Progress on RTC projects funded under the Recovery Act
The $11 million Centennial Hills Transit Center and Park & Ride facility is one of the first transportation projects in Southern Nevada to be completed using Recovery Act funds. Work started shortly after Recovery Act funding became available. At the peak of construction, the project was sustaining over 70 full-time jobs. By the time the facility opened in March this year the project had generated nearly 80,000 job-hours of work, contributing $4,800,000 in payroll to the local economy.
Another $5.5 million in Recovery Act funds is helping the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) move ahead with the new $14 million Bonneville Transit Center in downtown Las Vegas. At present, this project is sustaining the equivalent of 30 full-time jobs and has generated nearly 28,000 job-hours of work, contributing $1,100,000 in payroll to the local economy.
Construction has recently started on the RTC’s Boulder Highway Bus Rapid Transit line, which is to receive $19 million in Recovery Act funding. The design and pre-construction work on this project generated nearly 7,000 job-hours of work, contributing $300,000 in payroll to the local economy.
Three other projects, expected to use some $20 million in ARRA funds, are now being advertised for
bids and should start in the next couple of months. These include the landscaping of I-15 between
M.L.King and Rainbow, the resurfacing of 8 miles of US.95 north of Kyle Canyon Rd, and the
Laughlin/Searchlight Welcome Center.
American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009. It is an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, create or save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21st century. The ARRA was an extraordinary response to the recession and included several measures to modernize our nation's infrastructure.
There are nationwide transportation investments using the ARRA funds totaling $34 billion; $27.5 billion dollars toward highway and bridge projects and $6.9 billion dollars for transit projects. Southern Nevada has been allocated $39 million dollars for highway projects and $34 million dollars for transit projects. The RTC, in cooperation with local jurisdictions, developed a prioritized list of projects for funding under the ARRA allocations.
Projects in Southern Nevada
The local roadway and transit projects to be funded through ARRA in Southern Nevada were approved by the RTC Board of Commissioners on Thursday, March 12, 2009.
Approved ARRA Highway and Transit Project List for Southern Nevada (PDF)
Approved ARRA Highway and Transit Project Map
The RTC developed these local priorities in cooperation with the local jurisdictions of Clark County, Boulder City, Henderson, Las Vegas, Mesquite and North Las Vegas. This collaborative effort identified specific projects that would help achieve the objectives of the ARRA.
ARRA funds will be used for projects that will create jobs in Southern Nevada and help reinvigorate the local economy. The available roadway funding will go to maintenance and pavement preservation projects that are particularly effective at creating jobs. These projects can be started quickly, which is a major goal of the ARRA. Distributing the available funds over several projects will ensure that all parts of the Southern Nevada region will benefit from the ARRA investment.
The funds for transit that RTC receives under ARRA will be spent primarily on construction. ARRA funds will be used to construct dedicated transit lanes for the Bus Rapid Transit along Boulder Highway, the new downtown transportation terminal (PDF), and a park and ride facility (PDF) at US 95 and Durango Drive.
The local roadway and transit projects to be funded through the ARRA in Southern Nevada were approved by the RTC Board on March 12, 2009.
NDOT Projects
The ARRA provided $135 million that the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) can use for road and bridge projects anywhere in the State of Nevada. The State Transportation Board has approved a list of these projects, several of which are located in Southern Nevada.
Initially approved ARRA NDOT Projects List for Southern Nevada (PDF)
Initially approved ARRA NDOT Projects Map
The NDOT list has been updated as cost estimates have been refined to ensure that all of the available funds can be committed to projects within ARRA deadlines. All ARRA funds allocated to Nevada for road and bridge projects have now been obligated (committed). View the exact list of obligated projects maintained by the Federal Highway Administration.
More information on Nevada’s ARRA program may be viewed at:www.nevadadot.com/projects/stimulus.
The ARRA TIGER Program
The ARRA included $1.5 billion program known as Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) to fund major multi-modal investments nationwide. The RTC applied for $40 million to fund the development of bus rapid transit along Sahara Avenue: Sahara Avenue TIGER application.
In February 2010, it was announced that this was to be one of 51 projects nationwide chosen to receive funding under this program. The full announcement of funding awards is on the Department of Transportation (DOT) Web site at http://www.dot.gov/documents/finaltigergrantinfo.pdf.
On March 11, 2010 the RTC awarded the design contract and construction is expected to start later in the year. The project is to be completed by February 2012.
The Transportation Improvement Program
Funds provided under the ARRA are additional to the regular federal highway and transit funds received by the State, Metropolitan Planning Organizations and transit agencies each year. These are listed in the Transportation Improvement Program for Fiscal Years 2009-2012 (PDF)
ARRA Reports and Certifications
The State and Transit Agencies are required to make a number of certifications and reports on progress in implementing the ARRA. Progress reports may be viewed at http://www.recovery.gov
Governor Gibbons signed a letter certifying that the State of Nevada will accept the funds made available under ARRA on March 10, 2009. See Section 1607 Certification
Susan Martinovich, Director of Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) signed a letter on March 16, 2009, certifying that ARRA projects have received the review and vetting required by law and that they are an appropriate use of taxpayer funds. There have been several recent updates which are included in the January 28, 2010 NDOT Section 1511 Certification.
Susan Martinovich, Director of Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) signed a letter on March 16, 2009, certifying that ARRA projects have received the review and vetting required by law and that they are an appropriate use of taxpayer funds. There have been several recent updates, included in the NDOT Section 1511 Certification
Jacob Snow, General Manager of the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada signed a letter on March 27, 2009, certifying that ARRA projects have received the review and vetting required by law and that they are an appropriate use of taxpayer funds. An updated certification was submitted March 22, 2010: RTC Section 1511 Certification.
The Office of Management and Budget requires quarterly reporting of progress under Section 1512 of the Recovery Act: Information included in the S.1512 Report for the quarter ending March 31, 2010.
The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives requests monthly reporting of the jobs created under the Recovery Act: Report to the T and I Committee the month of July, 2010.
