The Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada has expanded and improved transit service throughout the valley thanks to federal stimulus funding.
The services aim to help Southern Nevadans reconnect to destinations, resources and opportunities. As RTC’s largest transit service area expansion in recent history, it includes two new routes, several extended routes and the introduction of RTC-OnDemand, a pilot microtransit service.
According to MJ Maynard, CEO, RTC, these sweeping service changes will increase access, efficiency and equity and introduce innovative tactics never used before in the RTC system.
“We are pleased to be able to expand our service valley-wide and help Southern Nevadans reconnect with life,” said Maynard. “Transportation is foundational to ensuring local residents can get to work, to school, to their appointments and to access essential services.”
The agency recently hosted seven community events, Aug. 1-7, to generate public awareness and provide information before the new services began on Aug. 8. The last event, held at Las Vegas Ballpark on Aug. 7, focused on how transit is helping Southern Nevadans reconnect to sports, touting transit opportunities to major sports venues throughout the valley and featuring representatives and mascots from the Las Vegas Raiders, Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Aviators, Las Vegas Lights, Las Vegas Aces and UNLV.
“As the public transportation provider for Southern Nevada, the RTC has always recognized the essential nature of the services it provides,” said RTC Chair and city of Henderson Mayor Debra March. “With more than 56 million trips provided last year, despite the pandemic, it became even clearer how critical transportation was for our community and our economy.”
The service changes have enhanced transit access and efficiency while promoting innovation and increasing transit equity in underserved areas. The service changes better connect 21,000 residents living at the poverty level; 18,000 seniors; 13,000 residents with a disability; and 79,000 residents who are non-white or Latino.
Transit service changes also improve access for 380 eligible paratransit customers and connect 23,000 individuals to employment opportunities; they connect 7,000 resort corridor employees who did not previously have access to transit; and they provide direct connections to 43 additional childcare facilities and schools and six grocery stores.
Service enhancements also include the introduction of RTC-OnDemand, a pilot microtransit service in the southwest and West Henderson; the implementation of a “Transit Lab” initiative to provide faster and more frequent service to some of the busiest stops along Charleston Blvd. Within the urban core, the expansion of services also includes the restoration of weekend service in underserved areas, including Routes 207 (Alta/Stewart) and 209 (Vegas/Owens), and enhanced weekend frequency on Route 210 (Lake Mead Blvd.).
New routes include Route 221 (Southwest/West Henderson) along Cactus/Horizon Ridge that also includes a microtransit pilot; and Route 220 (Ann/Tropical).
In the Southwest area, five routes are being extended, while new Route 221 (Cactus/Horizon Ridge) serves the Cactus and Mountain’s Edge area. A new micotransit zone fills in remaining transit gaps and supplements fixed routes for short trips.
In the South valley, West Henderson and South Henderson, Route 122 (S. Maryland Parkway/West Henderson) has been restructured to better serve the area, including St. Rose Parkway, M Resort and Raiders Way. New Route 221 (Cactus and Horizon Ridge) travels east-west across the southern end of the service area and continues to Nevada State College and Boulder City, replacing Route 402. And in West Henderson, a new microtransit zone fills in remaining transit gaps and supplements fixed routes for short trips.
In the Northwest, Centennial Express now extends northwest to Skye Canyon, while Route 103 (Decatur) now extends north to Grand Teton with a loop to Jones, which serves the DMV. New Route 220 (Ann/Tropical) serves Ann Road, Centennial Center area, Providence, Montecito Town Center, and Skye Canyon.
In the Northeast, new Route 220 (Ann Tropical) travels east-west across the northern end of the service area, terminating in the I-15 North and Speedway industrial/warehousing area. Routes 105 (Martin Luther King) and Downtown/Veterans Express (DVX) have been slightly modified to provide more two-way service.
