Former AASHTO President and Utah Department of Transportation Executive Director Tom Warne has been tabbed to consult a Nevada transportation board task force to analyze the state’s future highway needs and financing options, the Las Vegas Sun reports.
The task force is in the midst of completing a report slated to be delivered to the state legislature in 2007. The Sun reports the task force is scheduled to meet Jan. 26, 2006. The group is trying to determine if Nevadans will support tax increases to help pay for highway projects.
Previously, Nevada Transportation Director Jeff Fontaine gave the task force a report showing that Nevada—with state, federal and local gasoline taxes of 52 cents a gallon—has the fifth highest rate in the U.S. Nevada trails Hawaii’s 59 cents and Alaska, at 30 cents a gallon, has the lowest levy, the Sun reports.
Gov. Kenny Guinn chairs the state transportation board that formed the task force. Guinn said the state is undertaking the largest highway-construction program in Nevada history. However, come 2008, the state is projected to experience a $2.4 billion shortfall through 2014 to build and maintain roadways, the Sun reports.
If the state doesn’t raise taxes, the construction program will likely have to be scaled back.
