Las Vegas NowTransportation Officials Hoping for Stimulus Money

Transportation Officials Hoping for Stimulus Money

Senator Harry Reid and transportation officials are banking on a proposed economic stimulus bill to improve transportation in the valley and create more jobs. Senator Reid and officials met to look at how the money can help.

More than 60 road and transportation projects have been on hold because of funding, and the Regional Transportation Commission says they need to be completed if we want to keep traffic flowing smoothly. If they were completed, RTC officials say it would greatly improve mobility for residents and visitors.

Jacob Snow is the General Manager at the RTC. He says free flowing roads also help the economy, because people are more willing to get out and drive and when they drive, they will spend money.

Some of the major road projects that need to be expanded are the ACE Boulder Highway Rapid-Transit line, the I-215 Airport Connector and the US-95 from Cheyenne to Nellis. RTC officials say they also need to improve critical corridors along Decatur, Cheyenne and Maryland Parkway.

The cost to finish all of the more than 60 projects is about $1 billion. Officials say if the bill passes and southern Nevada gets the money, completing these road projects will also create jobs.

Snow says for every $1 billion spent on transportation and infrastructure creates more than 47,000 jobs. More people working will push some much-needed revenue to the local economy.

"Communities that make investment in transportation have an economic and social advantage over communities that don't. That's true for our country, and state, and region. If we make an investment in transportation, we have an advantage over places that don't," said Snow.

If the bill passed, RTC officials will be in a time crunch to get things done. They have done the planning, design and environmental study before construction begins. If they don't use the money within six months, the Department of Transportation will take the money back.

But whether southern Nevada will get any federal money from the stimulus package will be up to lawmakers in Washington. They have to pass yet another economic stimulus package after getting backlash about the stimulus that hasn't appeared to help the economy. President Elect Barack Obama says he wants the bill in place so he can sign it the first day he is in office.