood event upon completion. The design of roadway infrastructure has an important role in minimizing the adverse impact of stormwater and protecting water quality. Protecting the safety and quality of our water resources is a key consideration during the entire process of a project from planning to construction. In order to minimize any potentially harmful impacts to our water resources during any stage of a project, the RTC prioritizes stormwater management from the beginning. During the construction of any roadway, each contractor is required to develop a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) which identifies any potentially harmful impacts to local water resources caused by the construction project and develops mitigation strategies to eliminate or mitigate those potential impacts. In addition to managing impacts to water resources during construction, the engineering design of all roadway projects incorporates stormwater management techniques. Stormwater run-off from roadways often contains harmful pollutants such as oil, grease, heavy metals, solids, and nutrients. Due to the impermeable nature of roadways, stormwater run-off from roadways collects these pollutants and carries them to local rivers and other water bodies such as the Truckee River, Virginia Lake, or Pyramid Lake. Permeable surfaces, such as lawns or fields, help to filter stormwater as it sinks into the ground and reduce the amount of harmful pollutants deposited into local water bodies. These permeable surfaces also help replenish underground aquifers. RTC incorporates permeable surfaces and other green infrastructure when appropriate throughout the design and construction of each roadway project. RTC incorporated bioswales, one type of green infrastructure, in the design of the Southeast McCarran widening project and the SouthEast Connector.
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A bioswale is a landscape element which is designed to naturally remove silt, minerals, and other harmful pollutants from stormwater run-off and thus protect local water resources. The design of this project included drainage catch-basins and pipes to collect and carry roadway runoff to be treated within bioswales running the length of the project.
Truckee River Flood Project The Truckee River Flood Management Project is a joint effort among the cities of Reno and Sparks, Washoe County, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and numerous other stakeholders to reduce the devastating impacts of flooding in the Truckee Meadows. Its primary goal is to create a more resilient community by reducing flood damages and Additionally, in an effort to continue to protect our deaths resulting from a 1997-type flood event local water resources, the SouthEast Connector (117-year event). Additionally, the Plan incorporates project will remove approximately 22,000 pounds of certain recreational and ecosystem restoration existing mercury from the surrounding environment features within the footprint of the flood protection (within the project corridor). The RTC is also infrastructure. committed to planning and engineering for flood events. This commitment is evident in the SouthEast Connector project, which includes multiple mitigation basins and over 100 equalizing culverts that will be constructed throughout this project to help equalize the floodplain and protect nearby communities from flooding events. Benefits to water resources from the SouthEast Connector include the following: • Restoring creek banks along sections of Construction of the bridge began in June 1, 2015 Steamboat Creek to reconnect the creek with and completed on April 12, 2016. its natural floodplain, providing improved hydraulic function and improved water quality The Flood Project Plan is based on the "Living River downstream. Plan." This plan emphasizes the community's vision • Revegetation of the modified creek banks with of incorporating environmentally-friendly elements native vegetation to minimize future erosion into the flood protection infrastructure ("green" and reestablish a more natural stream habitat. infrastructure) in order to reconnect the river to its • Development of an Integrated Weed Managefloodplain, restore habitat for native species, and ment Plan for noxious weed abatement within the project corridor during and after construction enhance recreational opportunities along the river. to aid in reestablishing and maintaining native Virginia Street Bridge vegetation within the project corridor. After more than a century of use, the former • Design and construction of an extensive, selfVirginia Street Bridge showed serious signs of sustaining mitigation wetlands system. extreme wear and needed to be replaced to • Development of a program for the stewardship of the Steamboat Creek riparian corridor within ensure continued public safety, as well as to improve flood conveyance. The City of Reno, in the project limits. This program will consist of deed restrictions to prevent future development partnership with the Truckee River Flood Management Authority, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, RTC, within the dedicated open space and include and Federal Highway Administration, implemented provisions for maintenance of the corridor and monitoring of the required mitigation wetlands. a plan to replace the bridge while respectfully preserving its distinguished history.
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The new bridge is a reinforced concrete, rigid frame, tied arch bridge. The arch above the roadway supports the bridge deck using cable hangers. The bridge is 166 feet long and varies in width from about 84 feet to 98 feet. In addition to the bridge, the project reconstructed the sidewalks north and south of the river as well as the roadway along Virginia Street between the intersections of Mill and First Streets. A new river access point was added between Virginia Street and Center Street for increased opportunities to enjoy the river. 5.7
RTP PROJECT SUPPORTING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES, SUSTAINABILITY, AND RESILIENCY
RTC seeks to promote a healthy community by providing alternate modes of transportation, reducing vehicles emissions, and protecting environmental resources through design. Where feasible, these projects are designed to reduce stormwater impacts and improve water quality. Projects that have a strong emphasis in these areas are listed below. • 4th Street/Prater Way Bus RAPID Extension Project • Virginia Street RAPID Extension • RTC RIDE Service • ADA accessibility improvements • Pedestrian and bicycle facility improvements • Traffic signals/ITS operations improvements • Alternative fuels program for transit vehicles • SouthEast Connector
The SouthEast Connector is designed to store stormwater runoff and reduce flooding in nearby areas, as demonstrated during the 2017 flood events.
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6 USING ITS TO REDUCE CAPITAL COSTS RTC implemented an ITS project to improve traffic operations on Plumb Lane, which eliminated the need for a $5 million intersection widening. The ITS project provides significant operational improvements between Terminal Way and Kietzke Lane and includes: • Fiber optic communication lines • Connecting four traffic signals to the City of Reno signal system via radio communication • Traffic flow cameras at strategic locations • More reliable vehicle detection (loops)
MANAGING EXISTING SYSTEMS EFFICIENTLY The RTC strives to maximize the use of limited resources by maintaining existing systems in good repair and continuously seeking operational improvements. This is most apparent in the RTC’s transit, traffic operations, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), and pavement preservation programs. These programs provide a framework for obtaining the best and most efficient use of existing resources, minimizing life cycle costs, and in some cases reducing the need for costly capital investments. 6.1
TRAFFIC OPERATIONS
Traffic operations management includes a wide range of programs that maximize the efficient use of existing roadway capacity. RTC partners with NDOT, the cities of Reno and Sparks, and Washoe County to deploy ITS tools such as fiber optic cable, flow cameras, variable message signs, and traveler alerts through radio, website, text/email, and smart phone apps. This allows for the delivery of improved traffic signal timing and coordinated incident response for the traveling public. Traffic operations is an important part of the congestion management process as shown in Appendix F. •
ITS Pilot Project, currently under design, will begin installation of many items from the Collaborative Traffic and Emergency Management in the Truckee Meadows Project Report which was approved by the RTC Board in 2010. These items include: Infrastructure to share transportation data between local agencies, Software to share transportation video feeds, Remote control of cameras and other traffic management devices when needed.
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The ITS Pilot Project updated the concept of operations, infrastructure needs, and an implementation plan for traffic operations. Specific objectives include sharing information between agencies to improve incident response, establishing integrated and continuous traffic signal coordination across jurisdictional boundaries, providing a source of comprehensive and accurate up-to-date real-time status information for travelers, sharing resources to minimize operating costs, and enhancing training and learning for operations personnel. Figure 6-1
ITS Phases 1 and 2 will include: installation of additional high priority communication links; traffic management devices on freeways and surface streets; communication links to traffic signals; and making information available to all agencies.
In addition, RTC partners with emergency medical providers, fire departments, and law enforcement as part of the traffic operations program. The interconnected nature of these relationships is shown in the figure above. All traffic signals Specific objectives of the program include: in the region are owned and maintained by the • Improved event (incident) response, which local jurisdictions. NDOT brings additional resources could include a traffic accident, severe weather, in count detectors, changeable message signs, and road construction, failure of a traffic signal, an weather stations. While RTC does not own any roadon-street parade, a major sporting event, or ways or signals, the agency assists in facilitation of any other event that may impede traffic flow or inter-jurisdictional coordination and hosts a monthly cause an unusual surge in traffic volume. Traffic Operations Committee meeting to streamline • Integrated and continuous coordination of communications. RTC is also a partner in funding traffic signals across jurisdictional boundaries and installing ITS capital investments. In addition, via interconnected signals. One objective is to RTC operates a traffic signal comment hotline, enable each involved agency to confirm that 775-335-ROAD. both their traffic signals and their neighbors are operating as planned and that detector or other equipment failures are identified and Existing Regional ITS Table 6.1 corrected quickly. Resources • Access to more information by the traveling Device NDOT Reno Sparks Washoe public, and more consistent and seamless Type County information about current travel conditions Traffic 0 255 103 22 regardless of the mixture of agencies Signals responsible for portions of their planned journey. Count/ 12 0 0 0 • Sharing resources to enable agencies to Speed perform their missions at less cost. Shared Detectors resources could include specialized equipment, CCTV 51 30 0 0 or joint maintenance contracts. Cameras • Providing the data needed to assess region Change12 0 0 0 wide transportation and incident management able Signs performance measures. Advisory 1 0 0 0 Radios Weather 4 0 0 0 Stations CH.6 — MANAGING EXISTING SYSTEMS EFFICIENTLY
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The concept of operations also involves exchange of data between central systems operated by different agencies, and gathering of data from multiple systems to populate the planned regional traffic information display. Communication links between agencies are included in the ITS Pilot Project. Fiber optic cables used by traffic operation agencies for ITS device communication can be interconnected to provide communication links between agencies. The highest priority infrastructure improvements needed to support improved traffic operations are as follows: • Communication links between ITS networks operated by different agencies. • Communication links to traffic signals on major surface streets that are currently not connected to a central system. • Closed Caption Television (CCTV) cameras on major surface streets. • CCTV cameras, vehicle detectors, and associated communication links on all urban area freeway segments. 6.2
PAVEMENT PRESERVATION
Whether trips are taken by automobiles, transit, bicycle or walking, everyone benefits when the streets are maintained in a safe and serviceable condition. The RTC in cooperation with the public works officials of Reno, Sparks and Washoe County implements a comprehensive Pavement Preservation Program.
The local governments provide preservation services for non-regional road neighborhood roadways and day to day maintenance for all non-state maintained facilities. As part of the pavement preservation system, RTC maintains data on index ratings for each regional road. Programs are developed for roadway preservation primarily through two processes.
Figure 6-2 First, the Regional Pavement Management Systems (PMS) is used by the RTC and local governments to create the Regional Pavement Preservation Program. The PMS provides the region a comprehensive regional assessment of roadway pavement assets, condition, and is a tool to prioritize preservation projects. The use of the Regional PMS gives RTC and the local governments the ability to provide the right treatments to the right pavements at the right time.
The purpose of the Pavement Preservation Program is to maintain roads in good condition and minimize long term costs. The goal is to apply the most cost effective treatment to the right pavements, at the right time to minimize pavement life cycle costs while maximizing serviceable pavement life. An effective Pavement Preservation Program saves money that can be used for other important transportation initiatives. Through a process of collaboration and coordination with the local governments, RTC funds tactical roadway preservation programs to accomplish goals for the Regional Road System (arterials, collectors, industrial roads).
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Figure 6-3 *2012 Data
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ROADS IN THE PLANNING AREA • Residential roadways serve neighborhoods and carry the least trips on the system, with few buses and trucks. • Collector roads serve as connections between residential and arterial roadways. • Industrial roads carry a relatively high number of trucks serving industry and warehousing. • Arterials carry the majority of trips on the roadway system and function as alternatives to highways to relieve traffic congestion. • RTC does not own or operate any area roadways. • Arterials, Collectors and Industrial roads carry 50% of vehicle miles travelled (VMT) and are included in the RTC Pavement Preservation Program. • Residential streets are maintained by the local jurisdictions (Reno, Sparks and Washoe County) and carry 8% of VMT • I-80 and US 395 are maintained by NDOT and carry 42% of VMT
Preventive Treatments Surface seals on pavement and crack sealing to keep good pavements good. Cost = $0.40/SF
This proactive maintenance strategy relies on preventive and corrective maintenance methods to maintain good pavements in good condition as its primary focus, in turn; this slows the rate of pavements falling into poor condition which requires costly major reconstruction. It is six to 10 times cheaper to properly maintain streets than to allow them to fail and pay for costly reconstruction treatments. RTC’s Regional Pavement Preservation Program has significantly improved driving conditions and reduced the region’s backlog of pavement reconstruction needs. Since initiation of the program the average Pavement Condition Index (PCI) for regional roadways (excluding NDOT maintained roads) has been raised above the goal of 80 to 85. Two percent of the regional network are in poor condition (PCI below 50). The NDOT PMS monitors state-maintained facilities in Washoe County. The NDOT PMS also quantifies the backlog of pavement repairs on the state highway system and identifies project priorities. The PMS is used to identify NDOT’s long range funding needs to maintain the state highway network at a serviceable level. NDOT conducts a pavement condition survey annually. During this survey, a rating is provided for a section of each mile in each direction of all state maintained highways. The severity and extent of the pavement distress are measured and recorded in six different categories. Centerline mileage for each highway system is categorized into one of four repair strategies. The repair strategy recommendations are presented to management for funding annually.
The RTC’s Pavement Preservation Program is central to implementation of Complete Streets strategies. Corrective Treatments Through the preventative maintenance slurry seal Patching, grind off old program, RTC is narrowing travel lanes, adding bicycle pavement, replace with lanes, and in some cases eliminating travel lanes. The new. Improve ride quality. effects of these Complete Streets strategies are to slow Cost = $3.50/SF traffic to the designated posted speed, reduce vehicle Rehabilitation/Reconstruction crashes, and provide a safe space for other non-auto Treatments users. Crash reductions ranging from 25-45 percent Total removal and replacehave been documented on regional roads that have ment of failed pavements undergone these reconfigurations. and supporting soils. Cost = $6.00 to $7.60/SF
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The program is implemented in coordination with the Pavement Preservation Committee, which consists of public works and maintenance staff of Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County. The committee meets monthly with a focus on: • Maintaining an integrated Regional PMS to insure pavement assets are current, and inspected regularly and consistently throughout the region • Develop the Pavement Preservation Program to insure the right treatments are provided to the right pavements at the right time; including a Preventive and Corrective Maintenance Program to keep good pavements in good repair • Development of the Pavement Preservation project selection process, utilizing data from the Regional PMS to insure projects are selected on a needs-based system • Discussion of general issues to improve service and processes • Early coordination on actions to be considered at the RTC TAC meetings Despite the overall “good rating” of the regions pavements, challenges do exist in maintaining our existing roadway system. The local jurisdictions’ and NDOT’s ability to fund and operate an effective maintenance program continues to be a challenge. For the non-regional and residential system of roads, the Cities of Sparks and Reno in particular have a significant reconstruction backlog. However, through the effective use of their available resources the local agencies have reduced the amount of residential roads in poor condition from 12% to 10 % since 2012. While these roads account for approximately 2/3 of the pavement network, they carry only 8% of the VMT in the region.
6.3
TRANSIT OPERATIONS
Public transit is a valuable community asset that: Provides access to jobs and supports economic growth through improved mobility, • Provides access to important resources such as medical services, colleges and universities, and government services, especially for low and moderate income residents, and • Provides health benefits through improved air quality and active transportation options. •
Operational efficiency is one of the goals for the regional transit system. Because transit funding sources are limited, it is essential that cost effectiveness be a consideration in transit planning. RTC publishes monthly reports about the system’s operational performance. RTC RIDE The RTC operates 26 fixed routes in the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area as well as areas of unincorporated Washoe County. The system operates in a 90 square-mile service area. In general, the RTC fixedroute system operates as a “hub-and-spoke” or radial transit system. The greatest benefit of a radial system design is the ability to more efficiently cover a large area with a small transit system. Existing service offers the greatest frequency in the urban core, reflecting the goal of maximizing the number of passengers per service hour. With two separate central business districts in Reno and Sparks, RTC operates a high-frequency connector between the two cities with less frequent feeder service increasing the coverage area. Both downtown Reno and Sparks are serviced by transit transfer terminals: RTC 4TH STREET STATION and RTC CENTENNIAL PLAZA. RTC continuously monitors the performance of each transit route, coordinates with the local jurisdictions regarding land use changes, and makes routing or scheduling adjustments as necessary up to two times each year to maximize the performance of the system.
