U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and U.S. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Victor Mendez will join RTC officials to celebrate the transportation infrastructure investment in the 4th Street/Prater Way Corridor, helping create employment opportunities and economic growth in the region. The event is free and open to the public. The event will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 28th at RTC 4th Street Station near the intersection of 4th Street and Evans Avenue. RTC Executive Director Lee Gibson, the mayors of Reno and Sparks and other elected representatives will be in attendance.
This event comes as the RTC receives $16 million in federal funding for a significant project to enhance transit. The 4th Street/Prater Way Rapid Transit Project will enhance connectivity between downtown Reno and downtown Sparks. Senator Reid played a major role in securing the funding from DOT under the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program. The project involves adding four new all-electric, no emissions buses to the fleet to operate on 4th Street in Reno and Prater Way in Sparks. Also included in the project are wider sidewalks, the addition of bike lanes and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements. The project’s final design is anticipated to be finished in December 2015, and construction could begin in spring 2016.
The event also marks the grand opening of the 4th Street/Prater Way historical exhibition at RTC’s transit centers, 4th Street Station in downtown Reno and Centennial Plaza at Victorian Square in Sparks. Once part of the famous Lincoln Highway, the 4th Street/Prater Way Corridor played a key role in early growth of the region.
“The exhibition highlights the historical heritage of the corridor and served as a unique and innovative element in developing the project,” Gibson said.
