Nevada Department of Transportation Deputy Director William Hoffman told Humboldt County Commissioners that the state takes very seriously the input they receive from their yearly meeting with each county. "We're very interested in hearing what your transportation needs are," Hoffman said.
NDOT personnel brought representatives from the State Transportation Board to the meeting, including former Humboldt County commissioner Tom Fransway and State Controller Kim Wallin. District Three District Engineer Kevin Lee, Maintenance Manager Jim Arbones, Maintenance Supervisor Andy Rodrigues and Jason Van Havel from the planning staff also traveled to Winnemucca for the presentation. Local area Assistant District Engineer Dave Lindeman, who lives in Winnemucca, was on hand as well.
Commissioners didn't have much input for the state department of transportation officials, beyond wondering how current problems with federal highway funding may affect NDOT projects planned for Humboldt County.
"The federal transportation funding bill ("Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century - MAP 21) is coming to a close in September of this year," said Hoffman. "We're hoping Congress will extend it or do a continuing resolution; either of those options leaves funding the same," he explained.
Neither option would be as positive as Congressional passage of a multi-year transportation funding bill, which would make it easier to do long-term planning for state transportation projects. However, a more serious problem, the National Highway Trust Fund's insolvency, will stop the flow of federal funding to states even before MAP 21 authorization is scheduled to end.
The state is already putting contingency plans in place to continue operating its transportation department, at least for now, even if federal funds fail.
"The federal highway trust fund balance is projected to go into the red by August," said Hoffman.
"We have worked with our transportation board of directors plus the Lieutenant Governor and Governor and we are planning ahead in case this happens. We want to have a strategic back-up plan in place so the state isn't held up by a lack of federal funding."
State highway funding is in good shape, according to Hoffman. "Our highway fund cash balance is good; they're projecting a two to three percent increase in gas revenues, and the economy seems to be picking up a little; people seem to be driving more," he said.
Places where a lack of federal funding would show up would include bridge repair and replacement and the transportation alternatives program that puts funding directly to local agencies for bicycle and pedestrian trails, safe routes to schools, and recreation-type trails.
Seven of the projects on the state's 10-year list are scheduled for this year. In order of priority, they include:
I-80 state-funded pavement preservation
US 95 chip seal project, also state funded.
Bridge work on Eden Valley Road at the Humboldt River crossing - federally funded, but the state might go forward anyway, because replacement of bridges in poor condition is high on the priority list. Commissioner Dan Cassinelli said he hoped the Eden Valley bridge project would go forward as it's been in the works for several years.
State Route 140, the Denio Road is a state project.
Purchase of chip-seal material for a project next year on State Route 290 Paradise Road.
State Route 787 Hansen Street and State Route 794 East Winnemucca Boulevard and State Route 795 Reinhart Road resurfacing.
Operating expenses grant to the Humboldt County Transporation Service (Winnemucca Senior Center) for rural public bus system.
The commissioners voted to approve the state's10-year plan.
Hoffman also told the commissioners that later this summer, the state will begin holding public hearings and gathering comments from local agencies to codify their road transfer or relinquishment process. Winnemucca is very familiar with the process where state and local agencies swap or work out a deal to transfer ownership and maintenance responsibility for segments of roads.
In Winnemucca, the state and the city are still trying to complete the process and agreements to transfer responsibility to the city for Haskell Street from the Post Office to East Winnemucca Boulevard.
While the state currently has a document that spells out the steps for transferring roads from state to county ownership and responsibility, the federal government is now requiring the state to go through a regulation development process specifically spelling out those steps in a manual and formalizing them into law.
The state has already been working for well over a year with the Nevada Association of Counties and League of Cities and making trips to the rural areas to determine the best ways to work through the relinquishment process.
Contact Joyce Sheen at j.sheen@winnemuccapublishing.net
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