SUN EDITORIAL:

A bad traffic jam

Congestion in Las Vegas, poor roads cost Nevadans too much in terms of time, money

Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009 | 2:07 a.m.

The state’s inadequate and poorly maintained roads and highways, coupled with rush-hour traffic, cost Nevadans $1.8 billion a year in extra vehicle operating costs and lost time, according to a report released this week.

The study by TRIP, a nonprofit Washington transportation group, calculated an annual cost of $1,481 for the average Las Vegas Valley driver.

The group reported that 13 percent of the state’s roads and highways are either poor or mediocre. It also said that, as of 2007, Nevada ranked fourth in the nation in the share of congested highways and interstates. The congestion in Las Vegas makes a rush-hour trip 30 percent longer than the same trip during nonpeak times.

None of this, of course, is a surprise to anyone who drives in Las Vegas.

Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, who has served in the Legislature for nearly 40 years, put his finger on the underlying problem: “Our highway budget has been going down while demands on the system have been steadily increasing.”

Unfortunately, Gov. Jim Gibbons has been reluctant to do much about the congestion and the problems with the state’s roads and highways. For example, during the 2007 Legislature, he blocked a bill that would have provided full funding for several needed roadway projects. Instead, he agreed to provide only one-fifth of the needed construction costs — and he called that a “win for Nevada.”

Gibbons stopped the original legislation because he said it would raise taxes. What he failed to acknowledge is that Nevadans are paying significant costs because of the inaction to build and properly maintain roads. Increasing taxes to pay for better roads would have resulted in smaller vehicle operating costs and less time wasted waiting in traffic. In other words, because of Gibbons, Nevadans pay the costs without getting any benefit. So much for that “win.”

It could get worse. TRIP notes that without more funding, Nevada’s gridlock will only grow, and it is calling on Congress to increase federal highway funding for the states. Federal funding should be increased, but Nevada should step up and do its part as well.

Discussion: 4 comments so far…

By SgtRock

10/18/09 at 3:07 a.m.

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Quoting a TRIP report is funny.

Go here and see their reports for each state.

http://www.tripnet.org/state.htm

It is almost like that they cut and pasted the report from one state to another state.

According to TRIP, each state's road system is on the verge of total collapse.

Uhhhhh....could it be that TRIP is funded and ran by construction road businesses, executives and contractors.

No way......do they have motive to issue such negative reports on roads????

I wonder....wonder if they have any motive???

What motive could it be???? I wonder????

Could it be GREED??????????
By eccitante

10/18/09 at 7:51 a.m.

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Yep, its greed alright, the same greed that makes politicians constantly raise taxes and waste money with their inefficient bureaucracies. It's easy to be greedy when you can borrow money in someone else's name, spend beyond your means and run huge deficits....
By gmag39

10/18/09 at 5:36 p.m.

Suggest removal

Who needs roads, anyway?
I LOVE being delayed endlessly and driving on rough roads. It's great!
Gym Gibbons. He's Da Man.
By lv2gen

10/18/09 at 5:36 p.m.

Suggest removal

Don't forget that besides increasing costs for asphalt (made from oil) we also have cars that get more miles to the gallon. Aside from the Clark County voter approved hikes that have paid for the I-215 and other projects, Nevada gas taxes haven't been raised in at least 10 years. So if you paid 40 cents in taxes per gallon 10 years ago for a car that traveled 15 miles on that gallon, but now drive a car that gets 25 miles (or more) on that same gallon, the state now actually gets less taxes from you per mile.(40/15=.0267 per mile and 40/25=.016 per mile)

Increased costs+increased travel-lower tax revenue=gridlock. That's simple math that anyone can do. A new revenue stream based on actual use is needed or we're going to sit even longer in traffic.