28 Dec Virginia Street Project Weekly Update | December 28, 2020
Reno, Nevada (December 28, 2020) – Construction on the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Washoe County’s Virginia Street Project, both near the University and in Midtown, is now substantially complete. The final piece of the Virginia Street Project will be the extension of the RAPID Virginia Line service to the University in early 2021.
“Your RTC Board is proud to deliver this significant project to our community,” said RTC Board Chair Bob Lucey. “With the addition of transit in early 2021, transit riders including students, faculty and staff will be more connected to our region than ever before.”
The University and the community will benefit from the extended RAPID service and new stations because of their convenient locations and quick access to destinations along Virginia Street from campus to downtown Reno, Midtown Reno, and Meadowood Mall.
Even though construction is substantially complete, construction crews will still be putting the finishing touches on the roundabout monument and some transit stations near the University through early January.
Highlights of the project near the University of Nevada, Reno, include:
- RAPID Bus Stations on both sides of Virginia Street (five total)
- Sidewalk improvements (along Virginia Street between Maple Street and the University’s West Stadium Parking Complex entrance)
- A roundabout on Virginia Street at the entrance to the University’s West Stadium Parking Complex to improve safety and traffic flow
- Restriping of the roadway from two lanes of traffic in each direction to one traffic lane and one shared bus/bicycle lane for both northbound and southbound traffic flow
The bus route that will extend to the University is the RAPID Virginia Line transit route, which is an enhanced transit service. The route has features that allow buses to travel more quickly on Virginia Street and with fewer stops than on regular bus routes, including transit stops approximately every half mile, raised level-boarding platforms to allow passengers to get on and off quickly, dedicated bus lanes in some locations, and technology that allows the bus to communicate with traffic signals to help keep the route on schedule.
The RAPID routes (Virginia Line and
Lincoln Line) are the highest-ridership
routes in RTC’s transit system.
Extending the RAPID Virginia Line to the
University will increase ridership while
providing students, faculty and staff
with an enhanced travel option through
the Virginia Street corridor in Reno. In
addition to the RAPID stations, other
improvements include the addition of
wider sidewalks that meet Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) standards,
bicycle lanes, and a center median in
some areas.
Parking is limited in and around the
campus. Transit helps improve access and
walkability, reduces pollution, and is a
sustainable solution that contributes to
a better quality of life for those who
live nearby transit stops and choose to
ride transit.
Construction near the University of Nevada, Reno began on March 6, 2020.
How to Navigate a
Roundabout:
The Virginia Street Project includes two
new roundabouts, one in Midtown at the
intersection of Virginia Street/Center
Street/Mary Street, and one at the
University of Nevada, Reno, near the
University’s West Stadium Parking
Complex. Roundabouts provide for safer
and more efficient travel for commuters
and pedestrians. Studies indicate that
roundabouts reduce vehicle collisions by
39% and the severity of injury-producing
crashes by 76%. Roundabouts also improve
traffic flow when replacing stop signs
or traffic signals at intersections by
as much as 75%. This
safety video, created by the
Nevada Department of Transportation
(NDOT) and the Nevada Office of Public
Safety, provides good information to
drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
About the Virginia Street
Project:
The Virginia Street Bus RAPID Transit
Extension Project improves safety and
provides better access, enhanced transit
service, and improved mobility for
everyone. This includes extending the
RAPID Virginia Line from Midtown to the
University of Nevada, Reno. The project
represents an approximately $90 million
investment in our community. The project
is funded with fuel tax revenue, sales
tax revenue, and federal funds.
Acknowledgements:
The RTC thanks our partners in the
Virginia Street Project for bringing
this project to fruition: The City of
Reno, University of Nevada, Reno, and
the Federal Transit Administration, the
Midtown businesses, and the community.
The RTC also thanks our local contractor Sierra Nevada Construction, construction manager and environmental consultant Atkins, and design consultants NCE and C A Group, Inc., for creating local jobs for Northern Nevadans and bringing this project to completion. Thank you to PK Electrical, LA Studios, Shields Engineering, CME, MAPCA, and Taylor Made Solutions.
And thank you to A-1 Steel, Anark Corporation, Associated Concrete Pumping, Badger Daylighting Corp., Cinderlite Trucking Corp., Desert Commercial Sweeping, Eastern Sierra Engineering, Eastern Sierra Sweeping, Reno Iron Works, High Desert Surface Prep, Kustom Koatings, Moana Nursery, Morgan Construction, Nevada Barricade & Sign Co., Noah’s Park Tree Care, Northern Nevada Rebar, nvision Glass, Pavement Recycling Systems, Penhall Company, Reno Rock Transport, RFI Enterprises, Sierra Rental & Transport Co., Silver State Masonry, Titan Electrical, Underground Video Technology, Western Partitions, and YESCO.