Legislation produces more than 40,000 jobs at no cost

April 17, 2008

Washington, DC –Nevada Senator Harry Reid today announced the passage of the highway corrections bill, bringing home nearly $55 million in transportation funding to Nevada this year. This bill will now be sent to President Bush.

Technical corrections to the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), signed into law in 2005, will free up approximately $1 billion in projects which, in turn, produce more than 40,000 jobs at no additional cost.

Projects throughout Nevada that will receive funding include:

• $45 million for Maglev. The money will help fund an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for this rail system that will safely and efficiently move people between southern California and Las Vegas.
• $4-6 million for the Lake Tahoe Metro Planning Organization for the restoration and protection of the Lake Tahoe Basin
• $2 million for the Southern Regional Transportation Commission
• $2 million for the Ely railroad (this effort was led by Sen. John Ensign)

"These important projects will now be able to move forward with the funding they need," Reid said. "I'm happy to be able to bring this money home to Nevada to help meet the ever-growing transportation needs of communities throughout our state."