New Pedestrian and Bicycle improvements pushed through....at a huge cost.

From the RGJ:


Days following death of Reno sportscaster, City Council approves safety upgrades to N. Virginia Street

9:27 pm, Nov 16, 2011 | Written by bduggan


While it had been in the planning stages for more than a year and on today’s agenda since last week, the Reno City Council approved a number of pedestrian and bike lane upgrades to N. Sierra and N. Virginia streets on Wednesday, which is the area KTVN sportscaster JK Metzker was killed Saturday while crossing N. Virginia Street following the Nevada-Hawaii football game.

Before the changes were unanimously approved, Mayor Bob Cashell, with his voice cracking, asked for a moment of silence for Metzker. KTVN weatherman Mike Alger also testified before the City Council, urging them to approve the upgrades in light of Metzker’s death.

“While we know things now cannot bring JK back we can help other families and workplaces from having to go through the loss of someone who was simply trying to cross the street,” Alger said.

The plan now is to begin work on the $600,000 project around the University of Nevada, Reno, including installing flashing lights and a crosswalk near the area Metzker was struck by a car on N. Virginia and 17th Streets. The entire project could take about a year to complete, though engineers said the flashing lights for crosswalks could be installed within six weeks.

Other changes include making Sierra Street one lane between 9th Street to just before the N. Virginia Street intersection, potentially reducing the speed limit on Sierra Street and adding flashing crosswalk lights at Sierra and 11th Streets and Sierra Street and Putnam Drive.

N. Sierra Street carries up to 8,600 vehicles a day and N. Virginia Street carries up to 12,000 each day, said Katy Cole, an engineer with Fehr and Peers, the engineering firm working on the project.

The car that hit Metzker left the scene after the incident. The alleged driver, Ryan Rhea, 23, was charged on Sunday with one felony count of hit-and-run causing the death. He was released from Washoe County jail on $10,000 bail.