Transportation planning beyond the county line

Looking to broaden the scope of transportation planning beyond the boundaries of Carson City, local transportation officials voted Wednesday to slightly expand the border of the Carson Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.

They expressed hope that more expansions are on the horizon, "if (other counties) want it to," said organization Chairman Richard Staub.

CAMPO officially formed in 2003 to ensure transportation planners consider the entire urbanized and soon-to-be urbanized area in and around Carson City, rather than each neighboring county developing separate plans that may or may not complement one another.

Still, the CAMPO boundary travels roughly along the Carson City line, including small portions of western Lyon and northern Douglas counties.

Wednesday's motion, which must now go to the Lyon County Commission for approval, redraws the organization's border to include the Mound House area, which is expected to develop rapidly over the next two decades.

"I definitely feel this needs to go much farther," said CAMPO member Charles Desjardin.

Commission members mentioned Dayton and Virginia City as examples of nearby population centers that are closely linked with Carson City yet don't belong to CAMPO.

Much of Dayton's population makes the 12-mile westward commute to Carson City for work every day, making the two towns part of the same transportation corridor.

"We believe it's a matter of efficiency," Staub said. "Their traffic needs are very similar to ours."

Staub made clear his belief that CAMPO boundaries should only expand if the affected counties think it's a good idea.

The Mound House proposal originated last year with a request from a Lyon County official who left the county before he could take it to commissioners.

Carson City transportation officials have set a meeting with Lyon County Manager Donna Kristaponis who took over the post last July.

"We're still trying to determine what the pros and cons of it are," Kristaponis said Thursday.

If the boundary realignment is approved by Lyon County, it would come back to the CAMPO board for final approval.

Even with the boundary adjustment, there would still likely be too little of Lyon County in the organization's area to garner the county a representative on the CAMPO board, which is made up of representatives of member counties, depending on their number of residents living inside the designated "metropolitan" area.

Douglas County has one representative while Carson City has five and the Nevada Department of Transportation has one.

n Contact reporter Cory McConnell at cmcconnell@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.