Bad Roads cost Drivers Big Bucks
RENO — Failing roads in Reno can cost each driver up to $748 in extra vehicle repair and maintenance expense each year. That’s according to a report from TRIP, a transportation research group.
Carolyn Kelly, associate director of research and communications with TRIP, said the report also shows 46 percent of urban roadways in the region are described as being in poor condition. She said tire damage from potholes, glass damage from rocks and extra fuel expense from congestion are major problems with a far-reaching economic impact.
“Oftentimes when companies are looking to either expand or relocate,” Kelly said. “The condition of the transportation system is one of the most important things they consider when they’re looking to move or expand, or rebuild somewhere.”
Kelly said a big part of the problem is cities and counties struggle to maintain crumbling infrastructure with limited funding provided through the gas tax via the state and federal governments.
According to the report, only 11 percent of roads in the Las Vegas area are in poor condition, and drivers pay up to $440 in extra vehicle-related costs each year. Kelly said another problem is that Congress does not have a long-term transportation bill in place, which is likely stalling road projects across the country.
“So without that long-term multi-year bill in place, states don’t have a good grasp on what kind of funding they can expect from the federal government,” said Kelly. “Which makes them reluctant to proceed with large-scale, long-term projects that would be reliant on federal funding.”
According to the TRIP report, bad roads in Los Angeles and San Francisco cost drivers more than $1,000 a year in extra expenses.
Senate deal Could Benefit Public Lands
CARSON CITY — The future appears positive for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a federal program in Nevada that helps to fund a wide range of projects, including the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
A bipartisan deal recently reached in the Senate would extend funding for the 50-year-old program, which is set to expire at the end of September. David Von Seggern, chairman with the Toiyabe Chapter of the Sierra Club, said preserving public lands can help create tourism opportunities.
“We know Nevada has gotten $104 million in the last 50 years from this fund,” said Von Seggern. “Those dollars really get multiplied as they’re used for enhancements and restoration, and so forth, on our public lands.”
Von Seggern added that Nevada has lagged in recent years in pursuing LWCF monies through grant applications and should be more assertive in the process. He said the Sierra Club fully supports renewing the fund, but has broader concerns about the proposed energy legislation that the LWCF funding is part of.
According to the Outdoor Industry Association, outdoor recreation generates $15 billion in consumer spending each year in Nevada and supports nearly 150,000 jobs. Created by Congress, money for the Land and Water Conservation Fund comes from fees paid by oil and gas companies for drilling offshore.
U.S. Interior Department Deputy Secretary Michael Connor said climate change is another factor in the mix adding pressure to better protect dwindling water supplies.
“The dramatic droughts going on in the West and just the fact water resources are most affected by increasing temperatures, there is a renewed focus within the LWCF to specifically look at investments that protect watersheds,” said Connor.
There is legislation in Congress that could permanently fully fund the LWCF at $900 million dollars per year. Congress has a history of raiding the fund for other purposes.