Acknowledgements
The Connecting Nevada project would not have been possible without the guidance and input of a
number of stakeholders who demonstrate a commitment to making Nevada’s transportation system the
best it can be every day. For over a year and a half numerous individuals, organizations, and staff members
have played the most important part in Connecting Nevada.
A special thank you to Charles Kajkowski, former City of Las Vegas Public Works Director. Mr. Kajkowski’s
vision for Nevada’s transportation future helped inspire the effort that led to Connecting Nevada.
Connecting Nevada Partners
The Connecting Nevada Stakeholders that participated in this effort are listed below in alphabetical order.
Aggregate Industries
Douglas County Police Department
American Magline Group
Econ. Development Authority of Western Nevada
AT&T
Ely City Council
Bureau of Land Management
Ely Times
Bureau of Reclamation
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Caesars Entertainment
EP Minerals, LLC
California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission
Esmeralda County
Carson City Chamber of Commerce
Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe
Churchill County
Federal Highway Administration
Focus Property Group
Road Department
Churchill County Communications
Friends of Nevada Wilderness
City of Elko
Greyhound Bus Lines
City of Fallon
Henderson Chamber of Commerce
City of Fernley
Henderson Police Department
City of Henderson
Howard Hughes Corporation
City of Las Vegas
Hub Group
City of Mesquite
Humboldt County
City of North Las Vegas
Las Vegas Arts District Neighborhood Association
City of Sparks
Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce
City of Winnemucca
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
Clark County
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
Dept. of Air Quality and Envi. Management;
Las Vegas Monorail
Department of Aviation; Fire Department;
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Planning; Public Works;
Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD)
Regional Flood Control District;
Lincoln County
Water Reclamation District
Lincoln County Fire Department
Cox Communications
Marnell Companies
Desert Cab Co.
Mesquite Fire Department
Desert Research Institute (DRI)
Mineral County
Douglas County
Muscle Powered
Connecting Nevada
April 15, 2013
MWH Global
Reno Sparks Indian Colony
NCSI
Reno/Sparks Chamber of Commerce
Nellis Air Force Base
Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority
Nevada Army National Guard
Renown Rehabilitation Hospital
Nevada Association of Counties
Republic Services
Nevada Commission on Terrorism
Sierra Club and Sierra Club, Toiyabe Chapter
Nevada Commission on Tourism
Southern Nevada Homebuilders Association
Nevada Conservation League
Southern Nevada Transit Coalition
Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT)
Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA)
Nevada Department of Wildlife
SouthWest Action Network (SWAN)
Nevada Division of Forestry
Southwest Gas Corporation
Nevada Division of State Lands
Spectrum Surveying and Engineering
Nevada Highway Patrol
Spring Creek Property Owners Association
Nevada Legislature
Stantec Consulting Services Inc
Nevada Manufacturers Association
State Historic Preservation Office
Nevada Mining Association
Storey County
Nevada Motor Transport Association
Tahoe Fire Department
Nevada Petroleum Marketers Association
Tahoe Pyramid Bikeway
Nevada State Demographer
Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
Nevada State Legislature
Tahoe Transportation District
Nevada State Office of Energy
The Smith Center for the Performing Arts
Nevada Subcontractors Association
Town of Gardnerville
Nevada Wilderness Project
Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency
North Las Vegas Police Department
Truckee Meadows Water Authority
Northern Nevada Counter Terrorism
Truckee River Flood Management Authority
Northern Nevada Railway
Northern Transport
Truckee-North Tahoe Transportation Management
Association
NV Energy
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
NV Trucking Association
U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
Nye County
U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Pacific Southwest Region
Outside Las Vegas Foundation
U.S. Green Building Council, Nevada Chapter
Paiute Pipeline Company
United States Postal Service (USPS)
Pershing County Police Department
UNLV Transportation Research Center
Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN)
Urban Chamber of Commerce
Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
Valley Electric Association, Inc.
Railroad Foundation
Walker River Paiute Tribe
Red Rock Audubon Society
Washoe County
Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada
Washoe County Health District
RTC of Washoe County
White Pine Tourism and Recreation
REMSA
Wynn Resorts
Connecting Nevada
White Pine County
April 15, 2013
Connecting Nevada Consultants
Brent Cain
previously with HDR Engineering, Inc.
