$80 million Sun Valley Boulevard modernization wins grant support; county to assume maintenance if NDOT improvements proceed

Commissioner Marguerus Garcia told the Sun Valley Citizens Advisory Board that a multi‑agency effort has secured the final grant needed for an $80 million modernization of Sun Valley Boulevard, a corridor that county and regional planners say has lacked a modern stormwater and safety system since it was paved in the 1950s. She said the project team has reached 60% design and received a final grant after two earlier unsuccessful applications.

"We just got it. That was the last piece that we needed," Garcia said, adding the plan covers medians, vehicle lanes, signals, drainage, bus stops, lighting and right‑of‑way acquisition. Paul Nelson of the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) said the RTC has $2.5 million of earmarked funding for the project and that public vetting of funding will occur next year. He said construction could begin in 2028 under conservative estimates.

Why it matters: Board members and residents said the corridor’s safety and chronic maintenance problems — including stormwater culverts and dark stretches that have contributed to pedestrian risk — have persisted for decades. Garcia framed the work as a long‑sought safety upgrade: "Doing nothing is not an option for me," she said, citing prior pedestrian fatalities and chronic maintenance gaps.

Residents pressed project staff on several design and implementation details. Questions included whether the design would include roundabouts (a resident urged them for safety and to reduce speed‑related fatalities), who would water and maintain new landscaping, whether bus turnouts would be added, and how right‑of‑way for improvements would be acquired. Nelson said engineers consider roundabouts where intersections warrant them and that not all locations are suitable; he recommended a public records request for the corridor study and said right‑of‑way acquisition will be required for about 60 parcels in the short term.

On maintenance and jurisdiction, Garcia said the county manager and RTC have discussed an MOU that would transfer the stretch to Washoe County for future ownership and maintenance if NDOT agrees to make specified improvements and RTC completes the environmental and design work. "The MOU will transfer the road to us," Garcia said, adding county ownership would centralize follow‑up and maintenance where currently multiple jurisdictions are involved.

Funding and timeline: Nelson said $2.5 million in local earmarks have been set aside and that federal funding and environmental review are part of the process; RTC expects to publicly vet funding by September of next year and to put the project out to bid and start construction in late 2027 or 2028, although they emphasized conservative estimates to avoid raising expectations.

What’s next: Project designers will continue public engagement during the next design phases; staff invited residents to provide input on roundabouts, bus turnouts and landscaping. The Citizens Advisory Board scheduled RTC to return in August for a fuller discussion of design details and the noise ordinance conversation referenced by a resident earlier in the meeting.

Community reaction: Some residents said skepticism about Washoe County’s long‑term maintenance record persists. Commissioner Garcia encouraged engagement and said the award of the grant was the result of years of advocacy and repeated application.

The board did not take a vote on the project at the meeting; staff said further public vetting and a formal county decision will follow in later public processes.