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RTC lays out $4.6B regional plan, FY26 budget and an EV registration advisory question for voters
Summary
RTC staff presented the Regional Transportation Plan (107 projects, $4.6 billion) and a FY26 operating/capital picture; staff described an outreach‑tested $250 EV registration fee and said Washoe County may consider an advisory question asking the legislature to authorize such a fee.
RTC officials told the North Valleys advisory board on June 18 that the Regional Transportation Plan contains 107 projects and roughly $4.6 billion in investment over the next two decades, and they summarized near‑term construction and transit priorities for the North Valleys and Spanish Springs.
Paul Nelson, government affairs officer for the RTC, said the fiscal‑year‑26 revenue picture is about $290 million with major buckets including local fuel tax (about $118 million) and federal funding; pavement preservation, capacity projects and transit were the largest expenditure categories in the budget discussion.
Nelson highlighted recent metrics (pavement‑preservation lane‑miles treated and investments) and explained outreach on an EV registration fee. He said a university center recommended a registration fee (the study cited an example level of about $250) and follow‑up market research showed roughly 61% of respondents polled in the study were open to a $250 registration fee for EV owners if revenues were devoted to local roads. Nelson said Washoe County will consider an advisory question to ask the state legislature whether to authorize such a fee; he stressed the advisory question would not itself create a fee and that the legislature would have to act for any change to take effect.
RTC staff also described construction underway or planned in the North Valleys including the Military Road capacity and safety project (noted as recently broken ground), Lemon Drive and other capacity projects, and neighborhood network plans and quick‑build pedestrian improvements. Transit updates included FlexRide zones (a demand‑response service), vanpool programs, EdPass and a youth‑ride‑free pilot tied to schools.
Board members and residents asked about project phasing, traffic data (the RTC used third‑party travel‑pattern datasets in feasibility work), transit coverage and tree‑replanting strategies for road projects. RTC staff said many projects have federal grants or other funding sources and reiterated that detailed feasibility and environmental analyses are being completed for larger corridors such as the Northeast connector and commuter‑rail concept.
Next steps: RTC will continue public outreach and complete feasibility/environmental work on larger corridors; Washoe County commissioners may consider an advisory‑question item for the November ballot.