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2016 Operating Characteristics Total Number of Rides in 2016 Average Number of Rides per Day Highest Single-Day Ridership (September 3, 2015) Total Service Hours (Revenue Vehicle Hours) Average Passengers per Service Hour Route with the Highest Passengers per Service Hour Non-RAPID Route with the Highest Passengers per Service Hour Total RTC RAPID Ridership
Table 6.2 7.7 million 21,080 29,994 253,381 30.4
• • •
42.3 (RAPID)
•
40.3 (Route 5, Sutro/Sun Valley) 1,238,457
•
RTC actively manages the transit fleet and facilities to ensure a state of good repair. In January 2012 a $4.7 million grant was invested in the purchase of electric buses and bus related equipment, such as the replacement of fare boxes. In July 2012 a $917,800 grant was secured to upgrade RTC communication capabilities. This included the purchase of a digital radio system for both fixed route and paratransit systems. In July 2016 RTC ordered five additional electric buses for $4.3 million, using grant funds from the FTA. An additional $450,000 was invested in November 2016 as the RTC purchased new ticket vending machines for 4TH STREET STATION and CENTENNIAL PLAZA. RTC has identified the need for a new maintenance facility that can accommodate expansion of the RTC bus fleet in the long-term. Because funding for a new facility is not currently available, RTC has advanced an initiative to maximize the utilization of the existing Villanova Maintenance Facility. $12.5 million in grant funds were invested in 2016 for the renovation of the existing facility to expand maintenance and bus storage capacity and allow it to better accommodate electric buses. Improvements include: the addition of electric bus charging infrastructure, raising garage door heights to accommodate taller buses, enclosing surface parking areas to add storage that is protected from the elements, and adding maintenance bays that are equipped to handle 60-foot long articulated buses. Construction is expected to be completed in the summer of 2017. CH.6 — MANAGING EXISTING SYSTEMS EFFICIENTLY
• •
SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN: PRIORITIES RELATING TO OPERATIONS Continue to improve existing services through schedule adjustments that improve on-time performance. Reallocate resources from less productive to more productive routes. Improve frequencies on hourly routes to 30 minutes by reducing or eliminating less productive routes. Increase frequency in the Primary Transit Network. Make route adjustments to better serve major ridership generators such as Truckee Meadows Community College, the University of Nevada, Reno, and the Veterans Administration Hospital Reduce the age for senior fare eligibility from 65 to 60 years. Initiate a pilot program to serve isolated areas with smaller transit vehicles 2-3 days per week.
These improvements are essential for the continued conversion of the transit fleet to the more sustainable, zero-emission electric buses.
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RTC ACCESS RTC ACCESS, RTC’s demand-response paratransit service, serves ADA-eligible riders in Reno, Sparks and parts of Washoe County. The service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. RTC ACCESS services include vans and night taxis. In FY 2016, 224,812 rides were provided, with an average of 2.70 rides per service hour. Approximately 3,700 individuals are certified as ADA paratransit eligible in Washoe County.
While RTC is required to provide door-to-door, demand-response service within ¾ of a mile of all fixed routes (referred to as the ADA Zone), RTC ACCESS also services some areas in the community beyond this geographic area (called the Non-ADA Zone). The following map illustrates the RTC ACCESS service area boundaries. The one-way fare in the ADA Zone is $3 and the one-way fare in the Non-ADA Zone is $6. Funding assistance for trips in the Non-ADA Zone is provided by the Sierra Nevada Transportation Coalition (formerly CitiCare), a non-profit organization.
Mobility services currently funded through this program include the following: • Non-emergency medical related transportation through the Access to Healthcare Network (AHN) • Sierra Nevada Transportation Coalition and the purchase of non-ADA Paratransit rides • Seniors in Service volunteer program to provide social support for seniors, including transportation to doctor appointments, grocery stores, pharmacy’s, etc • Senior Outreach Services volunteer program at the Sanford Center for Aging at UNR to provide transportation for frail, homebound, below poverty seniors • United Cerebral Palsy of Nevada to provide workforce transportation RTC VANPOOL The RTC VANPOOL program is the RTC's fastest growing public transportation program. It reached over 100 vanpools in December 2016. The program offers mobility options for people who may live or work outside of the RTC fixed-route service area. A cost effective option for long commute trips, the VANPOOL program allows groups of 5 to 14 people to share the cost of transportation to work at a reduced rate subsidized by the RTC.
Partnerships With Not-For-Profit Providers Because RTC does not have the resources to provide fixed-route and paratransit service to all residences in Washoe County, the agency is pursuing partnerships with not-for-profit providers that can serve outlying areas and other specialized transportation needs. The Section 5310 Program, funded by the FTA, allows RTC to offer competitive grant funding to organizations that provide enhanced mobility for seniors and persons with disabilities.
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TRAFFIC SIGNAL TIMING PROJECT MAP 6.1
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EXISTING TRANSIT SERVICE MAP 6.2
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7
INTEGRATING ALL TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION A goal of the RTP is to integrate all types of transportation. RTC seeks to have an interconnected multi-modal transportation system that gives residents more travel choices. Local residents have expressed a desire to have transportation options, which include convenient alternatives for walking, biking, riding transit or driving. An integrated regional transportation system must provide mobility options that are appropriate to the land use context and address the needs of neighborhoods, commercial districts, and the movement of goods. 7.1
COMPLETE STREETS
Complete Street Complete Streets design principles apply context sensitive solutions to support all types of transportation. The primary purpose of designs have Complete Streets projects is to provide safe access and travel for all reduced crashes users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit users of all ages and abilities. These design treatments have been demonstrated up to 46% on Complete Street to consistently reduce crashes on regional roads in the Renodesigns have regional roads in Sparks metropolitan region. The range of improvements, which are based on corridor land use characteristics and transportation reduced crashes Washoe County selected patterns, include the following:
up to 46% on regional roads in Washoe County
• • • • • • • •
Roundabouts Narrow (less than 12-foot) travel lanes Reducing vehicle and pedestrian conflict points by reducing underutilized travel lanes Adding center turn lanes Adding bicycle lanes, shared paths, cycletracks, or sharrows Installing or upgrading sidewalks and crosswalks Installing pedestrian crossing/waiting areas in median islands Installing or upgrading transit stops
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Complete Streets designs generally slow traffic to about the speed limit, which reduces the number and severity of crashes, making the roadway safer for all users. Roadway designs that encourage motorists to drive at posted speeds and provide designated space for walking and biking will improve safety for all pedestrians.
Bicyclists and joggers on Plumas Street after Complete Street project The projects in this RTP support Complete Streets design objectives, including projects that focus on community livability as well as regional connectivity. Livability projects address the safety and mobility needs of all corridor travelers, but generally do not add additional lane capacity for automobiles. These types of projects are closely linked with community land use and economic development plan objectives. Additional information about specific projects and design objectives is available in the Complete Streets Master Plan, adopted in 2016. A summary of livability projects in the first ten years of the plan is provided below. Livability Projects Project Name
Photo
Complete Street Elements Safety Enhanced Bike Pedestrian Auto Transit Facilities Facilities Capacity Stops/ Route
4th St./Prater Way Bus RAPID Transit Project RAPID & multimodal improvements from Evans Ave. to Pyramid Way Virginia Street Bus RAPID Transit Extension RAPID & multimodal improvement from Plumb Ln. to 17th St. Oddie Blvd/Wells Ave. Multimodal improvements from Kuenzli St. to Pyramid Way
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ITS
Sun Valley Blvd. Multimodal improvements from 2nd Ave. to Pyramid-US 395 Connector Sparks Blvd. Multimodal & capacity improvements from Greg St. to Springland Dr. Keystone Ave. Multimodal improvements & bridge replacement from California Ave. to I-80 Mill St./Terminal Way Multimodal improvements from Lake St. to Reno-Tahoe International Airport Glendale Ave. Multimodal & safety improvements from Kietzke Ln. to McCarran Blvd. 2nd St. Multimodal & safety improvements from Keystone Ave. to Kietzke Ln Kietzke Lane Multimodal improvements Virginia St. to Galletti Way
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Regional Connectivity Projects Regional connectivity projects also incorporate Complete Streets design concepts. With the exception of freeway projects, all regional road widenings will include upgrades to the sidewalk network, as well as transit stops and bicycle lanes where it is consistent with applicable plans and policies. The need for these regional connections or road widenings are identified by the regional transportation demand model, land use planning (see Appendix G), and community input. A summary of the major regional connection projects is provided in the table below. Regional Connectivity Projects Project Name Photo Safety
Complete Street Elements Enhanced Bike Pedestrian Auto Transit Facilities Facilities OperStops/ ates/ Route Capacity
SouthEast Connector South Meadows Pkwy to Greg St. — new 6 lane road Pyramid/McCarran Intersection Enhance safety, operations & multimodal access I-80/I-580/US 395 Interchange (Spaghetti Bowl) Reconstruction & Capacity Expansion US 395 North Widening from Parr Blvd. to Golden Valley Rd. I-80 Widening System Wide Ramps & Freeway ITS Project Pyramid/US 395 Connector Widen Pyramid Hwy to 6 lanes from Queen Way to Los Altos Pkwy. and new 6 lane arterial from Pyramid Hwy to US 395
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ITS
7.2
WALKING AND BIKING
The Bicycle Pedestrian Plan and ADA Transition Plan The Reno-Sparks Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan and ADA Transition Plan were completed in 2011 and are in the process of being updated. The two plans establish a well-connected walking and bicycling network that provides residents and visitors a more livable and healthier community. It also created an opportunity to plan for safe access to transit stops throughout the region. The Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan was coordinated concurrently with the Complete Streets Master Plan in an effort to update the project lists for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure on regional roads, to increase connectivity, and provide the community with multimodal transportation options. The ADA Transition Plan update is scheduled for completion in 2017. RTC implements accessibility improvements through roadway reconstruction projects as well as spot improvements. A summary of bicycle and pedestrian improvements is provided below. Adding Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure Year Bike SideCross- Pedestrian Lanes walks walks Ramps (miles) (miles) 2013 8.5 1.8 Not 124 Available 2014 8 2.1 537 152 2015 27.1 10.1 202 32 Corridor Plans and Road Safety Assessments RTC has partnered with NDOT, Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County to conduct corridor plans, road safety assessments (RSAs) and safety management plans (SMPs) on roadways within Washoe County. Corridor plans take a comprehensive approach and develop a range of capacity, multimodal, operations, and safety improvements, as appropriate for the corridor. Utilizing a multidisciplinary team, the studies identify potential road safety deficiencies and recommend countermeasures to mitigate those safety issues. A SMP takes the RSA to the next level by developing preliminary roadway plans which may be used to implement recommended safety improvements.
RSAs and SMPs are tools used to identify safety needs and potential improvements. Spot Improvements The RTC programs funds each year to implement spot improvements for ADA, other pedestrian and bicycle improvements. A prioritization framework was developed as part of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, which includes safety, transit ridership, and proximity to schools, medical facilities, public services, and senior housing. Examples of projects funded in 2016 include the Evans Avenue bike lanes and sidewalk/crosswalk improvements on Sun Valley Boulevard. Bicycle Friendly America The Bicycle Friendly America program administered by the League of American Bicyclists provides guidance, hands-on assistance and recognition for states, communities, universities, and businesses working toward the creation of a bicycling culture and environment. A Bicycle Friendly Community, Business, or University welcomes bicyclists by providing safe accommodations for bicycling and encouraging people to bike for transportation and recreation. A bicycle-friendly place makes bicycling safe, comfortable, and convenient for people of all ages and abilities. In 2015, the Reno, Sparks and Washoe County region was re-designated a bronze level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. The community received this designation based on local efforts to improve and expand the bicycle network. The League of American Bicyclists also highlighted the benefit of local bicycle events such as the Bike Swap, Bike to Work Week and the work done through the Reno Sparks Kiwanis Bike Program, Reno Bike Project, and Safe Routes to School (SRTS). Also in 2015, University of Nevada, Reno was the first University in the state of Nevada to be awarded a Bicycle Friendly University. The University was honored with a bronze level award.
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Bicycle Friendly Community Sign 97] 2040 Regional Transportation Plan
In December 2016, the RTC was awarded a silver level Bicycle Friendly Business designation by the League of American Bicyclists. The Bicycle Friendly Business award recognizes local businesses and corporations for creating a bicycle friendly environment for customers and bicycle commuting employees. The program determines how bicycle friendly a business is based on encouragement, engineering, education, evaluation and planning. RTC was recognized for encouraging employees and customers to bicycle through participation in Bike Month, SRTS, and in working with advocacy groups. The League also recognized some of RTC’s engineering efforts such as the installation of a free bike repair area with tools and work stand for employees and customers who need to make adjustments to their bike at RTC 4TH STREET STATION, and having parking available in well-lit areas with security cameras. Other efforts the League acknowledged RTC for include educating bicyclists through the production and distribution of free bicycle maps and for providing safety and educational materials for both bicyclists and drivers about sharing the road, best practices, and current laws pertaining to bicycling.
7.3 TRANSIT Transit is an essential part of the local economy that helps thousands of Washoe County residents get to work each day. Transit helps shape development patterns and is an economic development tool that supports local Transit Oriented Development zoning and land use policies. In addition, transit provides a critical public service to residents and visitors that do not drive. The environmental benefits of transit service are also well recognized: reducing the number of cars on the road reduces traffic congestion and air pollution. Short Range Transit Plan RTC recently developed the Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP), which outlines a strategy for transit service over the next five years. The short-term fiscally constrained transit program includes existing service plus the following modifications planned for FY 2018 through 2022: • Extension of RTC RAPID on 4th Street/ Prater Way (Lincoln Line) • Extension of RTC RAPID to the University of Nevada, Reno • Reallocation of service hours to achieve greater efficiency • Expansion of the RTC Villanova Maintenance Facility to accommodate larger and more technologically complex vehicles as well as an expanded fleet of electric vehicles • Pilot program for 2-3 days per week circulator service in outlying areas, targeted to senior citizens • Increase subsidy and expand eligibility for taxi bucks/Washoe Senior Ride Program • Continuation of the FTA 5310 grant program to fund not-for profit transportation services.
Example of a possible road configuration to narrow travel lanes and include bicycle lanes.
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EXISTING AND PLANNED BICYCLE FACILITIES MAP 7.1
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The Lincoln Line bus rapid transit service will operate on the 4th Street/Prater Way corridor.
The 4th Street/Prater Way Bus RAPID Transit Project will install 8 RAPID stations, sidewalks, street trees, bike lanes, and will place utilities underground.
The Lincoln Line will operate five zero-emission electric buses.
