Nevada Roads Crumble as Gas Tax Revenue Declines
RENO, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) – In Nevada’s capital city, some local roads are beyond repair. One can walk out onto Spooner Drive in carson City and pick up chunks of asphalt that are flaking away.
“The asphalt’s failing. It’s crumbling, pieces are falling out, you can literally pick pieces out of the ground if you wanted to and hold them in your hand,” said Chris Martinovic, transportation manager for Carson City public works.
This is one of the worst roads in Carson City.
The problem of deteriorating streets is not unique to Carson City – it’s an issue municipalities across the Silver State face as the primary funding source for road construction and maintenance lags further behind the need.
Gas tax gap: Should Nevada electric vehicle drivers pay for the roads they use?
how are roads funded?
All drivers of gas-powered and hybrid cars pay gas tax, which is approximately 57 cents per gallon in Washoe County, according to the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County.
Though the gas tax charged per gallon increases along with inflation, the percentage of drivers buying gas and paying gas tax is decreasing amid the green energy transition.
there was a 407% increase in electric vehicle registrations in Washoe County from June 2020 to June 2024, according to the recent ‘Bridging the gap’ report from the Guinn Center, a nonpartisan think tank.
As Teslas and Rivians start to become a greater share of the vehicles on our roads, the main revenue source for road building and repairs is struggling to keep up with the cost of roadwork.
graphic showing the decrease in taxable gallons of gas sold in Washoe county (Courtesy: The Guinn Center)