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94-442: The privately owned Las Vegas Transit System, Inc. ("LVT") provided bus service on the streets of Las Vegas for more than 40 years. LVT service mainly consisted of loop routes that made many turns throughout the city, sometimes doubling back on its own routes and making several "subloops" within a loop. At one point, LVT was named America's worst transit system. The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTCSNV or RTC)

188-578: A "grid" route system to expand coverage, replacing the former "hub and spoke" system at the insistence of the Regional Transit Commission. The new system expanded coverage to 75,000 additional riders, but the expected increase in ridership never materialized, and LVTS petitioned to return to the "hub and spoke" in January 1975. They then went back to the old hub and spoke route system and enjoyed an increase in ridership, as detailed in

282-403: A "spoke and hub" system, similar to a wagon wheel. The "hub", where most routes met, was downtown Las Vegas. This was in contrast to most transit system, which generally use a "grid" system, as CAT currently does, or a combination of the "grid" and "spoke and hub" system. The reason LVTS used the "spoke and hub" system was simply to maximize coverage of area with the fewest buses. Instead of having

376-411: A 50% discount on monthly passes and a 68% discount on semester passes. Valid on all routes. Door-to-door service for riders who are unable to use the fixed-route system. Fares effective as of July 1, 2013 : RTC currently operates mainly New Flyer , Alexander Dennis and Wright StreetCar RTV coaches for fixed routes, and mainly Ford Econoline vans for paratransit. On October 27, 2005, CAT added

470-693: A Route #13 "Strip Shuttle", which benefited mostly the tourists on the Strip, connecting to the Las Vegas Hilton and the Las Vegas Convention Center along Las Vegas Blvd South and Paradise Road. In the very late 1980s and early 1990s, they also added a Route #14 "Mall Hopper" to work the three major malls in Las Vegas at the time. In 1991, LVTS started the "Strip Express" with limited stops between downtown and several points on

564-449: A bus line run in both directions along the same street, most of LVTS routes were designed in one-way loops circling a section of the city before returning downtown. This method maximized the service area covered. Furthermore, it allowed riders to go to more places, as a rider can access most other routes via the downtown hub. However, some bus riders must circle the whole route before arriving at their destination, and in most cases, required

658-481: A day, seven days a week, including The Deuce on The Strip. Most routes run from early morning (04:00) until late night (01:00). On weekends & holidays, some routes either operate less frequently, operate with less hours, or not operate at all. Las Vegas has one of the most comprehensive night bus networks in the United States, owing to the 24-hour nature of the casinos and hospitality industry. RTC Transit

752-484: A fleet of double decker buses on The Strip Route. The route is now called The Deuce . All buses are fully ADA compliant and are 8.5 ft (2.6 m) wide. (18 m) (12 m) 800-829 (30 buses) 979-998 (20 buses) The first "mountains" livery used was a white base with a mix of broad teal and magenta stripes, black lining around the windows, and the CAT logo in the midsection body, front, and rear. This livery

846-460: A handicap-accessible bus. The old buses, mostly the "fishbowls" from the 1960s to the 1970s, were relegated to Route #6 "Strip", along with the RTSs. This route ran between downtown and going as far south on Las Vegas Boulevard as the old Hacienda hotel . Although the air-conditioned RTSs were also assigned to the #6 Strip, the majority of equipment on this route were still the older fishbowl buses. By

940-446: A limited fleet, LVTS must be given credit for maximizing the service area provided. After the route schedules were synchronized in the 1980s and onward, residential routes were run by two shifts of drivers, a morning and a swing shift. There were hour-long service interruptions on the residential routes three times a day: two times for meals (once during mid morning and again in early evenings), and once during mid afternoon to accommodate

1034-592: A northern plaza which required closing down Mesquite Ave. in the area. The DTC remained under ownership of the City of Las Vegas until July 31, 2009 when the city discontinued their CityRide transit system and transferred control of the terminal to the RTC. The RTC closed the aging terminal on November 7, 2010, with the grand opening of the Bonneville Transit Center. The Bonneville Transit Center (or "BTC")

