Group proposes transportation projects for Nevada’s economic recovery

A Washington, D.C.-based research group on Wednesday announced 40 top transportation projects Nevada must pursue in order to put road crews and related businesses back to work and pull itself out of the recession.

Unfortunately, the projects have yet to receive financial support from state legislators or the federal government.

Members of the research group TRIP joined state and local transit experts to urge state legislators to make transportation funding a priority and also to push for a federal transportation bill that would reauthorize surface transportation projects.

Although Nevada's budget deficit hovers around $1.6 billion and it is likely every state will aggressively pursue the federal funding, TRIP policy director Frank Moretti said, adding that this is a "window of opportunity" to accomplish the capital endeavors.

"The projects can be done at a much more reduced cost than they could a few years out," Moretti said, suggesting that companies are so eager to put employees back to work they will submit more affordable bids just to land the jobs.

TRIP is a nonprofit group funded in part by businesses involved in highway engineering, construction and finance; labor unions; and transportation organizations. Moretti said the group's members have nothing to do with the study's conclusions.

Rudy Malfabon, deputy director of the Nevada Department of Transportation, and Jacob Snow, general manager of the Regional Transportation Commission, said TRIP's findings are in line with their priorities, which have not been fulfilled in large part because of a lack of money.

The current Interstate 15 design-build south project will cost $246 million to complete and the funding source is unusual for highway projects, Malfabon said. Most of the financial support will come from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority via hotel room taxes.

Malfabon said his agency requests funding from state legislators, but does not have a say in how the money is raised. Some states increase gasoline taxes, which Nevada has not done since 1993, or boost license plate fees. During the last session, lawmakers increased the government services taxes on registration renewals by changing the depreciation values on which taxes are based.

The state transportation department has billions of dollars in projects ready to go, but they lack funding, he said.

"One thing we need is the transportation bill to have the assurance we'll be reimbursed by the federal government," Malfabon said.

The agency already has started or completed phases of the some of the priority projects. Projects listed as No. 1 and No. 3 on the list, for example, are part of the Interstate 15 design-build endeavor.

The rest of the top 10 proposed projects in Clark County are widening Las Vegas Boulevard between St. Rose Parkway and Sunset Road; widening I-15 between Blue Diamond Road and Sloan Road; constructing interchanges at I-15 and Cactus Avenue, Sloan Road, Bermuda Road and Starr Avenue; building an overpass on Pebble Road; and completing a system-to-system interchange on I-15 to Interstate 215 in North Las Vegas.

The transportation officials agreed that the projects would not only put construction workers back to work and improve business to suppliers of materials, but they will benefit existing businesses along the roads on the list.

"Businesses operate more efficiently when there is good access, people knowing they can get to places quickly and reliably," Moretti said.

Contact reporter Adrienne Packer at apacker@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904.