Nevada is one of the first states to obligate all Recovery transportation funds. Click here.
State of Nevada Transportation Information Related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The Recovery Act signed into law by President Obama on February 17th, 2009 includes measures to modernize our nation’s infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief and protect those in greatest need.
Implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act)
- See Nevada Economic Recovery Transportation Projects - Click here
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides approximately $201 million in Nevada highway transportation funding. Thirty percent of these funds are dedicated to local transportation organizations in Clark County and Washoe County. Meanwhile, approximately seven million are allocated to rural areas. The Nevada Department of Transportation worked closely with Governor Jim Gibbons and the State Transportation Board, as well as state legislative leaders and local government partners, to responsibly and equitably utilize transportation funding established in the recovery package to advance jobs and economic growth, as well as provide transportation improvements for the state. Half of economic recovery projects were required to be federally certified for construction within 120 days (approximately mid-June 2009), and the remainder were required to be certified by February 2010. NDOT was able to obligate all Recovery projects within this timeframe to utilize funding made available by the recovery package. Nevada economic recovery transportation projects were selected based on engineering needs and the projects’ ability to advance jobs and economic growth while providing important transportation improvements equitably throughout the state. All projects must fulfill the following parameters established in the federal economic recovery package:
- 50% of economic recovery projects were required to be federally certified for construction within 120 days (approximately mid-June 2009). The remainder were required to be ready within one year and must be able to be completed within three years.
- Project must be on roads normally eligible for federal transportation funds.
- Project must make a structural improvement to the road.
- Project design must be complete.
- Project must be in current, approved local and statewide transportation plans (including STIP).
- Project must have completed environmental clearances/reviews pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act.
- Any needed right-of-way for project must be certified, with ownership and property rights acquired and in the public domain.
- Project must be able to follow all processes for normal federal transportation funding (such as contracting, wage, accounting and other practices).
- Economic stimulus funding must be used to supplement, and not supplant, Nevada’s existing state transportation funding, programs and upcoming projects.
To ensure that Nevada maximized use of economic recovery transportation funds, high-priority highway preservation projects, as well as unfunded, low-cost improvements that will bring large benefits, were selected. Numerous highway preservation projects such as repaving were selected because they provide this high benefit-cost ratio and follow the Nevada Department of Transportation’s Financial Consequence-Based Pavement Management System. This system pro-actively repairs roadways before more costly, time-involved repairs are needed and has, in the past, saved the department up to $42 million per year.
The Nevada Department of Transportation and other partners hosted workshops in Las Vegas and Reno to provide additional information for contractors, subcontractors and vendors interested in bidding on recovery act projects. These workshops were part of NDOT's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program's (www.nevadadbe.com) initiative to provide highway project opportunities for small, woman-owned and disadvantaged businesses.
Reporting
To provide transparent and accountable use of current state highway funds, the Nevada Department of Transportation reports quarterly on major state transportation projects. NDOT will adhere to the same values of transparency and accountability for funds spent under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by reporting in the following ways:
- This Web site will provide updates on recovery project information.
- NDOT will provide reports to the federal government detailing economic recovery project evaluations by project, by amount and by employment created.
- Project updates will be provided to the State Transportation Board.
The Future
Transportation projects are an investment in our country, our economy, our workforce and our future, and the Nevada Department of Transportation is proud to move Nevada’s transportation, economy and employment forward with these important transportation programs funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The following outlines NDOT’s role in fulfilling the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:
- Utilize Nevada’s approximately $201 million in economic recovery transportation funding to advance jobs and economic growth through transportation projects across the state.
- Oversee advertisement, administration and construction of state economic recovery improvement projects.
- Continue to coordinate with local governments to help invest economic recovery funding directed to local transportation agencies.
- Aggressively plan to utilize any recovery funding unable to be used by other states.
- Pursue grant money established in the recovery act to advance additional projects that will improve Nevada transportation and job opportunities.
- Fully utilize normal annual federal funding to further capacity (widening) and other transportation improvements not funded through economic recovery funding.