Residents frustrated by accidents, congestion on US-50 in Dayton; NDOT says improvements coming in 2026

Dayton resident Raymond Medeiros said he worries every time he leaves his neighborhood to travel on Highway 50 through Dayton to work or to take his children to school.

“I think we’re done waiting,” he said. “We’re fed up with the loss of life. I don’t think anyone wants to lose their loved ones.”

The concerns expressed by Medeiros during a town hall meeting in Dayton last spring are echoed by other residents in Lyon and neighboring counties who drive on the increasingly congested roadway which connects to multiple new housing developments being built in the area.

Despite public outcry by Medeiros and other citizens at last year’s town hall and one held in 2014 asking for safety improvements on the roadway, the earliest the Nevada Department of Transportation plans to begin construction is 2026, according to Meg Ragonese, NDOT Public Information Officer.

Both town hall meetings also featured NDOT representatives, county officials, and law enforcement.

An NDOT study completed in 2021 indicated average daily traffic on some segments of US 50 in Dayton increased from 12,500 vehicles in 2014, to nearly 18,000 in 2019.

The increase in traffic on the highway has gotten the attention of many county residents, including Melissa Harder, of Dayton.

She said she dislikes driving on the highway, and noted that making turns onto the roadway is often a problem.

“I hate making a left turn onto the highway,” she said. “Sometimes I make a right and then make a U-turn and go back.”

Harder stressed an urgent need for a traffic control device at the intersection of US 50 and Six Mile Canyon / Fort Churchill Roads, an uncontrolled intersection where school bus drivers must make a left turn onto the highway to transport children to and from Riverview Elementary School.

She said she appreciates newly added lighting, which was installed at 10 intersections along the roadway.
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NDOT Plans- US 50 Dayton Operational Study (Parkway Concept)

The plan NDOT has chosen as the best option to improve the roadway’s safety is known as the parkway concept, which is detailed in the US 50 Dayton Operational Study. The study was completed in 2021, according to NDOT.

Ragonese said the agency considered input from county officials and community members as they studied plans for improvements to the roadway.

“A parkway concept was determined as the most appropriate option to enhance traffic safety and mobility in the future,” Ragonese said.

Funding for improvements will be shared by NDOT, private developers and Lyon County, she said.

The start date for the project is uncertain due to several factors, and it is one of many transportation upgrades NDOT has planned in the state, Ragonese said.

“The construction schedule could be impacted by right-of-way and other engineering and permitting needs, " she said.

Currently, there are 2 traffic or signal lights on Highway 50 through the community. One is at the intersection with Dayton Valley Road, and the other at the highway’s junction with Fortune Drive.

Proposed changes to the roadway will be done in phases, Ragonese said. The project would include the installation of frontage roads, and would include acceleration lanes and turn pockets at several intersections.

Ragonese said the agency plans to change left turns from side streets in order to reduce the likelihood of accidents at intersections.

One of the proposed improvements would widen the highway to 3 lanes in each direction, and reduce the speed limit to 45 mph from Pine Cone Road to east of Six Mile Canyon and Fort Churchill Roads, she said.

The highway is currently 2 lanes in each direction in that area, and the speed limit increases to 60 mph heading eastbound at the intersection with Fortune Drive.

In addition, the project would maintain the existing 60 mph speed limit east of Fort Churchill Road. The roadway would remain 2 lanes in each direction there, continuing to Neigh Road, Ragonese said.

Neigh Road is an unpaved road past the Copper Canyon II development, in the eastern part of Dayton.

Another part of the planned improvements using the parkway concept is the addition of intersection controls at the US 50 junction with Retail Road, River Boat and Cardelli Roads, Six Mile Canyon and Fort Churchill Roads and Bryce and Chaves Roads, Ragonese said.

Improvements to the highway’s intersections with River Boat and Cardelli Roads, along with Six Mile Canyon and Fort Churchill Roads, will be part of the first phase of the project, she said.

Part of the first phase will also include repaving the roadway from the intersections of Fortune Drive to east of Six Mile Canyon Road, she added.

The study does not indicate whether intersection controls will include the addition of traffic signals or roundabouts; although a traffic signal is recommended in the future at the highway’s junction with Traditions Parkway, Ragonese said.

Traditions is a master planned community under construction which will include single-family homes, apartments, a park, and other amenities, including retail space. It is located east of Fortune Drive.

­­­­­­­­­­­An increase in traffic on US 50 In Lyon County has been matched with an increase in the number of fatal accidents and fatalities on area roadways.

There was an increase of 180 percent in the number of fatal accidents on county roadways between 2020 and 2021, according to the state fatal report, dated November 2021. The report can be found by clicking on the data tab at zerofatalitiesnv.com.

The report said there were 5 fatal crashes in 2020 and 14 in 2021.

The number of fatalities on Lyon County roads increased by 200 percent during the same time period, with 5 deaths occurring in 2020, and 15 in 2021.