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RTC RAPID Expansion The successful RTC RAPID transit service that debuted on Virginia Street in 2009 is poised for expansion. The current Virginia Line RAPID service extends from Meadowood Mall to RTC 4TH STREET STATION in downtown Reno. Construction begins in early 2017 on the 4th Street/Prater Way RAPID extension to RTC CENTENNIAL PLAZA in downtown Sparks. Branded as the Lincoln Line, this new RTC RAPID service will operate five zero-emission, all electric buses and provide eight enhanced stations. This corridor will link the two downtowns and provide enhanced access to employment centers and opportunities for higher education. By constructing sidewalks and bike lanes, the project will provide for multimodal access to transit stops. The extension of the Virginia Line to the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) is currently being designed. This important extension will add a direct link to the University, which is experiencing unprecedented growth in student enrollment. The project will reduce transit travel times between UNR and Meadowood Mall, construct five new RAPID stations to serve the campus, install bike lanes adjacent to the University, upgrade RAPID stations in Midtown, and improve sidewalks and ADA accessibility both in Midtown and on Virginia Street at the University. This project will increase mobility and access in support of revitalization of this corridor. Importance of Transit in the Community • Supporting the economy — getting people to work • Shaping development — TODs and economic revitalization • Public service — mobility for people that do not drive • Environmental benefit — reducing traffic congestion and air pollution • Access to essential services – Providing service to healthcare, pharmacies, groceries, and other public services
Electric Bus Program The RTC is a leader in the adoption of electric bus technology. The four electric buses put into service in 2014 have eliminated over 53,000 gallons of diesel fuel use. This improves air quality in the Truckee Meadows and reduces operating costs for the RTC transit system. Because fuel costs are a significant part of transit operating expenses, transitioning to a fleet that uses alternative fuels could generate substantial cost savings. RTC currently operates 20 hybrid biodiesel-electric buses and four all-electric buses as part of the 70 bus RTC RIDE fleet. All 50 RTC ACCESS vans operate using compressed natural gas (CNG). Five electric buses have been ordered for use on the 4th Street/Prater Way Lincoln Line and a request for proposals (RFP) for four electric buses to replace diesel buses used on the RTC INTERCITY route to Carson City has been issued. The Virginia Line RAPID extension project will use two additional all-electric 60-foot articulated vehicles. With the expansion and upgrade of the Villanova Maintenance Facility, RTC plans to acquire up to 30 more electric buses to further reduce long term operating costs. RTC has a goal to transition the entire fleet to alternative fuels by 2030. Villanova Maintenance Facility Upgrades Upgrades currently under construction at the Villanova Maintenance Facility will extend the useful life of the facility and are a crucial step in the use of electric bus technology. Improvements are necessary to accommodate the taller height of electric buses as well as the required charging infrastructure. Specific improvements to the Villanova facility include the following: • Increase storage capacity - Extend bus storage lanes to accommodate one articulated and a 40-foot bus parked end to end - Construct new bus storage garage buildings adjacent to provided required parking spaces - Raise doors in bus storage buildings where feasible to accommodate taller buses
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Increase maintenance capacity - Extend chassis wash and body shop bays 20 feet to accommodate articulated buses - Construct two new high-bay maintenance bays where the RTC Administration offices and Board room were located to increase capacity and serve taller and longer buses • Increase service capacity - Add second fueling position in service island to accommodate articulated buses - Construct new undercarriage inspection pit building - Improve site egress •
Construction is expected to be completed in the summer of 2017. RTC ACCESS Paratransit service is a civil right required under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This requirement is met through the provision of RTC ACCESS service, which provides mobility for people whose disability prevents them from using fixed-route transit service. Rides are reserved one to three days in advance on demand though a call center. About 800 RTC ACCESS passenger trips are made per day using a combination of full-size accessible cut-away vans and taxis. The service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In FY 2016, 224,812 rides were provided, with an average of 2.70 rides per service hour. Approximately 3,700 individuals are certified as ADA paratransit eligible in Washoe County.
The one-way fare in the ADA Zone is $3 and the one-way fare outside the ADA Zone is $6. Funding for trips in the Non-ADA Zone is provided by the non-profit organization Sierra Nevada Transit Coalition (formerly CitiCare). Due to limited financial resources, RTC is considering the following modifications to RTC ACCESS: • Eliminate ACCESS service outside of the ADA zone • Operate RTC ACCESS only on the same days and hours as RTC RIDE • Implement ACCESS trip by trip eligibility screening • Expand travel training for seniors Supplemental Mobility Services Because RTC does not have the resources to provide fixed-route and paratransit service to all residences in Washoe County, the agency is pursuing innovative services and partnerships with not-for-profit providers that can serve outlying areas and other specialized transportation needs. Washoe Senior Ride/Taxi Bucks The Washoe Senior Ride/Taxi Bucks program provides a subsidy for eligible participants to hail a cab. This program extends a mobility option to people who do not live within the RTC RIDE and ACCESS service area. This program is currently available to veterans, residents 60 years of age or older, and ACCESS clients with annual incomes under $45,000. As part of the Short Range Transit Plan, RTC is considering options to expand eligibility and increase the subsidy for this program. Dial-A-Ride Service The Short Range Transit Plan proposes creation of a Dial-a-Ride pilot program to better serve outlying areas of the metro region for seniors. This service would provide service two to three days per week and connect to shopping opportunities and RIDE fixed-route service.
The ADA requires paratransit service to be provided within ¾ of a mile of fixed-route transit service (referred to as the ADA Zone). RTC ACCESS also services some areas in the community beyond this geographic area (called the Non-ADA Zone). CH.7 — INTEGRATING ALL TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION
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Not-for-Profit Partnerships The Section 5310 Program, funded by the FTA, allows RTC to offer competitive grant funding to organizations that provide enhanced mobility. Mobility services currently funded by this program include the following: • Non-Emergency Medical Related Transportation through Access to Healthcare Network (AHN) • Sierra Nevada Transportation Coalition and the purchase of non-ADA Paratransit rides • Seniors in Service volunteer program to provide social support for seniors, including transportation to doctor appointments, grocery stores, pharmacy’s etc. • Senior Outreach Services volunteer program at the Sanford Center for Aging at UNR to provide transportation for frail, homebound, below poverty seniors. • United Cerebral Palsy of Nevada to provide workforce transportation. It is anticipated that these programs would help replace transportation for people living outside the ADA zone if the RTC were to eliminate RTC ACCESS service in this area. RTC SMART TRIPS The RTC’s trip reduction program, RTC SMART TRIPS, encourages the use of sustainable travel modes and trip reduction strategies such as telecommuting, compressed work weeks, and trip chaining. Major components of the program include a bus pass subsidy program in which the RTC matches an employer’s contribution to their employees’ 31-day transit passes up to 20%; a subsidized vanpool program, RTC VANPOOL; and an on-line trip matching program that makes it quick, easy, and convenient to look for carpool partners and also bus, bike, and walking buddies for either recurring or one time trips. One of the most common deterrents to ridesharing is the fear of being “stranded.” Consequently, people who either carpool or vanpool to work can sign up for the guaranteed ride home program and be reimbursed for a taxi ride home up to four times a year if an unexpected event prevents normal ridesharing arrangements from working.
Making trips on foot and by bicycle are promoted by the RTC SMART TRIPS program throughout the year in various manners such as participation on the Truckee Meadows Bicycle Alliance, which implements the Bike to Work Week campaign each spring, and maintaining the Street Smart website that educates the public about the benefits of walking and how to do it safely. RTC VANPOOL Program Vanpools are the fastest-growing component of the trip reduction program and now represent the RTC’s largest transit vehicle fleet. They provide an opportunity to reduce auto trips and serve long commute distances effectively. The program grew to 97 vans at the end of FFY 2016 with vans traveling to Carson City, the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center, North Spanish Springs, Stead, Herlong, and Susanville. Participants share the costs of the vehicle lease and gas, with RTC providing a subsidy to encourage participation based on the distance traveled. The vanpool program eliminated 211,690 vehicle trips and 10.1 million vehicle miles of travel in FFY 2016.
Growth in Vanpool Use
Existing RTC Vanpools CH.7 — INTEGRATING ALL TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION
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RTC INTERCITY Transit RTC currently provides INTERCITY transit between Reno and Carson City. This premium service carries over 36,000 passengers per year. The unfunded vision for transit, discussed in the following section, identifies the need to develop a transit route between Reno, Sparks, and the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center in Storey County. RTC has applied for TIGER grants to fund the purchase of electric buses for this commuter service. RTC also supports private intercity bus transportation. The Silverado Mainline bus service, funded through a public-private partnership between NDOT and Silverado Stages, connects Reno/Sparks with Fallon, Hawthorne, Tonopah, Beatty, Pahrump, and Las Vegas. Silverado Mainline has a stop at RTC CENTANNIAL PLAZA. Private shuttle service is available through Carson Valley Airporter from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport to Carson City and Gardnerville/Minden. The North Lake Tahoe Express offers service from the Reno airport to Truckee and North Lake Tahoe area. The South Tahoe Airporter provides service from stateline to the Reno airport. RTC also leases bus bay access at RTC CENTENNIAL PLAZA to Megabus for its route connecting Reno, Sacramento, and San Francisco. Greyhound serves the region with a bus terminal at 155 Stevenson Street in downtown Reno. Silver State Trailways Mainline, which provides service from Reno to Las Vegas, provides intercity bus service with stops at the Greyhound station and RTC CENTENNIAL PLAZA. Token Transit — Smart Phone Fare Payment
Token Transit TM
RTC has partnered with Token Transit to provide riders the option of using their smart phone to purchase and board buses. Riders simply download the Token Transit app from the app store or text “TOKEN” to 41411 for a download link. The user can store or activate a ticket on their phone. To board, riders simply show the driver your animated ticket on your phone. CH.7 — INTEGRATING ALL TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION
Unfunded Vision for Transit The RTP outreach process provided an opportunity to develop a vision for transit in the Truckee Meadows over the next 20 years. This vision is not constrained by available financial resources. As described in Chapter 2, a series of community planning workshops and an online survey were used to gather input about the unfunded vision. The vision includes the following elements: • Streetcar transit to connect the Reno-Tahoe International Airport to Virginia Street • Streetcar service on Virginia Street from the Reno-Tahoe Convention Center to the University of Nevada, Reno • Expanded downtown circulator bus service • Express bus service on South Virginia to serve the Summit and UNR/TMCC Redfield Campus • Express bus service on US 395 to serve the North Valleys • Service between Reno and Lake Tahoe/ Truckee, California, connecting the RTC RIDE and TART system • Service between Reno and Lake Tahoe, including Incline Village and the South Shore transit service provided by the Tahoe Transportation District • Express bus on Pyramid Highway to serve north Sparks and Spanish Springs • Express bus service from Reno and Sparks to the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center • Commuter rail service from Reno and Sparks to the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center • Larger maintenance facility for long-term expansion Service concepts for the vision plan are illustrated in the maps on the following pages. Although strong support was expressed for this vision, financial projections indicate that it is unlikely RTC will be able to expand service in the short-term. In addition, the growing senior population is expected to generate an increase in demand for RTC ACCESS paratransit service over the next 20 years. Long-term transit proposals to come from public outreach efforts include rail service from Reno to the Tahoe Reno Industrial (TRI) Center. This concept was expanded to include service from Truckee, California to Reno-Sparks, and from the TRI Center east to Fernley; a phased project that ultimately would span nearly 70 miles to connect Truckee to Fernley. 104] 2040 Regional Transportation Plan
Unfortunately, due to the significant capital and annual operating costs (estimated to be approximately $30 million per mile and $120,000 per mile, respectively), this project could not be included in the fiscally constrained plan. A bus option was evaluated as well, but still proved to be more costly than anticipated revenues could support. Other long-term transit improvements that were explored include a streetcar that would operate on Virginia Street and Plumb Lane from downtown Reno to the Reno-Tahoe International Airport and ultimately to the Meadowood Mall. However, the construction and operating costs far exceed available revenue. Additional proposals include an express bus from the North Valleys area to downtown Reno, a downtown circulator that would replace the current SIERRA SPIRIT service, and new bus service to the Galleria in Sparks and to the Summit Mall. While all of these projects have merit, and there is certainly varying levels of demand for these services, they have been included in the “unfunded needs” section of the financial plan due to a lack of funding necessary to construct/implement them as well as to provide continuing operating funds. RTC routinely seeks out funding for projects beyond formula and dedicated funding sources, including several competitive grant opportunities. Should additional funding become available to support any of these projects, RTC will reassess their feasibility through a cost/benefit analysis. Additionally, some of the transit options could potentially be incorporated through other projects. For example, NDOT is currently evaluating options for the widening of US 395. One suggestion that has been made is to provide a dedicated high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane, which could be used by buses to operate an express service between the North Valleys and downtown Reno. With this vision for transit, the RTC hopes to continue the dialog about the role of transit in the community and the need for sustainable funding for transit operations.
7.4
ADVANCED MOBILITY
Shared Mobility In a broad sense, shared-use mobility comprises transportation services that are shared among users, including public transit, taxis and limos, bikesharing, carsharing (round-trip, one-way, and personal vehicle sharing), ridesharing (carpooling, vanpooling), ridesourcing (Transportation Network Companies such as Uber and Lyft), scooter sharing; shuttle services, and commercial delivery vehicles providing flexible goods movement. Shared-use transportation is becoming increasingly common in urban areas and utilizes wireless technology to improve the options and ease of access for users. The growth in demand for these unique modes of transportation can be attributed to several factors. According to the Shared-Use Mobility Center, shared-use mobility options have increased due to growing environmental, energy and economic concerns. The Shared-Use Mobility Center states that these new services represent innovative responses to the demand for new options and offer an opportunity to: • Provide more mobility choices • Address last mile and first mile solutions • Reduce traffic congestion and pollution • Reduce transportation costs • Reduce fossil fuel consumption • Reduce pressures on parking spaces • Improve efficiency • Identify choices for those who cannot afford to purchase and maintain a vehicle By utilizing wireless technology to easily access shared-use mobility options, companies are offering downloadable applications for cell phone and/or tablet users to create convenient shared-use transportation choices. Ride Sourcing Ridesourcing became available in the Truckee Meadows through Uber and Lyft in the fall of 2015. Technology allows for Lyft customers to request a ride through an app, and they are provided with a photo of the driver and license plate information as well as tracking information once the ride has been requested.
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Passengers and drivers are encouraged to rate each other through the app and provide feedback as well. Uber has two services available in the region, UberX, a more affordable option among its transportation offerings, and UberSKI. UberSKI is a unique seasonal on-demand service provided for residents and visitors who are in the Reno/Sparks area and want to request a driver of a four-wheel drive vehicle that is capable of carrying gear, including skies and snowboards, for up to four individuals to the mountain ski areas and resorts in Lake Tahoe. UberSKI is available throughout the ski season. RTC is exploring the viability of using public-private partnerships with ridesourcing services to expand mobility opportunities in outlying areas, similar to the Taxi Bucks program. Also in early 2016, the University of Nevada, Reno UNR) entered into a partnership with Zipcar. Zipcar is a car sharing service that provides its members an alternative to the costs and hassles of owning or renting a car. Students can register for the program through an online application or through the Zipcar app, and drive away in minutes. UNR students can purchase a membership for $15 for access to vehicles on campus, and rates start at $7.50 an hour up to $69 per day. After the first year, membership requires an annual fee of $25. Customers can book a Zipcar for as little as 1 hour or as long as 7 days, and gas, insurance, and up to 180 miles of driving per day are included in Zipcar rates. UNR members may visit www.zipcar.com/unr for more information. The impact of ridesourcing on mobility will require additional analysis as its use continues to increase. These services have the potential to increase traffic congestion and may draw customers away from traditional public transportation. Due to costs that are typically higher than transit fares, equity concerns should also be given consideration. Bike Share Early in 2016, RTC completed the Truckee Meadows Bike Share Feasibility Study. The study researched the possibility of launching a bike share program in the Reno and Sparks areas in a three phase system. The plan steering committee consisted of individuals from RTC, Cities of Reno and Sparks, Washoe County Health District Air Quality Division, University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), and the Reno Sparks Convention and Visitor’s Authority. CH.7 — INTEGRATING ALL TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION
The study revealed that a successful bike share could be launched, but would likely require a public-private partnership. The study identified 60 potential bike share stations/hubs with 552 bikes, for an average of 9.2 bikes per station/hub. The study recommended a hybrid system utilizing both smart bike systems and station-based systems. Smart bikes can be rented from any location and all of the necessary equipment to facilitate the rental is physically located on the bike. A station-based system utilizes a fixed number of racks at a given location and the user must return the rented bike at one of these locations. Autonomous Vehicles The concept of fully autonomous (also called self-driving, driverless, or robotic) vehicles has gone from being a distant possibility to a near-term reality during the last decade. Vehicles of all types including cars, trucks, bicycles, and aircraft are becoming more autonomous as this technology continues to improve at a rapid rate. As this technology becomes more widespread, the conversation surrounding these types of vehicles has changed from contemplating their possibility to planning for their inevitable reality. Seven companies have announced that they will produce a market ready autonomous car by the year 2020 and these vehicles are already being tested on public roadways. Nevada has been leading the way for autonomous cars and trucks by becoming one of the first states in the nation to pass regulations regarding the safety requirements and licensing for autonomous vehicles. Nevada was also the first state in the nation to provide a license to an autonomous commercial truck in 2015. Being on the cutting edge of this technology, Nevada will likely be one of the first states to see the effects of these vehicles. The potential benefits of autonomous cars include reduced driver stress and fatigue, reduced driver costs, mobility for non-drivers, increased safety, increased road capacity, more efficient parking, and increased fuel efficiency. Because up to 90% of crashes are currently caused by human error, autonomous cars have the potential to provide significant safety benefits.
