MINUTES OF THE

      SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

 

      Sixty-seventh Session

      January 28, 1993

 

 

 

The Senate Committee on Transportation was called to order by Chairman William R. O'Donnell, at 2:00 p.m., on Thursday, January 28, 1993, in Room 226 of the Legislative Building, Carson City, Nevada.  Exhibit A is the Meeting Agenda.  Exhibit B is the Attendance Roster.

 

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

Senator William R. O'Donnell, Chairman

Senator Lawrence E. Jacobsen, Vice Chairman

Senator Mark A. James

Senator Leonard V. Nevin

Senator Joseph M. Neal, Jr.

Senator Thomas J. Hickey

Senator Lori L. Brown

 

STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

Paul Mouritsen, Research Analyst

Terri Jo Wittenberg, Committee Secretary

 

OTHERS PRESENT:

 

Mr. Garth Dull, Director, Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT)

Mr. Shaun D. Carey, Public Works Director, City of Sparks

Mr. John M. Loete, P.E., Maintenance Engineer, Public Works Department, City of Reno

Ms. Mary E. Henderson, Washoe County

Mr. Steve Varela, P.E., City Engineer, City of Reno

 

Mr. Garth Dull, Director, Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) gave a report to the committee on some of the severe pothole conditions around northern Nevada.

 

Mr. Dull said one the most severely affected areas of the state was Interstate 80, particularly between Keystone Avenue in Reno and the California state line.  Mr. Dull said this area had been targeted for immediate action and repair and he expected this area would be up to a serviceable condition within a week.  He added that this area was scheduled for full reconstruction this summer. 

 

 

Mr. Dull estimated the temporary repairs needed now would cost about $200,000 and this estimate could climb during the repair process. 

 

Chairman O'Donnell told Mr. Dull he had a person call him that morning to tell him they had been traveling from California to Nevada on I-80 and that the road on the California side was "fine" and as soon as they got to the Nevada state line it was "pothole city" from there until they got to Reno.  Chairman O'Donnell asked why these conditions existed.

 

Mr. Dull responded he thought the pavement was older on the Nevada side and they were not constructed at the same time and that could account for the difference.  He added the pavement may be over 10 years old in some of those areas and some of the pavement on the California side are made of concrete.

 

Chairman O'Donnell asked if the weather was a problem during the  repair process. 

 

Mr. Dull said the weather could definitely be a problem and this was not the ideal climate to be repairing the roadway and when asphalt is laid the temperature should be at least 40 degrees.

 

Senator Nevin reiterated this was not the weather to be laying asphalt and whatever repairs are done will not last if we have another snow storm.

 

Mr. Dull said the NDOT had identified about 340 miles in the northern part of the state where there is severe potholing and all of his crews were working overtime to correct this situation when they are not working on snow removal.

 

Senator James asked if NDOT had identified the cause of the problem. 

 

Mr. Dull said this had been a very severe winter and much more severe than anyone could have predicted, just as no one could have predicted the six years of drought which extended the life of many of those pavements.

 

Chairman O'Donnell asked about the funding involved in repairing the roads.  He asked if this would cut into money the NDOT would ordinarily be using for the restoration and renovation of existing roads in the summer. 

 

Mr. Dull said it may impact the funds available for the reconstruction projects but not much on a percentage level.

 

Chairman O'Donnell asked how NDOT planned to identify the potholes around the state.  He asked if some sort of reporting system would be helpful. 

 

Mr. Dull said NDOT does analyze every mile of every roadway on their system every year.  He added the severe pothole areas are those which get the worst weather and therefore the most snow plowing and they are usually aware of the problem areas as they are developing as they were in the case of I-80.

 

Mr. Dull pointed out some the worst hit areas on a map for the committee.

 

Senator Jacobsen said NDOT should put up more "rough road" signs or even some "pothole" signs. 

 

Mr. Dull agreed and said he had been discussing the idea that morning.

 

Senator Brown asked what the life expectancy of a concrete road versus and asphalt road. 

 

Mr. Dull said it was not as simple as determining the life expectancy.  He added, in certain areas concrete is more economical, but in other areas asphalt proves to be more economical and can give just as good as service as concrete under certain conditions.

 

Senator Nevin suggested NDOT put signs out where they are working that say "your tax money at work." 

 

Mr. Dull agreed.

 

Chairman O'Donnell asked how NDOT proposed to repair the roads without impacting traffic into the Reno area. 

 

Mr. Dull said they would be repairing the roads during the week and during weekends and some disruption of traffic was inevitable but the slight inconvenience of the road repairs was certainly worth it.

 

Senator Jacobsen asked if NDOT saw any merit in using honor camp crews as patching crews. 

 

Mr. Dull said this was one area where honor camp crews could be useful and NDOT could use every crew they could get, from repairing fences and guardrail repairs to asphalt patching crews. 

