Blue line on Kit Carson Trail to be replaced in Carson City's historic district

The iconic blue line marking the Kit Carson Trail that winds its way through the west side historic district of Carson City will be replaced by another way-finding method, said Carson City Public Works Senior Transportation Planner Dirk Goering.

"Carson City Public Works Department is working with the [Carson City Culture and Tourism Authority] to develop a long term solution," he said. "The [authority] is in the process of developing a way-finding plan that would allow for the city to remove the physical blue line."

Goering said ongoing maintenance costs associated with regular repair of the blue line led to the decision to replace the 1.4-mile long marker with an alternative way-finding design that will be more cost effective for the city.

He said an informal Blue Work Group composed of members from the Carson City Board of Supervisors, the Community Development Department, the CCCTA, and the historical resource committee met last year to discuss the future of the blue line. The decision was made to replace it.

"It's a routine cost and a maintenance headache," Goering said. "What can we do to have a better image and still have the blue line way-finding ability?"

Goering said weather is a primary factor that affects the bright blue thermo-plastic line affixed to more than half of the 2.5 miles of sidewalk on the walking tour, featuring over 40 historic homes and buildings along the route.

The area's natural elements not only affect the blue line's visibility, but also sidewalks along the trail route. When sidewalks need to be fixed because of weather deterioration or tree roots that push up the concrete, then the blue line also must be repaired.

That adds to the city's maintenance costs, Goering said, because it's not just one thing that must be repaired.

About $30,000 was budgeted by the Redevelopment Authority of Carson City last year to remove the blue line, he said.

But the blue line won't be replaced right away, Goering said. A replacement way-finding method needs to be installed first.

"We don't want to take down the blue line without having a way-finding option in place," he said.

CCCTA Marketing Manager Kyle Horvath said the tourism authority is tasked with securing a way-finding alternative and getting it installed along the Kit Carson Trail.

He said the most practical option is permanent signage placed along the tour route, but no final determination has been made yet on what those signs will look like.

"We are looking at signage and we've got the money for it," Horvath said. "We're just trying to figure out the best, most permanent way to let people know they are in front of one of these historic homes."

The new way-finding measure will be paid for by a matching funds grant from Travel Nevada, Horvath said.

"No expense to the city other than removing the blue line," he said.

The blue line has been a user-friendly way for visitors to find points of interest in the historic district, Horvath said, and the CCCTA wants ease of use to be a key feature of its replacement.

"It got to the point where we were really reliant on the blue line being there," he said. "We have had tourists come in and say specifically how nice it is having the blue line there to guide them. That just makes it all the more important to have good way-finding signs."

Carson City Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ronni Hannaman agrees, adding that the Blue Line (Kit Carson) Trail is the area's top visitor attraction.

"According to the many visitors that come through our doors, the Blue Line Trail is the number one site most visitors want to see," she said. "The AAA Tour Book touts the Blue Line Trail as the 'must see' attraction in Carson City."

Carson City's rich western history makes its signature points of interest so important to the area's tourist economy, Hannaman said.

"Most visitors want to see the most important elements of any city and are most interested in the most historic sites or homes," she said. "Many of our visitors come here because of the unique history of our city and that of the Comstock."

Horvath said the tourism authority has taken steps over the years to make historic tours easier and more accessible for visitors, beginning with the paper maps available at the Chamber and CCCTA visitor centers.

Those are getting a fresh redesign this year, he said, and will be available for distribution in June.

"It puts the Blue Line into a different perspective and gives it a new look," Horvath said.

Other visitor tools include the tourism authority's web site and "Visit Carson City" mobile app, both of which have added to visitor access and enhanced ease of use.

A new interactive map of the historic district is planned to launch some time this summer, Horvath said, an added feature to both the web site and app that he says will help in the transition from blue line to marked signs along the Kit Carson Trail.

"Using that interactive mapping, people can see exactly what house they are standing in front of with a detailed description of the property," he said.

The new mapping feature has been paid for by a grant from Travel Nevada, Horvath said, and is expected to significantly improve the sight-seeing experience for visitors.

"This will help because it geo-locates exactly where you're at and then you can see where everything is that you want to go to," he said. "Part of that was putting the the Blue Line Trail in there and showing where the historic district is."

Horvath said launching the interactive map is the CCCTA's priority before it begins to replace the blue line with way-finding signs. Once the signage is in place, though, all of the tools at a visitor's fingertips will successfully guide them around town.

"We are going to have all of the bases covered," he said. "We hope people will utilize all of the tools available, because they all create a different experience."

Replacement of the blue line won't start until after the Downtown Curry Streetscape Project is completed later this fall, Horvath said.