Nevada may receive $1.7 billion for transportation

Suzanne Struglinski

Thursday, Nov. 20, 2003 | 9:30 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Nevada stands to gain $1.7 billion in transportation programs in the House version of a major transportation bill unveiled Wednesday. Congress hopes to pass the bill by next March.

The Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, or TEA-LU for short, reauthorizes $375 billion worth of federal highways, public transportation and other programs through 2009. That's a 72 percent increase over the previous bill passed in 1998 and 52 percent more than the administration's request.

"Under this version of the highway bill, Nevada will receive nearly $2 billion over the next six years for highway and transit projects and as many as 20,000 jobs will be created as a result of this investment," said Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., who sits on the House Transportation Committee.

Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., also holds a seat on the committee that will oversee the bill. Porter's spokesman, Adam Mayberry, said he will have more influence on the bill than other freshman members since he is on the committee. Porter aims to get plenty of money authorized for the Las Vegas Monorail, the Hoover Dam bypass bridge and other transportation projects.

In addition to the $1.7 billion for highway funding, the proposed bill also includes an additional $250 million for transit projects such as the Las Vegas Monorail, Bus Rapid Transit and the CAT Bus system. This is an increase from the $1.2 billion for road projects and $123 million for transit approved in 1998, according to Berkley's office.

"The growth of Las Vegas and the demands placed on our transportation system by more than 30 million visitors each year have created an urgent need to build more roads and invest more in public transportation and this bill will do both," Berkley said.