If you've driven down Virginia Street lately, then you know there's Midtown construction in Reno.
The Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County and Sierra Nevada Construction are transforming Virginia Street in Midtown Reno. The project will correct ADA sidewalk deficiencies, improve traffic operations, beautify the corridor and extend the Virginia Line RAPID transit service to the University of Nevada, Reno. It's a more than $80-million investment that will support economic development, enhance safety, and improve livability in the corridor.
"In the long run, this is such a huge step for not only Midtown district but for Reno as a whole," said Kasey Christensen, the president of Midtown District Reno, a merchant’s association.
That improvement comes with Midtown construction lasting through 2019. However, so far the street closures and other detours haven't been too difficult to navigate, Christensen said.
“It’s been really exciting to see how easy it’s actually been to get around in Midtown,” Christensen said. “We were joking about making a hashtag of #itsnotthatbad."
For tips on how to get around during Midtown construction, keep reading.
Midtown Construction Tip #1: Stay up to date on road closures
You can get the newest information about road closures and detours on the Virginia Street Project website. Use these maps to plan your route in advance.
Midtown Construction Tip #2: Take advantage of extra parking
During construction, the RTC has actually expanded parking in Midtown Reno. In addition to the marked parking lot behind the Ponderosa Hotel with 36 spaces, there are 85 additional marked, angled parking spaces throughout the construction zone. For a map of the spots, click here.
Midtown Construction Tip #3: Use this code to get up to $10 off a Lyft
The Virginia Street project has partnered with Lyft to offer a 50% off coupon for up to $10 to any rider going into Midtown. To use the discount, put the code "RAPID" into your Lyft app in the "promo" section.
Midtown Construction Tip #4: Take the side streets
“I've been encouraging people to take the side streets into Virginia ahead of where they’re going,” Christensen said. “Then, you can just go south-bound down Virginia which is really easy.”
People gather on the streets of Midtown Reno. Photo by Mark Omohundro
Construction isn’t a reason to avoid this hip neighborhood that’s bustling with dozens of locally-owned restaurants, bars, shops and more. In fact, now is a great time to take advantage of the extra parkingand explore Midtown.
“I heard from a couple that said, ‘Well you know what, because of the construction, we chose to come down here specifically,’” Christensen said. “They made an effort to support Midtown businesses. That shows how cool Reno is, that there's such a great community here that really does believe and is putting their power behind buying local.”
