RTC to Host AMPO 2015 Conference
The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) will co-host the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) annual conference, Oct. 20-23, at the Westin Las Vegas Hotel, Casino & Spa.
The RTC is one of the few agencies in the country that serves as both the transit authority and metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the region. AMPO will create a platform to highlight the ongoing efforts of the RTC as the region’s MPO to meet the needs associated with continued growth in the Las Vegas Valley.
“We are honored to host AMPO’s annual conference and to showcase the great work being done in Southern Nevada,” said RTC General Manager Tina Quigley. “Like AMPO, we are committed to build more livable and connected communities that support continued economic prosperity and smart growth through progressive infrastructure.”
The 2015 AMPO Conference will feature educational presentations and workshops spanning a variety of topics critical to MPOs and practitioners, including performance measures, scenario planning, public involvement, autonomous vehicles, and best business practices. The conference will showcase the work of RTC and offer mobile workshops that spotlight what the organization is doing throughout the region.
Attendees will have multiple opportunities to learn about RTC projects, facilities, and initiatives through workshops and presentations. Individuals can tour the RTC’s traffic-management facility, Freeway Arterial System of Transportation (FAST), to learn about innovative tools and technologies that keep vehicles flowing as smoothly as possible for freeway and arterial systems throughout Clark County. FAST is responsible for the coordination of traffic signals throughout the valley and the operation of cameras, signs, ramp meters, and flow detectors along the freeways.
Conference participants can also tour the soon-to-open Mobility Training Center (MTC) to see up close how the RTC assists riders with gaining the independence and freedom to travel to various destinations around the region. The MTC is designed to help Southern Nevadans, especially senior residents and persons with disabilities, move more independently by teaching them how to use fixed-route transit services and helping them obtain Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Paratransit certification. In partnership with Blindconnect, Inc., the MTC will also be home to Angela’s House – a 1,200-sq. ft. training facility to assist visually impaired individuals to live and travel independently.
Additionally, RTC Bicycle & Outreach Coordinator, Ron Floth, will lead conference attendees on a tour of downtown Las Vegas on electric bikes. The tour will showcase redevelopment in the downtown region with stops at premier venues such as the Premium Outlet Mall, World Market Center, Lou Ruvo Brain Center, Symphony Park, The Smith Center, Mob Museum and Downtown Container Park. The tour will also highlight the interconnectivity that the RTC is creating throughout downtown by adding green bike lanes, widening sidewalks, and rehabilitating busy thoroughfares, like Main Street.
Senior RTC staff will give various presentations on Southern Nevada’s freight assessment and planning program and on long-range land use plans to create complete communities, citing the Southern Nevada Strong Regional Plan as a case study.