Transportation secretary does some fact-finding around LV

Monday, Aug. 20, 2001 | 11:11 a.m.

Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, Sen. Harry Reid, Gov. Kenny Guinn and other federal, state and local policymakers got a bird's-eye view of transportation issues affecting Southern Nevada this morning.

Local elected officials welcomed Mineta, one of the few Democrats in the Bush administration, and appealed to him for help in one of the most critical issues facing the region: moving around, in the air or on the ground.

The group, which also included Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, flew in a Nevada Air National Guard Chinook helicopter over the Las Vegas Valley and south along Interstate 15 to the California state line.

The tour -- a fact-finding mission for Mineta -- was about "traffic in general," Guinn said before the flight.

"Starting at the Spaghetti Bowl and moving in all directions," transportation issues are critical to the region -- both for quality of life and for the health of the local economy, Guinn said.

"Transportation is our most compelling issue in the Las Vegas Valley," Goodman agreed. "It affects every area of our lives."

Reid, D-Nev., said the importance of effective transportation systems grows with each passing day and year.

"We have as many as 10,000 people moving here each month," Reid said.

At the airport, Reid pointed out that last year the airport handled 37 million passengers.

"In five or six years, we're going to have to be able to handle 55 million a year," the Democrat said.

The officials also got a view of what Clark County Department of Aviation officials hope will provide a safety valve for busy McCarran International Airport, which should reach capacity by 2010.

The officials saw the dry lake bed near the California state line where airport planners hope to put the $1 billion Ivanpah Valley Airport in 2010 or 2011.

Mineta said he is aware of the issues affecting Southern Nevada and the whole country. He said he has a special affinity for this area, since as a former congressman and San Jose, Calif., mayor, he dealt with similar growth issues next door to Nevada.

The Bush administration can help with transportation problems, he said.

One thing that the local leaders said they would like to see is funding for everything from highway maintenance to Las Vegas Beltway construction and superspeed trains to California to new airports.

Mineta didn't make any promises, but didn't rule out any funding needs, either. He said the Transportation Department also is ready to help ease local transportation needs in other ways, including helping to expedite environmental impact reporting requirements.

He said his department can speed transportation improvements in others ways, including clearing the way with other federal departments when work needs to be done.