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1128-533: A private Primm employee shuttle route. The DTC was opened in the late 1980s to serve as the main terminal for the Las Vegas City Trolley, and for the private Las Vegas Transit System, Inc. In 1992, it became the terminal for Citizens Area Transit, once Las Vegas Transit ceased operations. Originally, the DTC only had 23 bays, with two of them unnumbered. In 1999, the city expanded the terminal by building

1222-599: A quarter-cent sales tax increase in 1990 to fund a public transit system. When Citizens Area Transit (CAT) started operating in November 1992, LVTS turned over all residential routes but clung onto the Route #6 "Strip" operation. The newer city-owned buses (Grumman 870s, GMC RTSs, and Gillig Phantoms) were returned and given to CAT. LVTS competed head to head with CAT on the Strip using their older buses from November 1992 until about April or May 1993, when they were bought out by

1316-486: A self-sufficient bus system. However, LVTS suspended service to West Las Vegas, a predominantly black neighborhood, in 1969 after a series of racial violence incidents; the NAACP sued LVTS in 1974 stating the service was racially discriminatory. At the time, government officials also began exploring the idea of starting a public transit system to take advantage of federal subsidies. In September 1974, LVTS experimented with

1410-454: A time schedule for this second run bus on the "Hyde Park" route. It just ran 30 minutes apart from the regularly scheduled bus. LVTS also experimented with a couple of new routes in its last years of service, including the #14 "Mall Hopper", which required two air-conditioned buses. Starting in the early 1990s, LVTS also started buying a few used and new RTSs for the Route #6 "Strip", again with working air conditioners. But, even then, because of

1504-434: A transfer downtown as well. In the late 1970s, the system consisted of nine routes, numbered 1 through 10, without a Route #2. The residential routes were generally subsidized by the lucrative Route #6 "Strip/Downtown". Three of the nine routes were 24-hour routes: Route #3 "Salt Lake Hwy", #4 "Boulder Hwy", and #6 "The Strip". Routes #3, #4, and #9 had 30-minute headways and #6 "Strip" had 15-minute headways. Unfortunately,

1598-477: A tripling in capital outlays, rising from $ 54.5 million in 2007 to $ 162.9 million in 2009. The price for thirty-day bus passes increased 225% from 1999 to 2010. Ridership was at an all-time high in 2008 due to the very high gas prices, with many people deciding to try transit instead. Ridership numbers declined in 2009 when fuel prices dropped and riders either returned to their own vehicles or began carpooling with co-workers and family. In January 2010, RTC introduced

1692-921: Is a Canadian multinational bus manufacturer , specializing in the production of transit buses . New Flyer is owned by the NFI Group , a holding company for several bus manufacturers. New Flyer has several manufacturing facilities in Canada and the United States that produce the company's main product, the New Flyer Xcelsior family of buses. New Flyer was founded by John Coval in 1930 as the Western Auto and Truck Body Works Ltd in Manitoba. The company began producing buses in 1937, selling their first full buses to Grey Goose Bus Lines in 1937, before releasing their Western Flyer bus model in 1941, prompting

1786-558: Is a transit terminal that was built to replace the aging Downtown Transportation Center as the main downtown terminal for local fixed route service. It opened on November 7, 2010 and is located on the corner of Bonneville Ave. and Casino Center Blvd. It has 16 internal bays, 5 external bays, and an air-conditioned lobby for transit riders. The Bonneville Transit Center is served by Deuce On The Strip, Boulder Highway Express (BHX), Centennial Express (CX) and Downtown & Veterans Medical Center Express (DVX). BoltBus to Los Angeles Union Station

1880-469: Is accessible on 1st St. @ Bonneville Ave. On December 2, 2018, a new external bay was added. The Centennial Hills Transit Center is a transit terminal operated by the RTC to serve the northwest valley and its residents. It includes 900 parking spaces, park & ride, indoor waiting facility, next arrival information and restrooms. Construction began in July 2009, and it opened March 28, 2010 in conjunction with