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Autonomous vehicle technology may also provide benefits to public transportation and freight industries by allowing for more continuous and demand responsive service. In addition to individual vehicles becoming autonomous, some concepts have proposed a fully connected transportation system in which vehicles would communicate with each other and with the surrounding infrastructure in order to improve both safety and operational efficiency. A fully integrated transportation system may have other impacts as well, including reduced car ownership, demand response ride-sharing, and modified land-use needs. However, there are potential drawbacks related to the adoption of autonomous vehicles, such as increased costs, security and privacy concerns, induced vehicle travel, reduced employment, and social equity concerns. The adoption of autonomous vehicles will likely have impacts on existing transportation labor markets. As with the adoption of any new technology, local, state, and federal policies must work to mitigate these potential drawbacks whenever possible and maintain an equitable transportation network for all users. Autonomous aircraft are also beginning to emerge as a transportation option of the future. Drones are small aircraft which are piloted remotely and do not require a human to be seated within the aircraft itself. Numerous companies, including Amazon and Google, are also working toward making autonomous versions of these aircraft to help facilitate quick and easy delivery services. Nevada has been on the forefront of regulating and providing resources to this new technology. In 2015, the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) opened the Nevada Advanced Autonomous Systems Innovation Center as a catalyst for innovation in the field of autonomous systems. Furthermore, The Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development announced in June 2016 that it will work with EHang, a Chinese drone company, on product development, flight testing, and training of the EHang 184; a jumbo drone which is designed to carry one passenger and be completely autonomous. Although this technology is still in the development stages, it could have significant impacts on our transportation system if it proves to be viable.
As autonomous vehicle technology progresses it will go through various stages of automation from no automation to full automation. The latest autonomous vehicle technology is nearing the level of “High Automation” which entails the vehicle controlling all driving functions for a majority of situations and requiring only minimal human intervention. This technology will be included in a growing number of new automobiles in the next five to ten years, with numerous companies estimating that they will be mass-producing fully autonomous vehicles by 2021. With this technology gaining rapid market penetration, it is important to anticipate and plan for the effects this will have on our transportation system and our community. RTC is committed to embracing and incorporating these new technologies while maintaining a safe, efficient, and equitable transportation network. Park and Ride Facilities As an organization committed to sustainability initiatives and the efficient use of public resources, the RTC supports high occupancy vehicle (HOV) trips in the form of carpools, vanpools, and public transportation. Use of high occupancy modes can result in reduced vehicle miles traveled (VMT), which in turn reduces emissions and wear to public roadways. Ultimately, this reduces roadway maintenance costs, improves local air quality, and reduces the creation of greenhouse gases. In an effort to encourage high occupancy trips, the RTC recently examined the feasibility of constructing publicly owned and/or maintaining shared-parking agreements with other organizations for park and ride facilities. Park and rides are multimodal transfer points where people typically transfer from an individual mode of transportation, such as walking or driving alone, to a shared transportation mode, like public transportation or a carpool. Park and ride lots can be used for many trip types but are most typically oriented towards commuter trips.
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Park and rides can either be exclusively owned and operated by a public agency or under contract with a private owner. The latter type of park and ride facility is often called a shared facility because parking is shared between park and ride users and other users of the facility. Shared facilities are often located at large churches, major retailers, or other locations that may have a surplus of weekday, daytime parking. Publicly owned park and ride facilities in the region are currently operated by the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT). These park and rides are primarily designed to serve long-distance commutes or recreation opportunities in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Most of them are located adjacent to the roadway, either on a highway or next to an exit ramp; with the exception of the park and ride at The Summit mall, which is a contained parking facility with internal circulation. Park and ride facilities are a critical element of the RTC VANPOOL program. Due to the continued success of the RTC VANPOOL program, there is an increased demand for park and ride facilities. As a result, the RTC is currently evaluating options to expand the availability of these types of facilities within the region. These options include improving vacant properties that the RTC currently owns and working with major retailers and faith institutions to enter into agreements for shared use facilities. In addition, RTC has previously considered locations for park and rides as a component to other projects such as the planned Pyramid Highway-US 395 Connector. Currently, many commuters from Spanish Springs access US 395 through surface streets, which creates congestion on Pyramid Highway and McCarran Boulevard. The project takes into account setting aside land for park and ride lots to encourage HOV trips and to serve possible future transit routes.
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Intelligent Mobility RTC is collaborating with the University of Nevada, Reno on research into intelligent mobility. The University’s Nevada Center for Applied Research integrates expertise in advanced autonomous systems, computer sciences, synchronized transportation, and robotics with community needs. The Center is creating a Living Lab to allow the texting of mobility technologies in urban environments. The Center and RTC are partnering to research autonomous bus technologies and applications using zero emission electric vehicles. 7.5
AVIATION AND RAIL
Representatives from the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority and Union Pacific Railroad have participated in the freight and logistics roundtables conducted as part of the RTP. This has assisted RTC in identifying key intermodal transfer points. In addition, the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority is represented on the RTC Technical Advisory Committee, which meets monthly to review all projects that go before the RTC Board of Commissioners. The Reno-Sparks Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan includes pedestrian crossing improvements at all at-grade railroad crossings in the region. In addition, roadway and other multimodal improvements included in the RTP would improve access to the airport. The Airport Authority is currently developing the Reno-Tahoe International Airport Master Plan. Areas of focus in the plan include: Airfield enhancements such as runways, taxiways, aprons and airspace • Terminal modernization including ticketing, gates, customs, concessions, baggage, etc. • Ground transportation extending to roads, parking, airport land use, and more •
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8
FOCUSING ON REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY Regional connectivity has three primary contexts in this RTP: the larger mega-region that extends from San Francisco to Reno-Sparks, the Northern Nevada and Lake Tahoe Region area. Economic and transportation linkages tie Northern Nevada communities together including Carson City, the Lake Tahoe Region, Virginia City, Pyramid Lake, Storey County and other nearby areas. These economic connections continue into California, extending to Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area. A strong desire to improve regional connectivity for residents, businesses and visitors was expressed during previous RTP outreach events. Local residents would like to see more multimodal travel options and freight mobility between these communities and into California. Northern Nevada is directly impacted by the economic activity surrounding the San Francisco metropolitan region and the Port of Oakland. This relationship is reflected in the concept of Megapolitan Regions, as defined by Arthur Nelson and Robert Lang. Megapolitan Regions share a number of attributes including environmental systems and topography, infrastructure systems, economic linkages, settlement and land use patterns and culture and history. Reno and Sparks are part of the Sierra-Pacific region, which extends from San Francisco to Reno. The Megaregion is connected by the approximately 225 mile long I-80 corridor, which is generally parallel to a Union Pacific mainline railroad. Intercity bus transit is provided between these metropolitan areas by both Greyhound and Megabus. Amtrak provides passenger rail service in the corridor. This region is important because economic activity in one city has a direct impact on the economy in other cities within the region even though they are hundreds of miles from one another. For example, if the number of ships increases in the Port of Oakland there is an immediate increase in traffic. More trucks and trains pass through Reno, where they unload cargo for redirection to all points throughout the Intermountain West. Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County have become an increasingly significant warehouse, distribution, and advance manufacturing hub in the megapolitan region. This impacts the transportation network and indicates there is a need to coordinate not only with nearby entities, but also with entities such as the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency/Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization, Tahoe Transportation District, Sacramento Area Council of Governments, Sacramento Area Council of Governments, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Association of Bay Area Governments. These larger regional issues and their impact on the RTC planning area were considered in the I-80 Corridor Study.
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RTC is a member of the Trans-Sierra Coalition, a partnership among local, regional, and state agencies to address transportation needs in Northern Nevada and the Lake Tahoe region.
8.1 CONNECTIVITY IN NORTHERN NEVADA The transportation networks and economies of Northern Nevada communities are even more closely linked. Over 38,000 vehicles enter or leave Washoe County from Carson City each day and about 62,500 vehicles enter or leave Washoe County from I-80 daily. In addition, strong support has been expressed through the RTP process for increasing transit connectivity between the Reno, Sparks, Carson City and Tahoe regions. Strengthening these transit linkages will support sustainable economic development in the TransSierra area. The RTC collaborated with the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) and the other Northern Nevada Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO’s) in developing the 2040 RTP. Staff from the Carson Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and the Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) were members of the 2040 RTP Agency Working Group. All of the MPO’s meet periodically to discuss regional issues.
CH.8 — FOCUSING ON REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY
One Nevada Transportation Plan The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) has recently begun developing their long-range plan entitled the One Nevada Transportation Plan. The One Nevada Transportation Plan will be a performance-based transportation plan that identifies needs and strategically guides decisionmaking for future investments that will improve Nevada’s multimodal transportation system. It will include an overarching vision that defines agency and system goals, objectives, and performance measures that reflect input from Department leadership, Nevada’s stakeholders, and planning partners. It is intended to be a living document and is a part of a continuous process of planning, implementation, operation, and preservation of Nevada’s transportation system that will evolve over time to reflect and be responsive to future changes in needs, resources, and priorities. Carson City Carson City, the capital of Nevada, is located about 25 miles south of the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area. Significant commuter, commercial, and recreational traffic occurs between these two regions. 110] 2040 Regional Transportation Plan
The Carson City Regional Transportation Commission is the governing agency for transportation improvements in the Carson City urbanized area, and operates Jump Around Carson (JAC), the city’s public transit system. JAC began operation in 2005 and features the JAC fixed-route system as well as JAC Assist, a demand response program that provides specialized transportation for ADA paratransit eligible individuals with disabilities. Fixed route buses run once each hour. The Carson Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) is responsible for transportation planning within the metropolitan planning area, which includes Carson City, as well as portions of Douglas and Lyon Counties. CAMPO is the designated recipient and grantee of urbanized area public transportation funding received directly from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Carson City Public Works houses the employees that staff both CAMPO and the Carson City RTC. The RTC of Washoe County partners with CCRTC to provide INTERCITY transit service, a popular route where an additional coach was put in service in 2012 to ease crowding during peak hour service. I-580 was completed in 2012, a freeway linking Reno and Carson City. An extension of the Carson City Freeway is scheduled to be completed in 2017, and will extend to the U.S. 50 and U.S. 395 intersection located on the south side of the City. Lake Tahoe Region The Lake Tahoe Region and surrounding areas are recognized for their unique beauty, environmental resources, and recreational amenities. Reno is a gateway for visitors travelling to Lake Tahoe, with many entering the region at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. In addition, Lake Tahoe is a popular recreation destination for residents of the Reno-Sparks metropolitan region. Primary vehicle access is from I-80, Mount Rose Highway, US 50, and I-580. Millions of visitors travel to Lake Tahoe each year. Commuting patterns between the urbanized area and towns such as Truckee, South Lake Tahoe, and Kings Beach are also substantial. In 1969, California and Nevada legislators agreed to a unique Compact for protecting Lake Tahoe and sharing responsibility for that protection.
The two states and the U.S. Congress amended the Compact in 1980, with public law 96-551, and at that time also established the Tahoe Transportation District (TTD). The TTD is responsible for facilitating and implementing safe, environmentally positive, multi-modal projects for the Lake Tahoe Basin, including transit operations. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (TMPO) for the Lake Tahoe Basin. In 2015, the FAST Act identified the Lake Tahoe Region as a Transportation Management Area. Staff at TRPA work with TTD, the RTC, and other local implementing agencies to plan for and implement a transportation system that serves the transportation needs of residents, commuters, and visitors of Lake Tahoe while reducing the environmental impact of transportation in the region and enhancing quality of life. The South Lake Tahoe area’s coordinated transit system is operated by the TTD and includes a fixedroute service through South Shore, the seasonal Nifty 50 Trolley, seasonal ski shuttles and commuter bus service to the Carson Valley. TTD also provides ADA paratransit and on-demand service within the city of South Lake Tahoe, northern El Dorado County and western Douglas County. In the summer of 2012 TTD began running the East Shore Express from Incline Village to Sand Harbor State Park daily every 20 minutes from 9 am to 6 pm. This service began in response to the restriction of cars parking along State Route 28 to access Sand Harbor’s beaches and facilities. It not only reduced the need for parking on the State Routes, but also reduced traffic congestion, reduced carbon dioxide and made the road safer for bicyclists and pedestrians. On the north side of Lake Tahoe, Placer County and the Town of Truckee operate the Tahoe Area Regional Transit (TART). TART’s mainline route transports riders along 30 miles of Lake Tahoe including the communities of Tahoma, Homewood, Tahoe City, Kings Beach and Incline Village.
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REGIONAL MAP OF TRANSIT SYSTEMS IN CARSON, TAHOE AND RENO/SPARKS MAP 8.1
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Seasonal bus routes operate in the winter and summer seasons and include service between Truckee, Crystal Bay, the Truckee airport, Northstar and Kings Beach. RTC partners with TTD and Placer County to contribute to the TART service. Pyramid Lake Pyramid Lake encompasses 125,000 acres and, at 15 miles long and 11 miles wide, it is one of the largest natural lakes in the state and is the biggest remnant of ancient Lake Lahontan. The lake is located entirely within the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe reservation boundary. Pyramid Lake is part of the National Scenic Byways Program. Located about 40 miles northeast of Reno, the lake attracted over 150,000 visitors in 2010. Visitors enjoy fishing, camping and water activities during the summer months. Pyramid Lake is home to five different species of fish: Lahontan Cutthroat Trout, Cui-Ui, Tahoe Sucker, Tui Chub, and Sacramento Perch. In 2010 Pyramid Lake Fisheries stocked over 700,000 fingerling Lahontan Cutthroat Trout in the lake. Storey County Storey County is home to the Tahoe Reno Industrial (TRI) Center. The TRI Center is a 107,000 acre park, located in the community of McCarran, and has the capacity of 80-million-square-feet of industrial space and five power plants that generate more than 900 megawatts of electrical power available to all park users. Many sites are served directly by rail. Some of the more recent arrivals to the TRI Center include the Tesla Gigafactory and the Switch Datacenter. Other companies already at the TRI Center include 1-800 Flowers.com, American Red Cross, Diapers.com, Ebay Commerce, Renown Health, Mars Pet Care, US Ordinance, Tire Rack, Food Bank of Northern Nevada, Golden Gate Petroleum, Pittsburgh Paint, PetSmart, Wal-Mart, Chewy.com, Zulily, Inc and many others. Storey County is also home to historic Virginia City. Nevada’s most famous short rail line is the Virginia and Truckee Railroad, which connected Reno with Carson City, Virginia City, and Minden. Operating for 80 years, the V&T was Nevada’s Bonanza Railroad as it hauled valuable Comstock ore to quartz reduction mills located at Silver City and along the Carson River. Today visitors to Virginia City enjoy a ride over nearly three miles of the original line.
With a population of about 900, Virginia City is a National Historic landmark and popular tourist destination. Virginia City is accessed from Geiger Grade/SR 341 in south Reno. With a county population under 4,000 in 2010, the majority of employees of the TRI Center commute from Reno and Sparks and nearby Lyon County along the I-80 corridor. In addition, the USA Parkway is currently being constructed between I-80 and U.S. Highway 50, and is expected to be complete by late 2017. This roadway will provide direct access to the TRI Center from the major highway to the south. I-80 Corridor The I-80 Corridor links the Reno-Sparks metropolitan region with San Francisco, Sacramento, and Salt Lake City. RTC partnered with NDOT on development of the I-80 Corridor Study. This study used comprehensive and inclusive strategic dialogue with stakeholders in the entire metropolitan region to generate a vision and plan for I-80 that will enhance the future for corridor communities. Since the corridor study was completed, NDOT has also developed the Nevada State Freight Plan, which addresses freight-specific issues on the I-80 corridor as well as other critical facilities on the National Highway Freight Network. More information on the Nevada State Freight Plan can be found in Chapter 10 of this plan. Reno-Sparks Freeway Traffic Study In addition to the studies identified above, RTC has begun to coordinate with NDOT on the Reno-Sparks Freeway Traffic Study, which seeks to identify solutions to the safety and congestion concerns at the I-80/I-580/U.S. 395 system-to-system interchange, known to local residents as the Spaghetti Bowl. The project limits extend along the corridors from the Keystone Avenue interchange to the Pyramid Highway interchange on I-80 and from the McCarran Boulevard/Clear Acre Lane interchange to the Virginia Street/Kietzke Lane interchange on U.S. 395/I-580.
