Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony told Fernley residents last week that the city’s growth, increasing freight traffic and nearby industrial development are putting more pressure on state transportation planning, including the widening of Interstate 80 and changes to busy intersections in town.
Speaking at the Fernley Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Luncheon on Sept. 2 at the Community Response and Resource Center, Anthony said the Nevada Department of Transportation is designing a project to add two lanes to I-80 between Sparks and USA Parkway. He said that stretch is one of NDOT’s top priorities, but the work will take several years because engineers must work within a narrow corridor bordered by the Truckee River on one side and mountains on the other.
Anthony said the added lanes are needed as Fernley and the rest of Lyon County continue to grow.
In response to a question from an audience member, he acknowledged that the entire corridor from Sparks to Fernley will eventually need to be expanded and said the stretch between USA Parkway and Fernley is on NDOT’s long-range list for future widening.
Anthony said truck traffic through Fernley is expected to decrease once the inland Port of Nevada east of the city begins operating.
“This is absolutely phenomenal,” Anthony said.
He said cargo containers that are now unloaded in Oakland and trucked across I-80 would instead be transferred by rail to the inland port near Fernley and shipped east, reducing heavy truck traffic through the city and along the interstate.
“I-80 is going to see a significant decrease in truck activity because of this inland port, so that’s a good thing for all of you and I-80,” he said.
When one resident said a traffic light is needed at the intersection of U.S. 95A and Cottonwood Lane, Anthony deferred to Mayor Neal McIntyre, who said NDOT originally designed a mini roundabout for the location and is now redesigning it as a full-size roundabout after local objections.
“I kind of supported the roundabout, but not knowing it was a mini roundabout,” McIntyre said.
The mayor also told Anthony that the current roundabout at Main Street, Farm District Road and U.S. 50A is too small. He said a large transport trying to get through the roundabout that morning became stuck, backing up traffic to I-80.
“I appreciate you bringing that up,” Anthony said. “I’ll talk to NDOT about how we can redesign that.”
Anthony also pointed to Fernley’s role in northern Nevada’s economic growth. As a member of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development board, he said the state is trying to attract more companies outside the gaming industry, including industrial and technology employers.
He cited Tesla’s two major manufacturing projects as examples of companies that used tax abatements to expand in the region, but said most businesses receiving abatements are much smaller, with 50 employees or fewer.
When asked about tax abatements for companies moving to Nevada, Anthony said the state has accepted some loss of tax revenue in exchange for expanding the local tax base. He said cities and counties can benefit more directly from industrial growth through additional revenue that can help fund services.
“Then they can use that to fund their police or fire and everything else,” Anthony said. “Tax abatements actually have maybe a negative impact on the state, but they have a much better impact on local government, because they're getting more of an income to pay for the resources that they do.”
Other residents raised concerns about disparities in tax revenue between Storey County and neighboring counties, saying Fernley and Lyon County absorb much of the population growth tied to Storey County’s industrial development but do not receive the same level of revenue.
Anthony said cities and counties must continue improving licensing and permitting systems if they want to attract employers and build their own tax bases. He said any effort to divide industrial revenue among counties would have to go through the Nevada Legislature.
“That would have to be a legislative fight between the counties,” Anthony said. “And I’ll tell you, there will be a big fight between counties because Storey County’s not going to like something like that.”
Anthony said rural Nevada must be treated as equal to Las Vegas and Reno when the state allocates resources.
“I love being in rural Nevada, love being in Fernley,” he said, adding that housing, workforce development and access to medical care remain statewide challenges as northern Nevada continues to grow.
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