1974-596: Is available along Maryland Pkwy. The Downtown Summerlin Transit Facility serves Downtown Summerlin as well as Las Vegas Ballpark and City National Arena . It is located at Pavilion Center Drive and Summerlin Centre Drive and opened on October 16, 2017. It serves the Sahara Express and route 206. Las Vegas Transit Las Vegas Transit , also known as Las Vegas Transit System (LVTS),

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2068-631: Is the largest outsourced transit operation in the United States, having overtaken the title from the now-defunct Metropolitan Transportation Authority 's Long Island Bus service in late 2011. As of 2011, the contract is worth approximately $ 600 million over seven years. The fixed route system had been operated by Veolia Transport and its predecessors, ATC-Vancom and National Express , since inception. Bus operators, mechanics, and most other contractor employees are represented by Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1637. Paratransit and dial-a-ride services are operated by First Transit . The fixed route contract

2162-579: Is the park & ride for the residents of Summerlin and officially opened on December 12, 2010 in conjunction with the launch of the Westcliff Airport Express (WAX) connecting passengers to McCarran Airport & downtown Las Vegas from the valley's west side. Routes 207, 208 & 209 began service here on November 7, 2010. Route 120 began service here on March 2, 2014. Routes 120, 207, & 209 were removed from here while Route 121 began service here on November 8, 2015. On October 4, 2020

2256-672: The ACE branding for its bus rapid transit offerings. The first ACE route was the ACE Gold Line, connecting downtown Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Convention Center , the Strip, and the South Strip Transfer Terminal. In addition, ACExpress was introduced as branding for its express bus service, with an express bus line connecting the Centennial Hills neighborhood northwest of the city with downtown Las Vegas,

2350-538: The GM New Look (Fishbowl) Bus in both 35-foot (45-passenger) and 40-foot (53-passenger) lengths. Starting in 1981, LVTS began to supplement its fleet with leased buses which had been purchased by the city of Las Vegas: 5 GMC Rapid Transit Series (RTS) buses (1981); 12 Grumman/ Flxible 870s (1982); and 13 Gillig Phantom 40-foot transit buses (1990). The Grumman 870s were used mostly on the residential routes. The RTSs and Grumman 870s were handicap accessible, while

2444-458: The NDP government in power to divest Flyer Industries from government ownership. On July 15, 1986, Jan den Oudsten, a descendant of the family who formed Dutch bus manufacturer Den Oudsten Bussen BV , purchased Flyer Industries from the Manitoba government, changing its name to New Flyer Industries Limited . New Flyer designed and tested North America's first low-floor bus in 1988 and delivered

2538-531: The Nevada Attorney General reprimanded the RTC for approving the contract without a majority of the eight members on the RTC board (as opposed to merely those present), which was determined by a district court judge that all 8 members were not required and the award was legitimate. However, in the fallout of the court decision, the RTC returned for a re-vote in which the board then deadlocked at 4-4 for multiple months. The RTC board decided that it

2632-461: The "Strip Express" route with limited stops between downtown and several points on the Strip. LVTS also purchased five MCI MC-5C buses secondhand which had previously operated in Saudi Arabia. These MC-5Cs were designed with double roofs due to the hot Saudi desert sun, and thus, worked very well for the hot Las Vegas sun. They were designed to run on the "Strip Shuttle", which operated between

2726-496: The 1978 magazine article. As in later decades, the #6 Strip route provided the money for the other money-losing residential routes and allowed the small private transit company to turn a profit. Being a successful private bus company is an exceptional feat, as by the 1960s, virtually all transit systems in the US had been taken over by municipal governments and heavily subsidized by taxpayer dollars due to declining riderships. By 1975, LVTS

2820-459: The 1980s, the air conditioning units on many of these older buses had failed, and ran with open windows on the extremely crowded route. During peak hours of the day, the #6 Strip buses were packed and often had to pass passengers waiting at the bus stops. As newer buses from Gillig were acquired, some of the 870s were then also relegated to the busy Route #6 and they must have been a welcome relief as they usually had working air conditioners. However,

2914-444: The 870s were also required in some residential routes as replacement buses for broken-down Gilligs and also as second buses on some of the busier routes, such as Route #3 "Salt Lake Highway" (one of the few bidirectional routes) and Route #10 "University". These two routes required two buses during peak morning and afternoon hours. Also, Route #1 "Hyde Park" often needed an extra bus for second runs. Strangely enough, LVTS never published