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The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process is currently underway. In addition, NDOT is exploring several short-term operational solutions that don’t add capacity to the freeway or have any adverse environmental impacts including ramp metering, ramp modifications, and temporary ramp closures. The Reno-Sparks Freeway Traffic Study directly compliments RTC’s North Valleys Regional Multimodal Transportation Study, which addresses safety and congestion issues, as well as multimodal connectivity in the North Valleys area along U.S. 395. The study examines the current and forecasted traffic conditions on the major roadways in the area primarily northeast of U.S. 395, and the connections to the interchanges along the freeway from the McCarran Boulevard/Clear Acre Lane interchange to the Red Rock Road interchanges. Regional connections are also needed to tie together the neighborhoods and employment centers in the urbanized area of Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County. Topography and historic development patterns limit direct roadway connections in many areas. While the historic core of the metropolitan region is centered on the axis of Virginia Street and 4th Street/Prater Way, recent decades have seen large concentrations of both jobs and housing emerge in outlying areas such as South Meadows, Spanish Springs, and the North Valleys areas. These newer neighborhoods and employment districts are generally not connected by a grid network and cross-regional mobility is limited. Key projects that address connectivity needs are described in the following section.
8.2
CONNECTIVITY IN THE URBANIZED AREA
Regional connections are also needed to tie together the neighborhoods and employment centers in the urbanized area of Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County. Topography and historic development patterns limit direct roadway connections in many areas. While the historic core of the metropolitan region is centered on the axis of Virginia Street and 4th Street/Prater Way, recent decades have seen large concentrations of both jobs and housing emerge in outlying areas such as South Meadows, Spanish Springs, and the Reno-Stead Airport vicinity. These newer neighborhoods and employment districts are generally not connected by a grid network and cross-regional mobility is limited. Key projects that address connectivity needs are described in the following. SouthEast Connector The SouthEast Connector will be a six-lane arterial roadway with two at-grade signalized intersections. It will originate at the existing intersection of South Meadows Parkway and Veterans Parkway on the south end and will terminate at the existing intersection of Greg Street and Sparks Boulevard on the north end. This north-south roadway will connect the southern part of the Truckee Meadows to the eastern part of the Truckee Meadows and is proposed to reduce traffic congestion on I-80, US 395/ I-580, Virginia Street, Southeast McCarran, Double R Boulevard and Longley Lane. The project will also provide a better connection and access to employment centers in Reno and Sparks. Construction is expected to be completed in late 2017.
Photo illustration of SouthEast Connector
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Pyramid-US 395 Connector The Pyramid-US 395 Connector will convert six miles of existing Pyramid Highway from an arterial to a high access controlled arterial and add one lane in each direction. A new four lane high access controlled arterial (Connector) from US 395 to Pyramid Highway would be added. This project will alleviate current and future congestion in Spanish Springs, serve future growth areas, provide additional east/west connectivity and create better overall mobility in the region. RTC RAPID Extension Planned extensions of RTC RAPID to the University of Nevada, Reno campus and to RTC CENTENNIAL PLAZA in Sparks will improve mobility in these densely developed corridors. Both Virginia Street and 4th Street/Prater Way are designated as Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Corridors by Reno and Sparks, respectively. Because roadway widenings are not compatible with the historic character of these districts, enhanced transit service and improved sidewalks are essential to improving mobility. Both projects will reduce transit travel times and improve access to employment opportunities, higher education, and other essential services.
RTC RAPID articulated bus
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9
PROMOTING EQUITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE Achieving equity and environmental justice in the provision of transportation projects and services is an important goal of the RTP. The RTC strives to serve the transportation needs of all residents and visitors in the planning area without discrimination based on age, income, race, language, ethnicity, or ability. RTC complies with the federal policies and requirements listed below: • Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: No person in the U.S. shall, on the basis of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, denied benefits of, or subjected to discrimination under any program receiving federal funding. RTC is required to take steps to ensure that no discrimination on the basis of race occurs. Title VI requires reporting about how transit services are implemented and what measures the RTC is taking to provide equal access to public transportation. • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990: Requires that disabled persons have equal access to transportation facilities. This includes wheelchair accessible accommodations in the transit system. • Executive Order on Environmental Justice: Executive Order 12898 requires the identification and assessment of disproportionately high and adverse impacts on minority and low-income populations.
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9.1
TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964
Transportation projects and services are implemented in conformance with the RTC Title VI Policy. RTC submits a Title VI Report to the Federal Transit Administration every three years, with the most recent developed in 2014. As identified in the report, the following measures are in place to comply with Title VI requirements: • Minority, low-income, and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) persons are able to provide meaningful input into the planning process through participating in public meetings held in locations near transit routes and where translators and materials are provided in Spanish and English • RTC has a complaint procedure in place to investigate and track Title VI concerns • RTC submits an annual Title VI Certification and Assurance report to the US Department of Transportation RTC engages low-income, disabled, minority, and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) persons in a meaningful public participation process. The RTC works with senior centers, assisted living facilities and senior organizations within the RTC RIDE service area to reach out to seniors and those with disabilities. The program involves a presentation about RTC RIDE and a field trip allowing the participants to experience riding the bus. The goal of the program is to make the participants more comfortable using public transportation as well as to solicit input from them about RTC services. In addition to outreach to people with disabilities, RTC also ensures LEP persons understand the transit operations of RTC RIDE and RTC ACCESS by making the following information available in both English and Spanish: • RTC RIDE Bus book • RTC ACCESS Rider’s Guide book
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• • • • •
Signs on buses (fare signs, information for RTC RIDE programs, etc.) Signage at the bus stops stating detour information or temporary route changes Bus announcements explaining how to exit the bus New RTC ACCESS voice recordings that reminds passengers of upcoming reservations RTC Passenger Services has Spanish speaking passenger service representatives available to assist passengers
Interior Signage posted on RTC Buses
Figure 9-1
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RTC TITLE VI POLICY The RTC is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, its services on the basis of race, color or national origin as protected by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. No person or group of persons will be discriminated against with regard to fares, routing, scheduling, or quality of transportation service that the RTC furnishes on the basis of race, color, or national origin. Frequency of service, age and quality of RTC vehicles assigned to routes, quality of RTC stations serving Washoe County, and location of routes will not be determined on the basis of race, color or national origin. 118] 2040 Regional Transportation Plan
Equal Opportunity in Procurement RTC procurement activities are conducted in accordance with RTC Board-adopted policies and the RTC Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program. Objectives of the RTC DBE Program are to ensure nondiscrimination, create a level playing field, remove barriers to DBE participation, and assist in the development of DBE firms that can compete successfully in the market place. RTC has a race-neutral DBE goal of 3.0 percent. RTC has also developed a Fostering Small Business Participation Program. The RTC purchasing division maintains a list of qualified Disadvantaged Business Enterprises. Contractors are encouraged to use this list and make a good faith effort to involve DBEs as subcontractors. RTC conducts extensive outreach to educate DBEs and small businesses about the procurement process and ways they can participate. RTC has provided information and resources to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Veterans Affairs, and at other community forums. RTC is committed to: providing technical assistance, providing information and communication programs on contracting procedures and specific contracting opportunities, assisting DBEs and small businesses to develop their capability to utilize emerging technology, and unbundling larger contracts when feasible. The purpose of the RTC Fostering Small Business Participation Program is to provide full and fair opportunities for equal participation by small businesses in federally-funded contracting and procurement opportunities. RTC procurement policies comply with all applicable civil rights and equal opportunity laws, to ensure that all individuals — regardless of race, gender, age, disability, and national origin — benefit from federal funding programs.
9.2
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) OF 1990
RTC complies with the ADA through both transit and roadway programs. All new bus stops meet the requirements of the ADA where practical and accommodate the special needs of paratransit service. RTC works with local governments to bring existing bus stops up to ADA standards during roadway maintenance projects and as part of the development review process. This partnership with the local governments also ensures that transit service policies do not limit or discourage use of transit by disabled individuals and allows for coordination to install pedestrian crosswalks at bus stops consistent with traffic conditions and accepted safety design practices. In addition to the bus stops themselves, the following amenities are also provided at many bus stop locations: Trash cans are placed at all bus stops where there is a potential for a litter problem to develop. Trash receptacles are also placed at the request of adjacent property owners. Passenger benches are provided if possible at all bus stops that have five or more boardings per day. Priority for a bench is given to bus stops that warrant a shelter but are unable to receive one at the current time. Additional consideration is given to special requests and the following types of stops: • Stops used by a high percentage of elderly or disabled patrons • Stops serving public facilities, i.e., hospitals, libraries and schools • Stops with landing pads
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Accessibility Features of RTC Transit Fleet • Wheelchair Ramps/Lifts • Low Floor Buses • Audio Announcements for Timepoints • Exterior Audio Announcement for Route Names • Interior Stop Announcement Signs • Overhand Straps • Yellow Stop Request Door Tapes • Push Activated Rear Door Exits
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Passenger shelters are provided if possible at stops with 25 or more boardings per day. Prioritization is generally according to the number of boardings per day at a stop regardless of frequency. Shelters may also be installed as part of a project to combine two stops into one. Special consideration is made for stops used by a high percentage of senior or disabled patrons.
People with disabilities need a safe and accessible pedestrian system to conduct their daily activities. The Reno Sparks ADA Rightof-Way (ROW) Transition Plan provides a roadmap to make pedestrian facilities accessible to persons with disabilities. – ADA Transition Plan
RTC ACCESS Paratransit Service RTC ACCESS is the paratransit service that provides door-to-door, prescheduled transportation for people who meet the eligibility criteria of the ADA. RTC ACCESS passengers have disabilities which prevent them from riding RTC RIDE independently some or all of the time.
As RTC delivers major roadway improvements, the corridor sidewalks and crosswalks are brought to current ADA standards. An example of this is the recently completed Southeast McCarran Boulevard widening, which was designed to reduce traffic congestion and provide bike lanes, accessible side- walks and bus stops. Through a collaborative outreach process, RTC identified the following criteria for prioritizing spot ADA improvements throughout the region: • Bus stops with the highest number of boardings • Senior and medical facilities • Transit Oriented Development Districts
The RTC ACCESS service area encompasses approximately 250 square miles. The service area includes all of RTC RIDE’s service area plus additional unincorporated areas of Washoe County, including Cold Springs/Bordertown, Spanish Springs, Verdi and Steamboat. Since July 1, 1992, RTC ACCESS has operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which exceeds compliance with the ADA. Trips are not prioritized by purpose and may be scheduled one to three days in advance. Passengers requiring fixed-schedule service may request subscription service, which has limited availability. ADA Transition Plan The RTC adopted the ADA Transition Plan as part of the Reno-Sparks Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan 2011, and will update and expand upon the plan in 2017. This plan identifies the needs and priorities for the region related to improving the accessibility of sidewalks and crosswalks. The ADA requires that newly constructed or altered facilities be readily accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities. When reconstruction of roadways occurs, upgrades must be provided to bring the roadway into compliance with ADA standards. CH.9 — PROMOTING EQUITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Moana Lane sidewalks and bike lanes
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9.3
EXECUTIVE ORDER ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
A 1994 Presidential Executive Order directed every federal agency to identify and address the effects of all programs, policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income populations. Effective transportation decision making depends upon understanding and properly addressing the unique needs of different socioeconomic groups. RTC considers the potential adverse impacts of projects on environmental justice populations. This includes impacts to neighborhood cohesiveness, regional accessibility, neighborhood quality of life, and health impacts. RTC also implements outreach strategies targeted toward minority residents and households with limited English proficiency (LEP). These strategies include outreach in Spanishlanguage media, bilingual meeting and transit notices, and the availability of bilingual staff at public meetings. These strategies are important considering the population of Washoe County which includes a 35.5% minority population and 4.6% of households with LEP. When the RTC alters transit service, staff ensures that no disproportionately high or adverse impacts on minority and low-income populations occur. When a service change is being considered staff holds open houses to get input from passengers including many people who are part of minority and low income populations. In addition, the RTC holds a formal public hearing for substantial changes to service, defined as changes that affect 25 percent or more of a route’s revenue vehicle miles, and analyzes how these changes will impact all passengers within the RTC service area. RTC transit activities are continually reviewed and results summarized once every three years in a Title VI Report, which is described in Section 9.1.
Passengers onboard RTC INTERCITY. Demographic and Socioeconomic Summary Washoe PopuCounty lation Popula- Within ¼ tion and Mile of Roadway Demographics Projects Population 2015 435,019 188,741 estimate (100%) (100%) Persons 65 years 54,637 21,970 and over, per(12.6%) (11.6%) cent, 2015 Minority 154,280 84,582 population, (35.5%) (44.8%) percent, 2015 (100%-65.5%) Persons below 65,248 39,877 poverty level, (15.0%) (21.1%) percent, 2015 Households 2015 166,345 74,275 estimate (100%) (100%) Limited English 7,634 5,176 proficiency, (4.6%) (7.0%) households, 2015
Table 9.1 Population Within ¼ Mile of Transit Routes 187,512 (100%) 20,839 (11.1%) 85,726 (45.7%) 43,001 (22.9%) 74,734 (100%) 5,433 (7.3%)
The projects and services in this plan provide enhanced mobility to all residents regardless of age, race, language, or income. Several of the projects that focus on pedestrian safety, bicycle accessibility, and quality of life are located in lower income communities, including the multimodal improvements on 4th Street/Prater Way, Oddie Boulevard/ Wells Avenue, Mill Street/Terminal Way, Sutro Street, and the Pyramid/McCarran intersection.
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Low income and minority populations are generally concentrated in the urban core of the metropolitan region. Many projects on regional roads in these older urban areas involve bringing them up to current ADA accessibility standards and improving pavement condition. While construction may generate temporary negative impacts, the long term mobility benefits of these projects will be significant. As shown in the table of demographic information, approximately 45 percent of the residents living within ¼ mile of the projects included in the RTP are minorities and 46 percent of the residents living within ¼-mile of transit routes are minorities. Approximately 36 percent of Washoe County residents are minorities. This indicates that transportation investments and benefits are shared equitably throughout the community. Similarly, 15 percent of the Washoe County population have incomes below the poverty level. About 21 percent of the residents near roadway projects and 23 percent of residents near transit routes have incomes below the poverty level. The proportion of seniors served by the projects and services in the RTP is lower than the county average; this is because of the high senior populations in lower density outlying areas such as Cold Springs and southwest Reno, which are not served by transit.
Notably, the RTC organizes the twice annual StuffA-Bus for Seniors drive, which collects needed donations of clothing and other essentials. Thousands of seniors also interact with the RTC at the annual Senior Fest event. In addition to incorporating seniors and disabled individuals on standing committees, these populations are also offered free mobility travel training. This training instills confidence and builds skills in using transit and navigating the community. In addition, the RTC Board makes several donations from their annual discretionary funds to non-profit organizations dedicated to providing services to underserved populations. These donations come in the form of cash donations or free bus passes. Past recipients of these donations include WestCare, Nevada Youth Empowerment Project, Senior Citizens Advisory Committee, Volunteers of America, Eddy House, and The Ridge House, to name a few.