Lolene Terry
HDR
Michael LaBianca
HDR
Michael Gorton
HDR
James Caviola
CA Group, Inc.
Jason Gray
previously with Strategic Solutions
Connecting Nevada
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary
ES-01
The Connecting Nevada Process
1
Introduction2
Planning Partners and Participants
3
Key Issues
12
Connecting Nevada Mission, Principles, and Goals
17
Statewide Transportation Framework
19
Intermodal Facilities
51
Social and Environmental Setting
55
Energy Resources
62
Population and Demographics
64
Economics77
81
Planning Tools
Nevada Statewide Travel Demand Model
83
Connecting Nevada Website
91
Connecting Nevada Webmap
92
Data Compilation
96
Planning and Environmental Linkages
98
The Planning Process
101
Connecting Nevada Implementation Plan
103
Overview103
Current Planning Processes and Requirements
103
Plan Structure
105
Objective of the Implementation Process
105
Connecting Nevada Update Process
107
Department Resource/Processes Assessment
113
Recommendations 115
Appendices
A: List of Technical Advisory Committee and Steering Committee
B: FAF3 Freight Flow Summary
C: FAF3 Commodity Flows
D: FAF3 Pass-Through Commodity Flows
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A-2
A-3
A-4
A-12
April 15, 2013
List of Tables
Table 1. DRAFT Connecting Nevada List of Projects
28
Table 2. Top 10 Destinations of Freight Flows from Nevada (2010)
40
Table 3. Top 10 Origins of Freight Flows to Nevada (2010)
41
Table 4. Demographics of Nevada
65
Table 5. Population Projections for Washoe County
66
Table 6. Population and Employment Projections for Reno/Sparks Urban Area 67
Table 7. Population Projections for Nevada (based on a 2010 estimate)
68
Table 8. Employment Projections for Nevada with Low Job Growth
69
Table 9. Nevada Counties Future Employment Growth Trends
74
Table 10. Population and Employment Projections of Neighboring States
76
Table 11. Sources of Webmap Data Layers 93
Table 12. Suitability Analysis Criteria Weighting
95
Table 13. Connecting Nevada Update Process Resources
Connecting Nevada
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110
April 15, 2013
List of Figures
Figure 1. Nevada’s Metropolitan Planning Organizations
3
Figure 2. Connecting Nevada Base Roadway Network
20
Figure 3. Roadway Improvement Projects
35
Figure 4. Transit Improvement Projects
36
Figure 5. Nevada’s 2010 Surface Commodity Flows, by Ton
42
Figure 6. Nevada’s 2010 Surface Commodity Flows, by Value
43
Figure 7. Nevada Freight Mode, by Value and Tonnage
45
Figure 8. 2010 Nevada Surface Freight Traffic, by Value
46
Figure 9. 2010 Nevada Surface Freight Traffic, by Volume
46
Figure 10. Nevada Freight Forecasts in Volume for Surface Modes, 2010 to 2060 48
Figure 11. Nevada Freight Forecast in Value f or Surface Modes, 2010 to 2060
49
Figure 12. Land Ownership
57
Figure 13. Biophysical Environment
61
Figure 14. Solar Energy Potential
63
Figure 15. Population and Employment of Las Vegas Area.
67
Figure 16. 2010 Estimated Population Density
70
Figure 17. 2060 Projected Population Density
71
Figure 18. 2010 Estimated Employment Density
72
Figure 19. 2060 Projected Employment Density
73
Figure 20. Nevada’s Neighboring States
76
Figure 21. Nevada’s Statewide Travel Demand Model Area
84
Figure 22. Nevada’s Statewide Travel Demand Model Network
85
Figure 23. 2060 Forecast Traffic Congestion
87
Figure 24. Coyote Springs Travel Demand Model Scenario
88
Figure 25. NVTDM User Interface
89
Figure 26. Sparks Intermodal Rail Facility
90
Figure 27. The Connecting Nevada Website
91
Figure 28. Screen Capture of the Connecting Nevada Web Map
92
Figure 29. Current NDOT State Planning Process
105
Figure 30. Connecting Nevada Process and Interface with Current State
Planning Process
113
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Connecting Nevada
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April 15, 2013