Study Website/Virtual Meetings

Visit NVTransportationFuture.org to learn more about the Nevada Sustainable Transportation Funding Study and to view meeting information and live meeting video. 

Visit our public involvement calendar here to learn more information, review the meeting agenda, and view the meeting. 

Overview

The Nevada legislature recently passed Assembly Bill 413 requiring the Nevada Department of Transportation to convene an Advisory Working Group (AWG) to study issues related to sustainable transportation funding. The AWG must prepare and submit a written report describing its activities, findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the Nevada legislature by December 31, 2022. 

The AWG will study the multimodal transportation needs of the state and recommend funding options that provide long-term financial sustainability for Nevada's transportation system, including the State Highway Fund, while also taking into account the needs for social and user equity and the imperative to reduce GHG emissions from the transportation sector. The AWG will also consider the role that land use and smart growth strategies can play in transportation costs, reducing emissions, improving system efficiency and equity.

Advisory Working Group Members

The AWG will be composed of a minimum of 20 members (with a maximum of 30 members) that represent the various public, civic, business, and social sectors throughout Nevada. Included among the membership are entities or individuals that have specific knowledge of (or responsibility for) managing a financially and environmentally sustainable statewide, multimodal transportation network. The AWG membership must be representative of the geographic areas and ethnic groups of Nevada. At a minimum, AB 413 requires specific representation from the following sectors and organizations:

(a) Metropolitan planning organizations; 
(b) Environmental agencies and organizations; 
(c) Clean energy; 
(d) Tax policy expertise; 
(e) Local, county, tribal, state and federal agencies with expertise in transportation and clean energy; 
(f) The Chairs of the Nevada Senate and Assembly Standing Committees on Growth and Infrastructure; 
(g) Organized labor;
(h) Local chambers of commerce; 
(i) The Nevada Resort Association;
(j) Entities that represent or promote the interests of minority groups in Nevada.

Role of AWG Members

To effectively carry out their mission, members will provide information and convey their organization or sector’s perspectives to help the AWG better understand challenges, impacts and opportunities for new transportation funding approaches. After considering the research, analysis, and findings, AWG members will work to form general consensus around viable funding options for Nevada’s transportation system.

Research and Work Plan 

While a more detailed work plan will be developed once AWG members have been appointed, the scope of research is expected to include the following: 

• Assessment of the current funding levels and forecasted transportation infrastructure and service needs among all modes: state highways; local roadways; urban transit; interurban and rural public transportation; bicycle lanes; pedestrian routes; etc;
• Review of transportation funding mechanisms in Nevada, and a scan of funding mechanisms used in other states and countries;
• Review of Nevada’s energy and environmental sustainability goals and programs, particularly related to GHG emissions from the transportation sector;
• Exploration of different funding methods, including specific investigation of two different approaches for collecting usage fees from vehicle owners;
• Consideration of the role that land use policies and “smart growth” strategies might play in helping create a more sustainable transportation system.

Anticipated Schedule

To successfully deliver a final report to the Nevada legislature by December 2022, this project will be launched by July 1, 2021. The timeline shown below is an estimate only – a more exact schedule will be adopted once the AWG members have been appointed and consulted.

Interested in Serving on the Advisory Working Group?

If you are interested in serving on the AWG representing an entity, organization, sector, or community in Nevada, please go to our AWG information and application portal page here for more information. 

If you have questions related to the AWG, please contact the NDOT Public Information Office at info@dot.nv.gov.