The RTC’s outreach includes numerous efforts to support transportation for economically disadvantaged populations. This includes quarterly participation in the Family Health Festival, during which hundreds of free bus passes are distributed to those living in the economically-challenged 89502 zip code. The RTC also provides bus passes to charitable organizations at discounted rates, or for free. For example, bus passes are provided to the Reno Works program, which transitions homeless individuals in Washoe County into jobs and housing. Moreover, the RTC participates in, and organizes, numerous events for seniors, disabled individuals and students of all ages. These events help residents connect with transportation services that are often a lifeline for social activities, medical appointments, access to educational opportunities and the ability to earn an income.
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CENSUS TRACTS WITH HIGHER LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY POPULATIONS MAP 9.1
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CENSUS TRACTS WITH HIGHER LOW INCOME AND MINORITY POPULATIONS MAP 9.2
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CENSUS TRACTS WITH HIGHER UNDER 18 AND OVER 65 POPULATIONS MAP 9.3
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ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE POPULATIONS WITH TRANSIT MAP 9.4
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ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE POPULATIONS WITH RTP PROJECTS MAP 9.5
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10
IMPROVING FREIGHT AND GOODS MOVEMENT Freight transportation is closely tied to economic development, particularly in the Reno-Sparks metropolitan region. Effective freight movement is important to the economic competitiveness of Northern Nevada and to the overall health and efficiency of the transportation system.1 Freight distribution, logistics, and advanced manufacturing have become increasingly important to the regional economy, with strong employment growth in these sectors over recent years. This growth and diversification is supported by the nationally significant I-80 corridor, I-580, the US 395 critical urban freight corridor, the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR), and the Reno-Tahoe International Airport and Reno-Stead Airport. Centers of freight distribution activities include: • Sparks industrial area and Sparks rail yard • North Valleys, including the Reno-Stead Airport and US 395 corridor • South Meadows industrial areas • Pyramid Highway industrial areas • Reno-Tahoe International Airport (The Transportation Planning Capacity Building Program | Freight Planning Capacity Building Workshop http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/ freight_planning/archive/freightworkshop. cfm#intro)
1
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MAP-21 established a policy to improve the condition and performance of the national freight network. The purpose of the policy is to provide a foundation for the United States to compete in the global economy and achieve goals related to economic competitiveness and efficiency, congestion, productivity, safety, security, and resilience of freight movement. This is particularly significant in Northern Nevada, through which a significant amount of national freight movement occurs. The passage of the current transportation bill, Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, further reinforces the importance of freight to the national economy. Specifically, the FAST Act established both formula and discretionary grant programs to fund critical transportation projects that benefit freight movements. These programs mark the first time that a dedicated source of federal funding for freight projects, including multimodal projects, have been provided. The FAST Act emphasizes the importance of coordination between local governments and freight transportation providers.
WESTERN US HIGHWAY FREIGHT FLOWS, 2010 (Source: MG&A, 2015 based on USDOT, FHWA data) 10.1
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The map in Figure 1 depicts the volume of freight flows on interstate and non-interstate highways. I-80 carries significant freight volumes in the Western U.S.
NORTH AMERICAN PORTS BY CONTAINER TRAFFIC, 2013 (Source: MG&A, 2015 based on AAPA data) 10.2
Logistics and operations are identified as the economic development focus for Northern Nevada in Unify, Regionalize, Diversify: An Economic Development Agenda for Nevada. This plan highlights strategic opportunities in warehousing and distribution, advanced logistics, air cargo, and integrated manufacturingdistribution. The parallel I-80 and freight rail corridors and cargo capacity at Reno-Tahoe International Airport, combined with proximity to the Port of Oakland and major West Coast markets, give the region significant locational and geographic advantages. These strengths make the region attractive for manufacturing and assembly companies that have integrated supply chains or rely on streamlined transportation and distribution infrastructure. Linkages to Northern California agricultural industries also make the region supportive of food processing operations. The regional transportation network supports industrial land uses that concentrate around I-80, I-580/US 395, and the Reno-Tahoe International Airport and Reno-Stead Airport. The area surrounding the Sparks intermodal transfer terminal south of I-80 is home to the largest cluster of industrial and manufacturing companies in the region.
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10.1 NEVADA STATE FREIGHT PLAN The 2040 RTP supports the vision and goals described in the Nevada State Freight Plan (NSFP), which was adopted in September 2016. The following strategic goals were identified in the NSFP with supporting objectives and performance measures: • Economic Competitiveness • Mobility and Reliability • Safety • Infrastructure Preservation • Advanced Innovative Technology • Environmental Sustainability and Livability • Sustainable Funding • Collaboration, Land Use, and Community Values These goals provide the context for the implementation of 18 strategies listed in the NSFP that will collectively address improvements to Nevada’s freight network to achieve the desired vision. The NSFP also developed a project prioritization process to implement improvements throughout the state. A project list was developed specifically for the Reno-Sparks urbanized area in consultation with the RTC. The project list identifies improvements on the National Highway Freight Network, which includes a hierarchy of the Primary Highway Freight System (PHFS), Critical Urban Freight Corridor, and other Interstate not on the PHFS. Proposed improvements on the National Highway Freight Network provide potential access to dedicated federal funding sources. In addition, the project list also identified improvements on freight corridors that have regional significance. Figure 3 shows the locations of some of the proposed improvements. Most of these projects are also listed in this 2040 fiscally constrained RTP.
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Recent developments in this market area indicate that Northern California companies are increasingly seeing Reno as an extended submarket that has competitive advantages over the markets in the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Valley, As a result, the RenoSparks-Carson City area is moving toward greater economic integration and becoming a more diverse and integral subcomponent of the Northern California market. -Nevada State Freight Plan The Nevada State Freight Plan also promotes development of the proposed I-11 corridor. This continental corridor would link Nevada and other western states to Mexico and Canada. The plan highlights the benefits to the state of creating a north-south freight corridor in addition to the existing I-80. An intermodal I-11 corridor represents a significant opportunity to increase the ability to perform distribution functions, becoming crossroads with multi-directional access. This added connectivity would increase synergy between Nevada’s major hubs and improve their access to western U.S. markets, eventually to Canada and Mexico. Of the several strategies identified to support the goals in the NSFP, the expansion of freight truck parking in the region is an important key to improving safety and mobility. According to the Federal Highway Administration, truck parking shortages are a national safety concern. An inadequate supply of truck parking spaces can result in negative consequences. For example, tired truck drivers may continue to drive because they have difficulty finding a place to park to rest. In addition, truck drivers may choose to park at unsafe locations, such as on the shoulder of the road, exit ramps, or vacant lots, if they are unable to locate official, available parking. Truck parking facilities with amenities should be spaced closely enough to provide drivers more options for layovers to meet their hours-ofservice regulations. Rest areas are useful for short stops; however, for longer durations, such as fulfilling a 10-hour forced rest, truck drivers prefer to rest where there are amenities.
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HIGHWAY FREIGHT NETWORK AND PROJECTS RENO-SPARKS AREA 10.3
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“Northern Nevada’s critical mass and competitive advantage in logistics and operations is evident in the wide range of national-name logistics/distribution companies that have already set up operations in the region. Linked with these activities are a number of assembly-based and light manufacturing operations that have also set up facilities in Northern Nevada, primarily to serve as a West Coast hub and take advantage of the region’s strong distribution and transportation network.” In Unify, Regionalize, Diversify: An Economic Development Agenda for Nevada
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THE POTENTIAL FUTURE FREIGHT SYSTEM SERVING NEVADA 10.4
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This figure highlights the major road and rail corridors that currently serve the state and the western United States, highlighting the possible future I-11 corridor that could serve the region (Source: MG&A, 2015, based on Cambridge Systematics, AAPA, USDOT (FHWA, FRA), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, BEA, Fortune, Rand McNally). The regional transportation network supports industrial land uses that concentrate around I-80, I-580/US 395, and the Reno-Tahoe International Airport and Reno-Stead Airport. The area surrounding the Sparks intermodal transfer terminal south of I-80 is home to the largest cluster of industrial and manufacturing companies in the region. 10.2 AIR CARGO Reno’s proximity to major West Coast ports provide next day capability for movement of cargo back and forth for import and export as well as domestic spoke and hub services via air, truck or rail. At the same time, Reno has customs facilities and personnel to handle nearly all import and export needs, while Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) is capable of handling a variety of international and domestic services and flights. In 2014, RNO handled more than 64,500 tons or 129 million pounds of cargo shipments. This was the highest annual cargo tonnage reported at this airport during the last 8 years (Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority, 2014). Approximately 310,000 pounds of cargo arrives or departs the airport each day. Companies handling air cargo at RNO include Amerijet, DHL, FedEx, and UPS (Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority, 2015). RNO is within a designated foreign trade zone, and is located within 2 miles of two major highway corridors, I-80 and US 395, and less than 1 mile from the Union Pacific (UP) Sparks Intermodal Facility.
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“There is a strong opportunity in Northern Nevada to expand the amount of air cargo throughput at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, and especially to position the region as a strong alternative West Coast air cargo hub to Los Angeles, as Reno’s airport is significantly less congested, costly, and bureaucratic. The Reno-Tahoe Airport also has potential to attract an increasing amount of international air cargo from China, especially as a gateway for goods moving from China through the United States to South America (because planes must stop for fuel along this route).” – In Unify, Regionalize, Diversify: An Economic Development Agenda for Nevada 10.3 RAIL Nevada’s geography and historic development patterns have resulted in two primary rail corridors, which generally run east-west across the state, along with a few supplemental branch and excursion lines. The UP Railroad operates two east-west corridors; Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway has rights to operate on nearly three-quarters of the UP railways in Nevada. The northern corridors serve Reno and Sparks, as well as other Northern Nevada communities, and connect with Salt Lake City and Denver to the east and with Sacramento and the San Francisco area to the west. Amtrak operates once a day passenger rail service in each direction across this northern Nevada corridor; I-80 generally parallels the rail lines in this corridor. Most of the freight traffic in Nevada is highwaybased. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) commissioned a 2016 Freight Analysis Framework Study, which found that truck-based shipments accounted for 32 percent of all shipments from Nevada to other states (12.6 million tons), 37 percent of shipments to Nevada (18.8 million tons) and 99.7 percent of total shipments within the state (41.6 million tons) in 2015. By comparison, rail shipments accounted for eight percent of the shipments to other states, six percent of the total traffic to Nevada and less than one percent of in state traffic in 2015.
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Nevada State Rail Plan The 2012 Nevada State Rail Plan was developed by the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT). The plan reflects Nevada’s leadership with public and private transport providers at the state, regional and local levels, to expand and enhance passenger and freight rail and better integrate rail into the larger transportation system. The 2012 Nevada State Rail Plan: • Provides a plan for freight and passenger rail transportation in the state • Prioritizes projects and describes intended strategies to enhance rail service in the state to benefit the public • Serves as the basis for federal and state investments in Nevada Goals were developed to provide big picture strategic guidance for developing rail in the state of Nevada including: • Enhance the safe operating efficiency of the state’s rail transportation system • Optimize Nevada’s rail potential to effectively address social, economic, environmental, and energy effects • Develop an organizational structure and strategies yielding a streamlined process for implementing Nevada’s rail transportation improvements
FREIGHT RAIL FACILITIES IN NEVADA 10.5
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Sparks Rail Yard The first UP rail yard in Sparks was built in 1904. From that point, Sparks was an important stop for trains serving Nevada businesses and residents. Today, the Union Pacific yard in Sparks is an integral part of the railroad's 32,000-mile operation. Playing a major role in the application of distributed power, the Sparks yard has been a focal point for the safe and efficient operation of freight trains over Donner Summit. With nearly 1,200 miles of track and 600 employees in the state, the Sparks yard plays a critical role in the efficient movement of goods in and around Nevada.²
10.4 ROADWAYS Area roadways provide a critical link in both national and local goods movement. Regional roads connect manufactures to intermodal transfer sites as well as the larger freeway network. This area includes local industrial roads, I-580/US 395, and I-80. The Pyramid Highway corridor has also experienced strong growth in industrial activities and is a designated Critical Urban Freight Corridor. USA Parkway provides access to the Tahoe Reno Industrial (TRI) Center from I-80 and is being extended to provide a secondary access from US 50 in Lyon County. Industrial Roads accommodate significant freight movement through the Reno-Sparks metropolitan planning area and to and from major freight traffic generators, including; industrial areas, inter-modal rail and air facilities, and the regional freeway network. The Industrial Road network defines critical connections for freight movement throughout the area and these roadways need to maintain the function of, and capacity for truck movements. ² (http://www.uprr.com/newsinfo/releases/ community/2012/train-towns/0926_sparks.shtml)
Industrial Roads generally carry heavier loads and at least 6 percent trucks. Typical truck activity levels by roadway type are summarized in the table below. Truck Activity by Roadway Type, NDOT 2015 Functional System Percent Trucks (Urban) Interstate 8.6 Freeways/Expressways 5.57 Principal Arterials 5.1 Minor Arterials 5.5 Collector 3.4 Local 2.9 I-80 I-80, designated as a part of the nation’s Primary Highway Freight System, is a heavily used goods movement corridor through the western states. Along some sections of I-80 through the four western states, trucks can reach as high as 45% of the total volume of traffic on the roadways. States have implemented key strategies to mitigate the impacts of truck traffic on the roadways while still providing a good route for trucks to travel for their commercial needs, even during winter months when truck holds at the Nevada/California state line can be frequent. I-580/US 395 I-580 exists today from I-80 in Reno south to Fairview Drive in Carson City. Eventually, the highway will continue in a southerly direction from Fairview Drive to terminate at the junction of US 395 and US 50 just south of Carson City. US 395 in Nevada is a major freeway from I-80 north to the state line and has been designated as a critical urban freight corridor. It serves significant freight traffic generated by the industrial and warehousing developments in the North Valleys area. These routes are absolutely vital to the state’s freight network, serving as the state’s primary truck routes connecting Nevada to the national freight network.
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USA Parkway (I-80 to US 50) USA Parkway is a partially-constructed roadway beginning at the interchange on I-80 approximately 10 miles east of Reno in Storey County. The Nevada Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, is constructing an extension of USA Parkway 10.26 miles from the current end of pavement south to U.S. 50 near Silver Springs in Lyon County. The extension will complete the 18-mile-long roadway and provide an additional connection between I-80 to U.S. 50. The new alignment will enhance accessibility and mobility between Lyon and Storey counties, as well as provide transportation infrastructure to support existing and planned land uses and economic development in both counties. The USA Parkway Project is currently under construction and is expected to open by late 2017. USA Parkway would serve the Tahoe Reno Industrial (TRI) Center. The TRI Center is a 107,000-acre industrial park located in Storey County about seven miles east of Reno. The park has five miles of track with access to BNSF and UP service on the Overland Route. The facility includes transloading and warehousing capabilities. Companies located at the facility include the Tesla Gigafactory, Switch Data Center, Ebay Commerce, Wal-Mart distribution center, and Chewy.com to name a few. The USA Parkway extension southward from the TRI Center will connect I-80 with US 50 benefiting truck access.
10.5 OUTREACH AND COORDINATION As part of outreach for the development of the RTP the RTC hosted the RTC 2040 RTP Freight Forum on Thursday, March 31 2016 at The Innevation Center. During the forum, there were presentations and discussions about the strengths and challenges of the transportation network in supporting freight movement, important infrastructure investments that will support improved freight movement, and RTC’s role in better engaging the freight, logistics, and manufacturing industries.
