The Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County recently earned an award for its Sustainability Plan from the Nevada Chapter of the American Planning Association for Outstanding Plan Implementation.
The RTC replaced older-model diesel buses with four fully electric buses and is adding 17 more to its fleet within the next 18 months. The RTC’s two transit stations in downtown Reno and Sparks are LEED-certified facilities, earning Gold- and Silver-level certifications, respectively, from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). These facilities include low-flow water infrastructure, energy-efficient lighting and a solar PV array. Additionally, the RTC continues to work to retrofit existing buildings with more energy-efficient LED lighting, solar arrays and low-flow water fixtures.
“I am especially proud of RTC’s award-winning sustainability plan, which reflects our commitment to making our practices in planning, engineering, operations, finance and administration come together in delivering projects, programs and services to the public that contribute to our community, its economy and environment,” said RTC Executive Director Lee Gibson.
Building off its recent sustainability achievements, the RTC Sustainability Plan identifies 24 short-term sustainability goals across the entire agency that will be implemented within a two- to three-year period. These short-term goals are all focused on achieving the six long-term sustainability goals included in the plan, including adding more electric buses, reducing emissions by promoting alternative modes of transportation, reducing agency-wide paper use, increasing RTC VANPOOL ridership, increasing facilities’ energy efficiency and implementing an environmental management system. The long-term goals are intended to be completed within a five- to six-year time period.
RTC recognizes the importance of community input and collaboration to develop and deliver RTC projects, plans and initiatives. RTC is working with local entities to advance sustainability efforts in the region and has created the RTC Green Team to advance the initiatives outlined in the plan.
Earlier this week, Growing Resources for Environmental Education in Nevada (GREENevada) announced RTC would be receiving the Golden Pinecone Sustainability Award for outstanding achievement by a federal/state agency. The award recognizes organizations for their efforts to make our community environmentally healthy and safe and to promote sustainable living practices. RTC will receive the award at a ceremony on November 7 at the National Automobile Museum in Reno.