Zero Fatalities Nevada is a safety plan which aims to reduce serious injuries and fatalities on the state’s roadways through education and information. Created 11 years ago, it is administered by the departments of public safety and transportation.

Improvements to Highway 50 are one of several transportation projects NDOT plans to initiate in the near future. The agency recently announced it will begin improvements soon on a 4-mile stretch of US 395 in the North Valleys near Reno.

­­Transportation projects are detailed in the One Nevada Plan, which was created in 2018. Described as the state’s long-range transportation plan, it is designed to improve safety by maintaining, building and operating the safest transportation system possible, according to NDOT.

Other transportation projects NDOT has proposed in the plan include improvements to I-80, I-15, US 95, and US 93.
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Nevada is set to receive $2.7 billion in federal funding for infrastructure improvements, and in a story published in February on mynews4.com, Ragonese said the agency strives to provide a hearty and reliable transportation system through prioritizing transportation projects.

She explained that a portion of the infrastructure money will be used to widen southbound lanes of US 395 in the North Valleys.

Federal funds may also be used to widen the Pyramid Highway, which starts in Sparks and heads north to burgeoning communities like Spanish Springs, Ragonese said.

“The majority of funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a funding increase for existing transportations programs and projects which NDOT has already prioritized. This “formula” funding provides a set percentage amount to each state in each program,” she said.

With competing projects in the state, the agency will make improvements to US 50 in Dayton in phases with near-term, mid-term, or long-term projects based on priority, Ragonese said.

As more housing is built and the population increases, many residents are growing tired of waiting for improvements to start.

Marcia T. said she has noticed an uptick in traffic on US 50 since she moved to Dayton 5 years ago.

“Traffic is traffic,” she said. “Cities develop. I’m not happy with the way we are developing.”

She said infrastructure such as roads need to be updated to keep up with the growth in population.

County officials, including former county manager Jeff Page, have been urging NDOT for several years to take action to improve the highway’s safety.

In a letter to NDOT last year, Page asked the agency to install a traffic signal at the highway’s intersection with Traditions Parkway. The developer of Traditions offered to pay for the signal, and Paul Solaegui, NDOT engineer, said he had designed the signal.

Solaegui said several studies indicate a need for a traffic signal at the site.

Many citizens expressed their worries about safety on the roadway at a town hall meeting in Dayton last year. The meeting was initiated by former Lyon County Commissioner Ken Gray, now a state assemblyman. Ragonese and three other NDOT representatives attended, along with Page, undersheriff Ed Kilgore, and roads director Dustin Homan.

An increase in traffic due to the TRIC is contributing to the problem on Highway 50, said Colleen Unterbrink, NDOT rural county liaison.

A Lyon County resident for more than 16 years, Unterbrink encouraged motorists to drive safely.

“When you are driving, really stop and think,” she said. “When you’re speeding 10 to 15 mph above the limit, how much time are you really saving?”

Last year’s town hall was not the first time frustrated residents and county officials voiced concerns about safety on US 50 in Dayton.

In 2014, more than 70 citizens attended a meeting in Dayton, which also included law enforcement and county officials.

Ray Fiero, a former county commissioner who represented Dayton, was not impressed by what he heard during the meeting.

“We’re here to find a solution and I feel like we’re hearing what can’t be done, rather than what can be done,” he said.

At the time, NDOT cited budgetary constraints as reasons they were not adding intersection controls at intersections on the highway.

Discussion about a needed traffic signal at the intersection of Highway 50 and Fortune Drive included a statement by an NDOT representative who said a signal was not going to be installed because the intersection did not meet the criteria or warrant based on traffic studies of the area.

Ismel Garza, a NDOT assistant engineer, said at the 2014 meeting that a traffic signal was not needed at the intersection.

“A signal light is not a safety device, it is a control device, and our objectives are zero fatalities and to enhance safety,” he said.

Fortune Drive is the main access to the residential area of Sutro (Heights), along with Sutro Elementary School.

A traffic signal was installed at the intersection in 2015.

Newly elected Sheriff Brad Pope is promising to increase patrols on county roadways, including US 50, and said he will create a traffic safety and enforcement team to help reduce fatal accidents and deal with traffic violations.

“Lyon County has the third highest fatal accidents (rate) in the state of Nevada,” Pope said.

In his message of the week for Jan. 27 on his Facebook page Brad Pope Lyon County Sheriff, he informed residents of saturation patrols by deputies, which he said will focus on catching drunk drivers and other offenders in communities such as Fernley and Dayton.

Pope described a saturation patrol as a patrol approach used by law enforcement in which a large number of officers are placed in a particular location.

“Currently we are planning on operating saturation patrols on a rotating basis,” Pope said.

In addition, Pope said he will work with the Nevada State Police to help keep the public safe.

Staffing is an issue for the agency, and the union representing state troopers recently warned state lawmakers that the number of vacant positions on the force is problematic.

Information from the department of public safety indicates 123 out of 389 officer positions were unfilled as of January.