10.6 RTP PROJECTS SUPPORTING FREIGHT AND GOODS MOVEMENT Several projects in the RTP focus on improving freight and goods movement through Northern Nevada. A summary of these projects are listed below. • System wide ITS improvements on I-80 and US 395/I-580 • Pyramid Highway/U.S. 395 Connector • Reno-Sparks Freeway (Spaghetti Bowl) Study and U.S. 395 Widening • Interchange improvements in the North Valleys area • Additional lane capacity on I-80
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11
INVESTING STRATEGICALLY Federal transportation legislation (Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act – FAST Act) requires that the 2040 RTP be based on a financial plan that demonstrates how the program of projects can be paid for and implemented. The program of projects incorporates all modes of transportation, including transit (both operations and maintenance), street widenings, new streets, ITS/operations, pavement preservation, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The financial plan must: • Demonstrate how the adopted transportation plan can be implemented/funded • Identify resources from public and private sources that are reasonably expected to be made available to carry out the plan • Recommend any additional financing strategies for needed projects and programs
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The financial plan is shown in Year-of-Expenditure (YOE) dollars. Converting all costs and revenues to YOE dollars assumes a more accurate depiction of all costs, revenues and deficits with long-range transportation plans. This chapter outlines the revenue projections with a brief discussion on the methods of developing the projections and then further discusses each funding source including federal, state, and local and regional sources. Additional data on the methods for developing the revenue projections are included in Appendix H. The plan addresses public transportation and roadway needs. Revenue Projections The financial assumptions have been developed in a coordinated effort with the local jurisdictions, state and federal agencies and the other MPO’s in the state. Partners in this effort included: • Federal Highway Administration • Federal Transit Administration • Nevada Department of Transportation • Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles • Carson Area Metropolitan Planning Organization • Tahoe Regional Planning Agency • Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada RTC participated in a series of meetings with these partner agencies to develop consistent future revenue growth factors statewide to be used by all the MPOs in estimating federal and state revenues. Revenue forecast assumptions identified through this process are outlined below: • State revenues for vehicle registration fees, motor carrier fees, driver’s license fees, and petroleum cleanup funds will increase by two percent annually • Federal revenues will increase by two percent annually • Each metropolitan region developed forecasts for local tax revenues, based on regional conditions While funding programs are subject to change over time, the RTC is tasked with using the best available data at the time the long-range plan is developed. In developing the projections, historical growth trends of current revenue sources attributable to the region were considered, as well as current conditions, effects of inflation, and changes in population. CH.11 — INVESTING STRATEGICALLY
Using these indicators as a base, assumptions were made that there will be increases in all revenue sources over the life of the plan and that the program of projects included will not exceed the reasonably foreseeable future revenues, which will meet the fiscally constrained plan requirement. Many projects are included in the plan as unfunded needs due to the lack of resources. The RTP is revisited at least every four years, which will allow for timely adjustments to be addressed as needed. Funding Sources Current revenue sources include the federal government, state government, and RTC revenues. Table 11-1 shows the types of funding sources available and the allowable use under that source — either roads or transit. The allowable use for the various funding sources is limited by statute, regulation, or state constitutional provisions. As an example, the Nevada Constitution allows local fuel taxes to be spent only on roadway construction, and precludes their use for routine roadway operation and maintenance or transit capital and operations. In addition, some federal funds are restricted to capital improvements and may not be used for operations or maintenance. Funding Sources and Allowance Uses Types of Funds National Highway Performance Program (NHPP) Surface Transportation Block Grant (STGB) Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) Transportation Alternatives (TA) Set-Aside Program Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) FTA Section 5307 FTA Section 5339 Gas and Special Fuel Tax Driver’s License, Vehicle Registration and Motor Carrier Fees Regional Road Impact Fee (RRIF) Sales and Use Tax
Table 11.1 Uses Roads (primarily) Roads & Transit Roads & Transit Roads & Transit Roads (primarily) Transit Transit Roads Roads Roads (capacity) Roads & Transit
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Revenues in 2016 were approximately $135 million. Figure 11-1 shows the funding sources for that revenue. In 2016, 30 percent of revenues were used for transit and 70 percent were used for roadways.
Federal Funding Federal funds for transportation are collected nationally and allocated back to the states through a series of formulas and grants under the existing transportation legislation. In December 2015, the latest transportation bill, the FAST Act, was enacted by the federal government. The FAST Act was the first federal law in over a decade to provide longterm funding certainty for surface transportation infrastructure planning and investment. The FAST Act authorizes $305 billion over fiscal years 2016 through 2020 for highway, highway and motor vehicle safety, public transportation, motor carrier safety, hazardous materials safety, rail, and research, technology, and statistics programs.
FAST Act programs generally available to the RTC include: • National Highway Performance Program (NHPP) — funds are to support the condition and performance of the National Highway System (NHS), for the construction of new facilities on the NHS and to ensure that investments of Federal-aid funds in highway construction are directed to support progress toward the achievement of performance targets to be established in the states asset management plan • Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBG) —flexible funding that may be used for projects to preserve or improve conditions and performance on any Federal-aid highway, bridge projects on any public road, facilities for nonmotorized transportation, transit capital projects and public bus terminals and facilities • Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) — flexible funding for transportation projects and programs to help meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act; to reduce congestion and improve air quality for the region • Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) — funds are to improve highway safety on all public roads through a strategic approach that focuses on performance • Transportation Alternatives (TA) Set-Aside Program — funds are for a variety of alternative transportation projects such as bicycle or pedestrian improvements and safe routes to schools programs • Bus and Bus Facilities Program (FTA Section 5339) — funds are to replace, rehabilitate and purchase buses and related equipment and to construct bus- related facilities • Urbanized Area Formula Grant (FTA Section 5307) — funds are to support public transportation
The primary funding source provided by the federal government is the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) through the programs in the FAST Act. The HTF is comprised of the Highway Account (funds highway and intermodal programs) and the Mass Transit Account. Federal motor fuel taxes are the major source of income into the HTF. These taxes have not been increased since 1992 and with fuel consumption declining primarily due to more fuel efficient vehicles, there is concern about maintaining the current revenue streams.
Generally, federal funding programs require a state or local contribution of funds toward the cost of a project, which is referred to as matching funds. The typical match for street and highway programs is five percent and for transit programs it is twenty percent. The FAST Act also provides for competitive grants such as Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) and Fostering Advancements in Shipping and Transportation for the Longterm Achievement of National Efficiencies (FASTLANE) that RTC competes for on a national level.
2016 Revenues by Funding Source
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State Funding State funding sources include gas tax, special fuel (diesel) tax, vehicle registration fees, motor carrier fees, driver’s license fees, and petroleum cleanup funds. Fuel tax revenue projections take into account the increasing fuel efficiency of cars as new electric and hybrid technologies emerge. The majority of state funding is applicable to street and highway projects. See Appendix H. Regional Funding Regional funding sources include fuel tax, general funds from the local agencies, sales and use tax, passenger fares and other revenue such as regional road impact fees (RRIF) paid by private developers, the Truckee River Flood Project, bus advertising and rental income. In 2008 Washoe County voters approved the indexing of fuel taxes to keep pace with inflation. This allows RTC to implement major capacity projects and the pavement preservation program. In 2002 voters approved a ⅛ cent sales tax that is eligible for both transit and roadway uses, and a 1982 ballot initiative approved the use of ¼ cent sales tax to fund the transit program. A summary of fuel tax rates is shown below in Table 11-2. Summary of Fuel Tax Rates (2016) Table 11-2 Source Rate per Gallon County Optional Plus Inflation Index 32.90₵ County Mandatory 10.96₵ Federal 18.4₵ State 18.45₵ Total Funding A complete description of the methods for determining the future funding for each source is included in Appendix H. Table 11-3 outlines the revenue projections by timeframe and it identifies whether the funding is eligible for Complete Streets projects or public transportation. This table indicates anticipated revenues in year of expenditure (YOE) dollars. No new funding sources were considered for the timeframe covered by this document. Revenue Projections Table 11-3 Fund Source 2017-2021 2022-2026 2027-2040 Total Complete Street Funding Federal $188,534,000 $222,985,000 $755,697,000 $1,167,216,000 State $75,000,000 $246,989,000 $736,420,000 $1,058,409,000 Regional $438,310,000 $506,228,000 $2,069,302,000 $3,013,840,000 Other Revenues (Private) $42,600,000 $70,800,000 $145,000,000 $258,400,000 Total $744,444,000 $1,047,002,000 $3,706,419,000 $5,497,865,000 Public Transportation Funding Federal $83,442,000 $89,494,000 $303,298,000 $476,234,000 State Regional $126,508,000 $161,460,000 $730,897,000 $1,018,865,000 Fares & Other Revenues $36,983,000 $42,641,000 $156,332,000 $235,956,000 Total $246,933,000 $293,595,000 $1,190,527,000 $1,731,055,000
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Plan Investment Needs The RTP contains the community’s vision for the transportation system. The projects, programs and activities identified in the RTP are necessary to make the long range vision a reality. The needs assessment includes all jurisdictions (local, regional and state) and includes all activities, projects and programs. A discussion of unfunded needs is also included. The transportation needs for this plan have been divided into two major categories — public transportation and Complete Streets. The projects/programs are identified in Appendix A. Needs were placed into the following planning horizons and are shown in year of expenditures (YOE) dollars: • 2017-2021 • 2022-2026 • 2027-2040 Public Transportation A vision for the future of transit in the Truckee Meadows was developed through the RTP community outreach process, as described in Chapter 7, as well as through public feedback on the development of the 2017-2021 Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP). Strong public support was expressed for expanding the transit service area and increasing frequency on existing routes. Recommendations have been proposed as a result of the SRTP that would reallocate service hours to achieve greater efficiencies on several routes. RTC currently has transit operating reserves of approximately $1 million to implement these changes. This is due to a combination of lower than anticipated fuel costs, a decrease in the rate of growth for RTC ACCESS (paratransit service), and a recent increase in local sales tax revenues. In addition to proposed modifications to existing service, several rail and long-distance bus rapid transit (BRT) projects were proposed during the RTP community outreach process, and all have varying degrees of high capital and operating costs. Due to these significant costs, these projects are listed as unfunded needs in the transit vision. Table 11.4 lists some of the projects that were identified along with their estimated cost. Unfunded Transit Vision
Table 11-4
Initial Capital Cost (2016 $) Bordertown North Valleys Express Bus $1.8 million Truckee – TRI Center Express Bus $5.4 million Downtown Circulator $4.5 million Galleria Route $1.8 million Virginia Streetcar (Downtown to Meadowood Mall & Airport) $296 million North Sierra Rail Phase 1 (Reno – TRI Center) $657 million North Sierra Rail Phase 2 (Truckee – Reno) $962 million North Sierra Rail Phase 3 (TRI Center - Fernley) $428 million South Virginia Summit-Redfield Express Bus $1.8 million Pyramid Highway Express Bus $1.8 million Total Unfunded Costs (with TRI Center Bus) $313.1 million Total Unfunded Costs (with TRI Center Rail) $2.4 billion New Transfer Facility $30 million Total Unfunded Facility Needs $30 million
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Annual Operating Cost (2016 $) $272,000 per year $816,000 per year $1.9 million per year $895,000 per year $2.8 million per year $2.6 million per year $3.8 million per year $1.7 million per year $395,000 per year $361,000 per year $7.4 million per year $14.7 million per year
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In addition, RTC faces rising costs to provide paratransit service if fixed-route service is expanded in the future. RTC is federally required to provide paratransit service to eligible customers within 3/4 of a mile of fixed routes. The average RTC ACCESS trip costs about $25 to provide, compared with about $2.50 for the average RTC RIDE trip. Demographic projections about the aging of the population for the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area are consistent with national trends. The number of residents within the metropolitan area that are age 75 or above is expected to increase by 153 percent by 2040. The projected RTC ACCESS customer base in the ADA Zone is projected to grow by 49 percent, a rate more than double that of the population as a whole. The cost to provide this service is expected to increase over $1 million per year by 2040. The expansion of the RTC RIDE service area included in the regional vision for transit would also expand the ADA Zone, bringing an additional $2.9 million in RTC ACCESS operating costs per year by 2040. RTC continues to streamline its operations. Further operational efficiencies are expected to come from the RTC alternative fuels program. Fuel costs are a significant portion of operating expenses, with bio-diesel costing about $3.50 per gallon and compressed natural gas (CNG) costing about 70 cents per gallon equivalent. The RTC ACCESS fleet uses CNG and the RTC RIDE fleet uses a combination of bio-diesel and hybrid electric fueled vehicles. RTC currently operates four fully electric buses, and will be incrementally increasing that number over the next several years toward a goal of a fully electric fleet. These vehicles reduce maintenance costs and fuel costs. The existing RTC bus maintenance facility located under the US 395 viaduct is currently being modified to accommodate additional 40-foot and 60-foot electric vehicles for storage and maintenance. The CNG fueling and maintenance center at 600 Sutro Street that houses RTC ACCESS vans is not currently equipped to handle RTC RIDE vehicles. A new or expanded maintenance facility would be required to transition a portion of the RTC RIDE fleet to electric. For the purposes of this fiscally constrained plan, the transit system is assumed to remain at existing service with moderate increases for the 4th/Prater and Virginia Street RAPID extensions (which also includes the service expansion implemented through the SRTP). The public transportation needs are summarized in Table 11-5 with costs shown in year of expenditure dollars. Other unfunded transit facility needs include a new transfer facility and park-and-ride lots. The transfer facility would accommodate expansion of an electric RTC RAPID and RTC RIDE fleet. Public Transportation Needs by Activity 2017-2021 2022-2026 2027-2040 Operations $178,249,000 $208,945,000 $779,549,000 Vehicles $52,649,000 $32,450,000 $137,138,000 Facilities $5,640,000 $47,230,000 $155,800,000 Total $236,538,000 $288,625,000 $1,072,487,000
Table 11-5 Total $1,166,743,000 $222,238,000 $208,670,000 $1,597,651,000
Complete Streets The Complete Streets program includes pavement preservation, system efficiency, livability, and congestion relief projects for regional roads and highways. Pavement preservation includes the treatments used strategically to keep roads in good condition, extend the useful life of pavement, and minimize the life cycle costs of regional roads. Preservation includes preventive maintenance, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of pavements and bridges, as described in Chapter 6. This plan includes annual funding for preventive maintenance on regional roads.
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System efficiency projects include traffic signal coordination, communications technology, and other Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies that improve traffic flow without adding new travel lanes. These are projects that contribute to the efficient operation of the transportation system as a whole. The plan includes annual funding for traffic operations improvements. Livability projects include ADA accessibility improvements, pedestrian/bicycle facility improvements, and roadway reconstruction projects that focus on economic development and quality of life rather than auto capacity. Examples of livability projects include the multimodal improvements on 4th Street/Prater Way and Oddie Boulevard/Wells Avenue. Several projects that support livability have been identified in the Complete Streets Master Plan, which was approved by the RTC Board in July 2016, and are incorporated into the RTP. The RTP also includes annual funding for spot improvements throughout the region that further implement of the ADA Transition Plan and Reno-Sparks Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan. Sidewalk projects that improve ADA accessibility to RTC RIDE bus stops have the potential to allow some RTC ACCESS customers to use fixed-route service instead of paratransit. Congestion relief projects typically include the addition of new lanes for general purpose traffic, specific improvements to facilitate goods movement, and other improvements to increase the efficiency of existing road segments and intersections. Congestion relief needs are identified through the regional travel demand model. Estimating the cost of these projects utilized two techniques. For those projects with completed preliminary design studies, costs were based upon the estimates from the studies. This more detailed data was generally available for projects in the first ten years of the plan. For the majority of the improvements in years 2027-2040, unit costs by facility type, including intersection and signalization improvements, were developed based upon recent cost experience on projects designed and constructed by the RTC, NDOT, and others. These unit costs were then applied to the proposed improvements identified for existing congested or new segments. The Complete Streets needs are summarized in Table 11-6 with costs shown in year of expenditure dollars. Complete Street Needs by Activity 2017-2021 2022-2026 2027-2040 Pavement $101,200,000 $119,000,000 $421,600,000 Preservation Traffic Signals/ITS/ $14,100,000 $16,600,000 $11,300,000 Operations Multimodal $237,800,000 $317,900,000 $500,900,000 Capacity & Other $254,500,000 $447,700,000 $2,334,900,000 Total* $607,600,000 $901,200,000 $3,268,700,000
Table 11-6 Total $641,800,000 $42,000,000 $1,056,600,000 $3,037,100,000 $4,777,500,000
* Total includes project costs anticipated to be funded by private developers The program of projects in this RTP does not bring all regional roads up to level of service standards. The capacity projects included in the plan reflect the prioritization of the most severely congested corridors and the bottleneck locations that have wide-ranging impacts on the regional network. The unfunded needs listing includes projects for which no funding is available. These are projects that would be included in the RTP if additional funding resources were available. Including this listing of projects provides an opportunity to identify additional projects for future consideration in the event additional funding becomes available. The total unfunded needs is estimated at approximately $2.6 billion for roadway projects (see Appendix A).