RTC Transit - Misplaced Pages Continue

3008-711: The Bus Rapid Transit Initiative. The Civis featured an optical guidance system (OGS) to automate docking at level-boarding platforms, similar to a light-rail system; however, the OGS proved to be unreliable in service due to the difficulty of maintaining pavement markings. Revenue service on MAX started on June 30, 2004; ridership increased by 25% by the end of 2004, and end-to-end travel times were cut approximately in half, from 50 to 25 minutes. A year later, CAT received its first shipment of 50 double decker buses from Alexander Dennis . As new vehicles arrived,

3102-441: The CAT logo. The RTC received 50 NABI vehicles and the final shipment of 40 42 ft "Deuce" double-deck buses in summer 2008. The RTC also began to receive 45 New Flyer CNG vehicles in late fall 2008. The rebranding was completed on January 1, 2009 when RTC vehicles started featuring "RTC TRANSIT" along with the normal route destination headers. All remaining CAT buses are in the process of retirement or being refurbished to

3196-552: The Center Strip, and UNLV . In May 2010, RTC rebranded its lines away from the "ACE" name due to a lawsuit from Ace Cab, a local Las Vegas taxi operator; ACE Gold became the Strip and Downtown Express (SDX); ACExpress became Centennial Express (CX), and ACE Green became the Boulder Highway Express (BHX) The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), under its BRT Standard , has classified

3290-625: The City of Las Vegas, not RTCSNV Even though all buses in the system have wheelchair lifts, RTC operates RTC Paratransit for people who have difficulty in accessing the regular transit system. By-appointment-only paratransit is a door-to-door service. RTC also maintains an open charge account with a local taxicab company to service paratransit ridership when unforeseen delays occur, frequently caused by traffic congestion. Fares effective as of May 1, 2021 For all vehicles, children 5 & younger ride for free with fare-paying rider; 3-kid limit applies. [1] Purchased through campus bookstore; provides

3384-507: The Las Vegas Hilton and the rest of the Strip hotels. By the end of its operations, LVTS had a fleet of 45 buses, 30 of which were leased from the city. In 1973, a New Look bus was named "Irving" and painted in multiple bright colors with a "happy face". According to General Manager Gary Ballinger, this was done to "inject a little fun into the idea of bus riding" and mark the beginning of an upgrade and expansion campaign. During

3478-676: The New Flyer MiDi, was based on the design of the Alexander Dennis Enviro200 . Alexander Dennis engineered and tested the bus, and it was built and marketed by New Flyer under contract. During the partnership around 200 buses were delivered to 22 operators in Canada and the U.S. In May 2017, New Flyer and Alexander Dennis announced their joint venture would end and production of the bus would transition to Alexander Dennis' new North American factory in Indiana, where it

3572-413: The RTC for $ 900,000. The cash fare was $ 1.25 for a LVTS ride and $ 1 for a CAT ride at the time, indicating an effort by CAT to undercut Las Vegas Transit and speed its demise. What service remained, along with a few buses, was taken over by the affiliated Las Vegas Gray Line, which continued operating for decades afterward. Eventually taken over by Coach USA and renamed Transportation Unlimited, operation of

3666-406: The RTC started a vehicle replacement program and began to retire its older CAT fleet. In March 2007, CAT received its first shipment of 30 Diesel-Electric Hybrid vehicles from New Flyer . Later that year, an additional 40 double deck vehicles from Alexander Dennis arrived, and the RTC unveiled a new rapid transit system which uses the new Diesel-Hybrid RTV Streetcar from Wright Group . The first line

3760-537: The State Futures Commission said that mass transit was the key issue in Clark County; a 1983 ballot proposal to fund an expansion of the system by raising sales taxes was voted down resoundingly, though. According to Las Vegas Review-Journal articles at the time, LVTS claimed that government subsidies were needed to expand the coverage area and increase frequency of service. They contended