Some NSP substations are without troopers, and low pay is cited as one of the reasons jobs are not being filled. Starting pay for state troopers is just over $21 hourly, compared to an average of more than $26 for all police agencies in the state, according to 8newsnow.com.

Nicknamed the Loneliest Road in America by Life Magazine in 1986, Highway 50 cuts through Dayton, which is said to be Nevada’s first settlement.

Genoa, in Douglas County, also claims the title.

Dayton has attracted many newcomers in recent years due to its reputation as an affordable bedroom community for those who commute to Carson City, Reno or the nearby Tahoe Regional Industrial Center.

The unincorporated community has an estimated population of more than 16,000. It had an estimated population of about 9,000 in 1990, according to the census. The numbers represent a 44 percent increase in population, according to worldpopulationreview.com.

With an area exceeding 2,000 square-miles, Lyon County has seen its population swell by nearly 17 percent from 2010 to present, according to the website.

The perils of driving on highway 50 are a common topic of conversation among those on social media sites like Nextdoor, and the Facebook page Dayton Peeps.

Some commenters refer to the roadway as “death highway,” in their posts — which include detailed descriptions of speeding drivers, accidents, and near accidents on the roadway.

Several new housing developments, such as Gold Country Estates, are being built and will be completed in Dayton in the coming years. The apartments on Pine Cone Road, will include 150 units.

Work is also continuing on Copper Canyon II, and new housing has filled in open space on Dayton Valley Road near Dayton High School, and near Fort Churchill Road and Riverview Elementary School.

Intersection Control Options

Opinions vary as to whether traffic signals or roundabouts are more efficient intersection controls. Roundabouts are a more cost-effective method of intersection control upon their installation, but they are not as desirable in terms of safety when used on roadways with high-speed limits, according to driverknowledgetests.com.

With no visual cue as is displayed with traffic signals, the use of roundabouts can lead to motorists not slowing down in time to negotiate the turn. This can contribute to late braking and accidents.

In addition, roundabouts are less efficient than traffic signals in heavy traffic due to traffic clogging the roadway and making a slow entry into the roundabout, according to the site. Vehicles can also block other vehicles from entering, which further adds to the back-up.

Retired Lyon County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeff Peebles said he does not support the idea of installing roundabouts as a method of traffic control on Highway 50 in Dayton.

“I was living out here when (the U.S. 50) was a two-lane road,” Peebles stated at last year's town hall meeting. “One thing I don’t think we need is roundabouts. Over here, we call them the circus, and that’s what they are. People don’t know how to drive them.”

One of the arguments for installing traffic signals to control intersections is that it allows programming to track traffic flows and calibrate timing of the light from green to yellow to red promoting a smooth flow of traffic, according to the site.

Other arguments for the use of traffic signals are improving pedestrian safety by allowing individuals to cross a road at appropriate intervals, and the need for less land for installation compared to the amount needed for a roundabout.

Traffic signals are preferable, the site continues, when one direction of travel has a higher traffic volume than the other, making a roundabout a challenge to enter.

Finally, traffic signals are better for complex intersections, which are intersections with several major streets. Motorists can get confused at these intersections, according to driverknowledgetests.com.

Taylor Allison, Lyon County Communications Manager, said the county is working with NDOT along with developers to deal with safety and improvements on Highway 50 through Dayton as quickly as possible.

“The safety of our community’s residents and visitors is our top priority. It’s important that any improvements made do not worsen traffic safety issues and achieve a common goal,” she said.

She added the efforts of Sheriff Pope to increase local law enforcement presence by restructuring the sheriff’s office and recruiting new officers will help to keep the roadway safe.

Allison cited Pope’s message of the week from March 3 in which Pope noted the average response time for emergency calls has been reduced due to the hard work of deputies and dispatchers. In addition, the message stated, there are 8 new deputies in training that will help bolster staffing levels after they have completed training.

“Right now, we are working to address the immediate needs of our residents and flood-related concerns with upcoming storms and ahead of Spring thaw, but we will have additional information to provide related to the Dayton 50 corridor and (will be) working with NDOT in the coming weeks,” Allison said.

Despite the availability of federal funding to help pay for transportation projects in the Silver state, Ragonese said another barrier is federal and state fuel tax rates that have not been modified since the early 1990s.

She also stated construction costs are up 96 percent and that the number of miles traveled on Nevada’s roadways has increased by about 30 percent from 2008 to 2018.

That number is expected to increase by another 30 percent over the next 10 years, Ragonese added.

The federal tax on gasoline is more than 18 cents per gallon and exceeds 24 cents per gallon for diesel fuel. The federal excise tax on fuel is not adjusted for inflation, according to thebalancemoney.com.

Drivers in Nevada pay nearly 24 cents per gallon in state fuel taxes, which is less per gallon than drivers pay in 36 states.

Recent safety improvements have been made on Highway 50 in Dayton, including the addition of a traffic signal in 2015 at the intersection with Fortune Drive. Raised turn islands were also installed to help protect motorists as they turn to enter or leave the Smith’s shopping center at Retail Drive, Ragonese said.