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Local Fuel Tax Revenues Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County receive a direct distribution of indexed fuel tax. This fuel tax allocation may be used by the jurisdictions on local roads. This increment of direct distribution fuel tax is programmed by the jurisdictions and not included in the RTC revenue projections. The amounts received in FY 2016 are provided below: • City of Reno - $5,987,000 • City of Sparks - $2,245,000 • Washoe County - $8,985,000 Financial Summary As revenues from the majority of funding sources are not keeping up with growing needs for the projects within the region, the RTC faces a difficult challenge in setting priorities for future spending. Looking at the revenues and needs for the RTP as a simple budget, once the funds for operating and maintaining the existing system are subtracted from the revenues, the remainder can be applied to new or expanded services. These could be new transit services, new roads, widened roads, bicycle facilities — in short all modes considered under the RTP. RTC will continue to partner with local agencies and residents to implement transportation investments that improve the quality of life in the Truckee Meadows.
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12
MONITORING IMPLEMENTATION AND PERFORMANCE The FAST Act continues the legislation authorized under MAP-21, which created a data-driven, performance-based multimodal program to address the many challenges facing the U.S. transportation system. Performance management will lead to more efficient investment of transportation funds by focusing on national transportation goals, increasing accountability and transparency, and improving decision making. This chapter describes the performance measures and targets to be used in assessing system performance. RTC will continue to develop annual reports to track progress toward achieving these targets as well as gather additional community input into the transportation planning process. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with States and MPOs, will establish national performance measures for several areas: pavement conditions and performance for the Interstate System and National Highway System (NHS), bridge conditions, injuries and fatalities, traffic congestion, on-road mobile source emissions, and freight movement on the Interstate System.
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The performance measures are to be developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, in consultation with State DOTs, MPOs, and other stakeholders. States, in coordination with MPOs, will then set performance targets in support of those measures, and state and metropolitan plans will describe how program and project selection will help achieve the targets. The RTC has collaborated with the FHWA Nevada Division Office, the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), and other stakeholder jurisdictions and agencies to develop preliminary performance measures for those not already identified in the formal rulemaking process. These performance measures and targets will be updated upon release of national and state performance measures. The national performance goals for federal highway programs initially established in MAP-21 include the following: • Safety — To achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads. • Infrastructure condition — To maintain the highway infrastructure asset system in a state of good repair. • Congestion reduction — To achieve a significant reduction in congestion on the NHS. • System reliability — To improve the efficiency of the surface transportation system. • Freight movement and economic vitality — To improve the national freight network, strengthen the ability of rural communities to access national and international trade markets, and support regional economic development. • Environmental sustainability — To enhance the performance of the transportation system while protecting and enhancing the natural environment. • Reduced project delivery delays — To reduce project costs, promote jobs and the economy, and expedite the movement of people and goods by accelerating project completion through eliminating delays in the project development and delivery process, including reducing regulatory burdens and improving agencies’ work practices.
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National transit goals and performance measures will be developed by the Federal Transit Administration. These will include state of good repair (SGR) standards for measuring the condition of transit capital assets: • Equipment — Non-revenue support-service and maintenance vehicles. • Rolling stock — Revenue vehicles by mode. • Infrastructure — Only rail fixed-guideway, track signals and systems. RTC does not own or operate any assets in this category, therefore, this is not applicable to RTC. • Facilities — Maintenance and administrative facilities; and passenger stations (buildings) and parking facilities. The FAST Act and MAP-21 provide a framework for linking goals and performance targets with project selection and implementation. Performance plans will track the progress toward achieving these targets and will be used to facilitate a community dialog about the track record of the RTC’s transportation program. RTC will develop the following performance plans: • Metropolitan Transportation Plan, to be updated every four years, which will include a discussion of: o Anticipated effects of the improvement program toward achieving the performance targets o How investment priorities are linked to performance targets • Annual Metropolitan System and Transit Performance Report, which will include: o Evaluation of the condition and performance of the transportation system o Progress achieved in meeting performance targets o Evaluation of how transportation investments have improved conditions • Transit Asset Management Plan • Public Transportation Safety Plan The performance measures build upon existing and planned data collection efforts. Both transit and roadway performance measures are included in table 12-1. • Additional description of the performance measures is below.
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Safety Performance Measures • Preventable transit accidents per 100,000 miles of service — RTC tracks the number of preventable crashes (that is, the number of crashes in which the driver is at fault) that RTC RIDE and RTC ACCESS vehicles experience. While travelling on a bus is generally much safer than riding in other types of vehicles, RTC continuously strives to increase safety of transit travel. This data is currently reported to the RTC Board on a monthly basis. • Number of fatalities and rate of fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) — These performance measures address private vehicles and utilizes data provided by NDOT. The goal of zero fatalities is consistent with the Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). The reduction target of 50 percent by 2030 is consistent with the crash reduction goals in the SHSP as well. • Number of serious injuries and rate of serious injuries per 100 million VMT — Serious injuries resulting from automobile crashes are also tracked by NDOT. The 50 percent reduction goal is consistent with the SHSP. • Number of non-motorized fatalities and nonmotorized serious injuries — This measure is also tracked by NDOT and, like the other safety measures, has a goal of zero fatalities with a reduction target of 50 percent by 2030. • Miles of bicycle lanes added and percent of the Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan completed — Because providing designated space for bicyclists is an important element of multimodal safety, this performance measure tracks implementation of the master plan. RTC tracks the number of bicycle lane miles added each year and will identify the percentage of projects in the plan that have been completed. Implementing between 3 and 7 percent of the plan each year will keep the region on track to complete the initial goal of implementation of the master plan by 2035. Currently, approximately 30% of the Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan has been completed. • Miles of sidewalk added or enhanced and percent of the ADA Transition Plan completed — As described previously, making sidewalks more accessible will promote pedestrian safety. RTC will track the implementation of projects in the transition plan. Over the past few years, the RTC has been exceeding the annual goal for constructing new sidewalks.
Infrastructure Conditions/Transit State of Good Repair Performance Measures • Pavement Condition Index (PCI) for Regional Roads — RTC has an established management system to monitor pavement condition and determine resource allocation, as described in Chapter 6. An average PCI rating of 80 will be maintained, and no more than 3% of Regional Roads as determined in Table E3 will have a condition index rating of less than 50. The PCI for Regional Roads was reported as 84.6 in the 2015 Annual Report. One of the initial MAP-21 performance areas also addressed pavement and bridge performance. Six national performance measures were developed under this area, and include the percentage of pavements in good condition and percentage of pavements in poor condition on both the Interstate System and non-Interstate NHS, as well as the percentage of bridges in good condition and the percentage of bridges in poor condition. The national performance measures for assessing pavement condition differ from the RTC measures in that they won’t apply to all Regional Roads and that the condition will be assessed using a different methodology. The FHWA requires measures that reflect data elements in the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS), including: International Roughness Index (IRI), rutting for asphalt surfaced pavements, faulting for jointed concrete surface pavements, and cracking percent. The method for assessing bridges is based upon elements in the National Bridge Inventory (NBI), which examines the condition of the bridge deck, superstructure, substructure, and culverts. The data to support these measures will be provided by NDOT, which assess pavement and bridge infrastructure on a periodic basis. Targets will be determined by collaboration between FHWA, NDOT, and the state's four MPOs.
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Preventive maintenance of transit rolling stock and facilities — the Short Range Transit Plan identifies an inspection and maintenance schedule for transit capital resources. This performance measure tracks the timeliness of implementation of inspections and corrective actions. As of the most recent annual report, 100% of preventative maintenance is being performed on time. • Maintain industry standard vehicle life cycle — RTC will maintain vehicles in good repair to the expected life cycle for transit rolling stock. The RTC follows Federal Transit Administration (FTA) standards, which vary by type of vehicle. This measure, as well as related measures, will be further developed through the Transit Asset Management Plan, which will address the applicable asset categories described previously. •
Congestion Reduction • Transit passengers per service hour — Transit operating efficiency is a priority of the RTC. An RTC RIDE system-wide average of 30 passengers per service hour is the performance target. RTC currently tracks this data and provides regular reports to the RTC Board. An average 31.6 passengers per service hour were reported on RTC RIDE in 2015, exceeding the target. • Change in traffic congestion delay — The travel demand model is used to forecast the average amount of delay caused to motorists by traffic congestion. This performance measure identifies an increase in minutes of daily delay increasing by no more than five minutes per person by 2040. This measure is likely to be replaced within the next couple of years by the recently finalized national traffic congestion measures (under the CMAQ performance measures) once targets have been identified through coordination with RTC’s partners at FHWA and NDOT. The CMAQ performance measures are described in more detail in the Environmental Sustainability section.
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Vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per person — This performance measure uses the regional travel demand model to estimate the number of VMT per person. The performance target is that VMT will grow minimally from 26 to 27 VMT per person by 2040. As with the above measure, VMT per person will likely be replaced by one of the national system performance or CMAQ measures yet to be vetted through the targetsetting process.
System Reliability • NHS system performance — Another set of national performance measures to come out of MAP-21 and carry forward through the FAST Act will identify travel time reliability on the NHS. These include the percent of reliable personmiles traveled on the Interstate and non-Interstate NHS, as well as a greenhouse gas (GHG) measure that will asses the percent change in carbon dioxide emissions. Data for the reliability measures will be made available through the National Performance Management Research Data Set (NPMRDS) or an FHWA-approved equivalent data set. As with pavement and bridge performance, NDOT will be responsible for reporting the reliability measures once targets have been identified through collaboration with FHWA and the MPOs. • Transit system on-time performance — The goal of the RTC RIDE system is to have 90% of all transit departures occur on schedule. This data is currently collected and reported to the RTC Board. In 2015, 91.6% of stops were on schedule. Freight Movement and Economic Vitality • Average truck reliability index — This is a national performance measure that will address freight traffic in a similar manner as the national system performance measures. It will use data provided from the same source and NDOT is expected to report on this measure following final rule and subsequent target-setting. • In addition to the national measures above, NDOT has identified performance measures through their State Freight Plan. Some of these measures address truck speeds on I-80, I-580, and US 395; fatal crashes involving trucks; and the registration of trucks in Nevada with an engine model year of 2010 or newer (for air quality purposes). 152] 2040 Regional Transportation Plan
Environmental Sustainability • Auto emissions — RTC, in partnership with the Washoe County Health District Air Quality Management Division, monitors the emissions generated by on-road mobile sources. The performance target is that auto emissions remain under the emissions budget established in the State Implementation Program. This target was met in the 2015 reporting year. RTC has been monitoring on-road mobile source emissions for several years, but this measure will likely be replaced by the national total emissions reduction measure described below, once targets have been identified in coordination with RTC planning partners. • CMAQ program performance measures — These are recently finalized national measures which evaluate vehicle emissions and traffic congestion as it relates to the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program. One measure will track reductions for each applicable criteria pollutant and precursor in areas designated as nonattainment or maintenance for National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Criteria pollutants and precursors include: ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter (PM). Two other measures will assess annual hours of peak hour excessive delay (PHED) per capita and modal share. Excessive delay will be based on travel time at 20 miles per hour or 60 percent of the posted speed limit travel time, whichever is greater, during 15 minute intervals per vehicle. The modal share measure will identify the percent of non-single occupancy vehicle (non-SOV) travel including travel avoided by telecommuting. • Transit fleet mix — The long-term performance target is to have 100% of the fleet operating on other cost-effective alternative fuels such as electric by 2040. This will require development of an alternative fuel maintenance facility. The RTC continues to work toward this target by replacing diesel vehicles that have reached the end of their useful lives with new vehicles that run on alternative fuels. In 2015, RTC ACCESS was operating on a 100% CNG fleet, and RTC RIDE was down to 71% diesel.
Alternative mode share by corridor — In 2013, the RTC initiated a systematic program to document bicycle and pedestrian activity in key transit oriented development (TOD) corridors. Combined with vehicle counts and transit ridership data, this allows the comparison of mode share changes over time. The target for the Virginia Street and 4th Street/Prater Way TOD corridors was 30% by 2035. During the 2015 reporting year, the alternative mode share on 4th Street/Prater Way was 32.6%, which exceeded the 2035 target. Conversely, the alternative mode share on Virginia Street was 25.6%, slightly under the target. In light of this most recent data, taken in consideration with further planned improvements (particularly on the Virginia Street corridor), the target has been revised to 40% alternative mode share for these corridors by 2040. • Alternative mode share in the transit service area — Similar to the mode share by corridor, the RTC also tracks mode share by transit service area, which requires use of regional data about pedestrian and bicycle activity as well as analysis of transit ridership and VMT. The performance target was 10 percent alternative mode use by 2035. However, this too was exceeded in the 2015 reporting year (at 10.6%), and now has been revised to 15% by 2040. •
Other Transit Measures The RTC reports on a variety of other performance measures related to transit operations for metrics such as ridership, farebox recovery rate, passengers per revenue vehicle hour and revenue vehicle miles, and several others. The RTC reports these performance measures on a monthly basis, as well as provides annual reports for a year-to-year comparison. These reports help RTC monitor the efficiency of the variety of transportation services offered and performance of individual routes to make informed decisions for future projects and demand for services.
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National Goal RTP Goal Safety Improve Safety
Annual Transit Performance Measures • Preventable transit accidents per 100,000 miles of service • Number of non-motorized fatalities and serious injuries • Number of serious injuries per 100 million Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) • Rate of serious injuries per 100 million VMT • Number of fatalities per 100 million VMT • Rate of fatalities per 100 million VMT • Miles of bicycle lanes added and percent of Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan completed • Miles of sidewalks added or enhanced and percent of ADA Transition Plan completed Infrastructure Manage • Pavement Condition Index (PCI) for Existing Systems Condition/ Regional Roads Efficiently Transit State • Preventive maintenance of transit rolling of Good stock and facilities Repair • Maintain industry standard vehicle life cycle Congestion • Manage Existing • Transit passengers per service hour Reduction Systems • Traffic congestion delay Efficiently • Integrate All • Vehicle Miles Traveled per person Types of • Annual hours of peak hour excessive delay Transportation per capita • Percent of non-SOV travel System Manage Existing • Transit on-time performance Reliability Systems Efficiently • Percent of reliable person-miles on Interstate and non-Interstate NHS • Percent change in carbon dioxide emissions
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Performance Target Table 12-1 • 0 (ongoing) • 0; Reduce by 50% by 2020 • Reduce by 50% by 2020 • Reduce by 50% by 2020 • 0; reduce by 50% by 2020 • 0; reduce by 50% by 2020 • 3-7% of plan implemented per year • 3-7% of plan implemented per year • 80 (ongoing) • 100% of transit preventive maintenance performed on time • Varies by vehicle type • 30 (ongoing) • 25 min of traffic delay per person per day in 2040 • 27 VMT per person (ongoing) • TBD* • TBD* • 90% transit on-time performance (ongoing) • TBD* • TBD*
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National Goal Freight Movement & Economic Vitality
RTP Goal • Integrate Land Use & Economic Development • Improve Freight & Goods Movement • Focus on Regional Connectivity
Annual Transit Performance Measures • Average truck reliability index
Performance Target Table 12-1 • TBD*
Environmental Sustainability
• Promote Healthy Communities & Sustainability • Integrate Land Use & Economic Development • Integrate All Types of Transportation
• Auto emissions
• Maintain emissions under air quality budget
• Transit fleet mix — alternative fueling technologies
• 100% electric or CNG fleet by 2040
• Alternative mode share by corridor
• 40% on Virginia Street; 40% on E. 4th Street/Prater Way • 15% by 2040
• Alternative mode share in the transit service area
• Meet an RTP Goal
* Targets associated with these measures have yet to be determined as they are under development in coordination with the FHWA, NDOT, and other applicable agencies.
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APPENDIX K Resolution
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