3854-609: The Strip and Downtown Express as a "Basic BRT" corridor. In 2018, RTC began examining the possibility of installing light rail or enhanced bus rapid transit service along high-ridership routes, particularly the Maryland Parkway corridor. Subsequently, the Federal Transit Administration awarded the RTC $ 150 million to upgrade Route 109 to a BRT with 7.2 miles of bus/bike lanes. The RTC currently operates 36 routes with 12 routes operating 24 hours

RTC Transit - Misplaced Pages Continue

3948-405: The Strip. These were used by both tourist and casino workers. LVTS was operating 16 different routes by the time they went out of business in 1992–93; almost all routes converged downtown, with the exceptions of Routes #6A, #11, #12, #13, and #14. Only three routes, #3, #4, and #6, ran in both directions along one particular street for its whole route. As a small, privately-operated bus system with

4042-556: The Westcliff Airport Express was officially discontinued. The UNLV Transit Center is a transit terminal built on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus in Central Las Vegas. It is located near Maryland Pkwy. & University Rd. & officially opened on September 4, 2013. Route 602 (special event service during UNLV football games only) & Centennial Express (CX) began service here on September 5, 2013. Route 109

4136-415: The already painted coaches with the 1st variant. This livery was used from 2001 to 2005 on the fixed-route fleet. It is the current livery for the RTC paratransit fleet, using the 2nd variant. Since 2008, a 3rd variant has been used by removing the running cat, having the stripes extend around the vehicle, and replacing the CAT logo with the RTC logo. In 2004, 10 Irisbus Civis coaches arrived for service on

4230-593: The busy and lucrative Route #6 "Strip" for several months before being bought out. The CAT system is now known as RTC Transit . LVTS ran a frequent and efficient service for many years during the 1960s and 1970s when the city was small; their routes covered most of the city. At the time, they were considered a vast improvement over its predecessor, Vegas Transit Lines. In 1972, approximately 8,000 passenger trips were operated per weekday. In an article written in Bus World Magazine in 1978, they were praised as

4324-520: The city to expect a private bus company, without a taxpayer subsidy, to expand and run throughout the city based solely on its Strip revenue. LVTS were providing a public service, but they also needed to turn a profit to continue. In 1990, the Las Vegas City Council rescinded the 48-year-old private franchise agreement in order to exert more control over public transportation services. That year, voters passed Question 10, which advised

4418-499: The company to change its name to Western Flyer Coach in 1948. In the 1960s, the company further focused on the urban transit bus market. In 1971, the then-financially struggling Western Flyer was sold to the Manitoba Development Corporation, an agency of the government of Manitoba , and renamed Flyer Industries Limited . In 1974 the opposition Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba had urged

4512-510: The destination sign just under the screen or on one of the engine doors. In 2010, a new "goldface" BRT livery was implemented with the Wright StreetCars , which consists of a gold base with a blue stripe and a white stripe; the one-piece windshield is outlined in white. The South Strip Transfer Terminal (or "SSTT"), owned by the RTC, is located just south of Harry Reid International Airport on Sunset Rd. and Gilespie St. The SSTT

4606-415: The destitute and elderly, meaning there was little incentive to expand the system into areas that would not ride the bus under any circumstances. 60% of LVTS riders were tourists, nearly all riding #6 "Strip". The small coverage area made it extremely difficult for people to use the buses, and ridership was limited to those who had no means of private transportation. In addition, even though Route #6 "Strip"

4700-518: The early 1980s, the routes were all finally synchronized to arrive/depart at the downtown transfer center at the same time to facilitate passenger transfer, except for the more-frequently running Route #6. In order to hold fares steady, a public/private partnership was set up in 1980 where the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada would apply for federal funds for buses, and approximately 1 ⁄ 4 of

4794-542: The engine door (with the exception of the Neoplans which had the logo placed above the rear header). Prior to the arrival of the 2001 New Flyer CNGs and Neoplans , the RTC began repainting the fleet with the blue stripe livery. Once they arrived, the RTC approved a variant to the livery and instead of having just blue stripes, it became blue and gold alternating stripes with the logos in the same positions. The RTC then started repainting coaches with this new variant, leaving