 

 

Mr. Shaun D. Carey, Public Works Director, City of Sparks spoke from a prepared statement (EXHIBIT C) on the City of Spark's pothole problem.

 

Senator Neal asked if Mr. Carey was aware of any study which indicated weather was the main culprit for the potholes. 

 

Mr. Carey responded his studies were based on pavement management strategies which they employ for their street system.  He added, without preventive maintenance cracks develop in the roadway which allows the moisture to pass through the pavement and that moisture is then affected by the high fluctuation between the daytime and nighttime temperatures during the winter months.  He explained the moisture thaws during the day and freezes at night which forms ice and some studies have measured the force of the ice at 3000 pounds per square inch.

 

Senator Neal said he felt the trucks, especially the tandem axle trucks, which have a "sliding action" which causes friction and "uproots" the asphalt, are also to be blamed. 

 

Mr. Carey agreed truck traffic was certainly a component that leads to pavement failure within the City of Sparks.

 

Mr. John M. Loete, P.E., Maintenance Engineer, Public Works Department, City of Reno, referenced a report (EXHIBIT D.  Original is on file in the Research Library.) prepared for the City of Reno street system.

 

Chairman O'Donnell asked how long it takes for a pothole to develop. 

 

Mr. Loete said it is very difficult to answer and a pothole could develop in as little as 1 day.

 

Chairman O'Donnell asked if the City of Reno had enough money to do the temporary and permanent repairs. 

 

Mr. Loete responded he felt the City of Reno could fund the temporary repairs in the existing budget but the permanent repairs were not funded now.

 

Chairman O'Donnell asked what would happen if there was not enough money to make the permanent repairs. 

 

Mr. Loete said we would be faced with the same pothole problem and if the winter was another bad one, the roads would be even worse.

 

Senator James said the problem is the moisture but the day to day maintenance is key to easing the problem.

 

Mr. Loete referred again to (EXHIBIT D) which shows the impact of the deferred maintenance and how costly it is to defer maintenance over the long run.

 

Ms. Mary E. Henderson, Washoe County, explained the county road system was approximately 1035 paved miles and the county was not experiencing the pothole problem that the cities of Reno and Sparks and NDOT were having.  She further explained the areas that were experiencing pothole problems were scheduled for routine road overlay this summer.

 

Chairman O'Donnell asked Paul Mouritsen, Research Analyst, to explain a bill that had been introduced during the Sixty-sixth session.

 

Paul Mouritsen explained the purpose of Senate Bill 441 of the Sixty-sixth Session. 

 

S.B. 441:   Increases certain taxes on motor vehicle fuel and increases certain fees relating to motor vehicles.

 

Mr. Mouritsen said this bill made a number of changes in the motor fuel taxes.  He further explained the bill amended Nevada Revised Statute 373.030 to remove the requirement that counties submit to the voters, proposed fuel taxes that result in the total of four cents per gallon or more and the measure allows counties to place taxes of no more than nine cents per gallon on fuel without submitting the proposed increases to the voters.

 

Chairman O'Donnell said he felt that if the voters had to vote today they would vote for an additional 90-day gas tax to get the roads repaired.  He added, "Put the money in the coffer.  Let's get it done.  My suggestion to the council is, let's get it done.  Okay?"

 

Senator O'Donnell questioned why the county was having less difficulty with their roads.

 

Ms. Henderson said the county had a very distinctive road system which differed from the city's and NDOT's in regard to the amount of traffic; the county roads did not get near the traffic levels and volumes that the other roadways get.

 

Mr. Steve Varela, P.E., City Engineer, City of Reno, explained the roads should last about 20 years with proper maintenance and even longer with very good management.

 

Chairman O'Donnell reiterated that if there was to be a 90-day emergency gas tax it would be just for the repair of the potholes.

 

Ms. Henderson said her agency did have the formulas in place and she would direct the finance staff to communicate and figure out a way to do the distribution.  She said the county could collect the tax if the board enacts it and the county would distribute the tax directly to the appropriate agencies.  Ms. Henderson also said the county did not need the money as desperately as the cities did.

 

Mr. Varela questioned whether a Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) fuel tax could be used.  He explained, to his understanding, the fuel tax could be used for major improvements and new street programs, but generally prohibits use for preventative maintenance.

 

Senator Nevin asked how long it would take to collect the taxes from this 90-day plan and if it would then run into the resurfacing projects already underway.

 

Chairman O'Donnell explained the 90-day period was for revenue purposes only.

 

There being no further business before the committee, Chairman O'Donnell adjourned the meeting at 3:25 p.m.

 

 

                                     RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:

 

 

 

                                                                        Terri Jo Wittenberg

            Committee Secretary

 

 

 

APPROVED BY:

 

 

 

 

                                     

Senator William R. O'Donnell, Chairman

 

 

DATE:                                 

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Senate Committee on Transportation

January 28, 1993

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Senate Committee on Transportation

January 28, 1993

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