Story County considers motorcycle enforcement, short-term signals for TRI traffic congestion

Story County leaders discussed rising traffic congestion in the Tahoe‑Reno Industrial (TRI) area and explored possible short‑ and long‑term responses, including motorcycle traffic‑enforcement units and temporary traffic signals.

The county sheriff told commissioners that motorcycles can “get around in traffic wonderfully” and said the office already uses motor units for enforcement but that staffing and funding would be needed to expand that capability. “It'd be nice to put in extra units for that purpose… funding would have to be created for the personnel,” the sheriff said.

Commissioner Gilman described worsening conditions on Waltham Way where residents and employees are using narrower local streets to avoid congestion at the USA Parkway crossings. He asked whether the county could fund motorcycle units to improve traffic flow and enforcement. In response, Gilman said, “I would fund $30,000 towards the purchase of motorcycle or motorcycles.”

County Manager Austin Osborne and sheriff’s staff said they have scheduled a meeting with the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) and other stakeholders to discuss short‑term measures, including temporary traffic signals at intersections such as Sydney and Pittsburgh and longer‑term road improvements. Osborne said the inability to make left turns onto USA Parkway is a primary cause of backups and that short‑term signalization and temporary signals are among options to be discussed.

Fire and emergency services also described operational impacts from congestion. Fire Chief Jeremy Longcar said crews sometimes cannot access incident scenes in TRI and have requested neighboring jurisdictions to handle calls when they are blocked by traffic. Longcar and the sheriff noted that motor units would improve emergency access in congested corridors and during I‑80 incidents.

The board did not take formal action other than to direct staff and the sheriff to pursue the matter; commissioners and staff said they would report back after the upcoming NDOT meeting and preliminary coordination with stakeholders.

Ending: Commissioners asked staff to return with a plan after the NDOT meeting and outreach to employers and developers in TRI. The sheriff and county manager said they will evaluate funding and staffing options before presenting a formal proposal.