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4888-412: The existing coverage with limited residential routes was dictated by the more lucrative Route #6 "Strip", which generated enough profit to support the current system. Even with population growth exceeding 60% between 1970 and 1980, the average residential density remained under 5 people in 1 acre (0.40 ha); the bus system in Las Vegas had also acquired a reputation for serving those who could not drive:

4982-502: The expiring individual fixed route contracts held by Keolis (Sunset) and MV (Simmons) respectively. The 4-year contract was awarded to First Transit , which was subsequently purchased by Transdev . Transdev took over operations on July 1, 2023. RTC Transit operates a grid-type system within the Las Vegas Valley, which includes the four incorporated cities of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, and Boulder City; in addition,

5076-558: The exterior appearance of the bus. In June 2012 New Flyer, in a joint venture with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries , the Manitoba Government, Manitoba Hydro and Red River College , unveiled a fully electric battery-powered bus . In May 2012, New Flyer and Alexander Dennis announced a joint venture to design and manufacture medium-duty low-floor bus (or midi bus) for the North American market. The bus, called

5170-759: The first production model, called the D40LF, to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in 1991. In 1994, New Flyer delivered the first compressed natural gas bus in North America and the world's first hydrogen fuel cell powered bus. In 1995, the company delivered the first low-floor articulated bus in North America to Strathcona County Transit . In March 2002, New Flyer was acquired by KPS Capital Partners , an investment company that specializes in turning around struggling businesses, for $ 44 million. Later that year Jan den Oudsten retired as CEO. He

5264-621: The fixed route bus system until the end of 2012. The new fixed route transit contract will be split into two, to allow smaller vendors to bid. The two contract system is similar to that of Foothill Transit in the Los Angeles area, which is the third largest outsourced fixed route public transit system in the United States. In December 2012, the contractors for both yards submitted their 1st round proposals with Veolia, Keolis (no relation to Veolia), and MV Transportation advancing to round 2 and First Transit failing to advance. In January 2013,

5358-420: The fleet have been repainted in this livery variant (buses 571 and 725). The New Flyer 900 series vehicles were the last vehicles with this livery. In 2008, the RTC made a variant of the "goldbug" livery which had the CAT logo removed and replaced by a special RTC logo only used on these buses. Coach 702 has been repainted with this livery variant. In 2009, RTC commissioned another variant of the livery by replacing

5452-498: The large number of buses required to service the busy Strip route, workhorses of the Strip fleet continued to be the good old, reliable fishbowl buses, some that were over 20 years old. In fact, LVTS ran some of the oldest buses in the USA. Because of criticism from the newspapers and city about the old, non-air conditioned buses, LVTS did fix the air-conditioning on many of the old fishbowls. From 1964 to about 1981, LVTS primarily operated

5546-693: The launch of the ACExpress C-Line (renamed to C-Line Express in May 2010 & Centennial Express in November 2010). The facility is located at Grand Montecito Pkwy. & Elkhorn Rd. Routes that currently serve the Centennial Hills Transit Center are: 106A, 106B, and the Centennial Express (CX). The Westcliff Transit Center is a transit terminal built in the valley's west side community of Summerlin. This terminal

5640-462: The local matching funds would be provided by LVTS, with the remainder provided by RTC. In turn, RTC would lease the buses to LVTS at no cost. The first RTC-purchased buses arrived in September 1981. By the 1980s and early 1990s, the private bus system was no longer adequate and lacked both the service frequency and route coverage to accommodate the explosive growth of the Las Vegas Valley. In 1981,

5734-469: The mid-1970s, the livery changed from a crazy color scheme of multi-color all-over with cartoonish faces (e.g. bus fronts painted w/ lips and a tongue sticking out or grinning teeth) to a more conservative and professional livery of a belt line deep orange/orange/yellow with "Las Vegas Transit" in large letters. This more professional paint scheme lasted until the end of transit operation in the 1990s. [REDACTED] New Flyer Industries New Flyer

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5828-619: The most expensive in the United States. The cash fare was first increased to $ 0.70 in 1976 and was $ 0.75 by 1978 with no charge for transfers. In October 1983, the fare was raised again to $ 0.90 with a $ 0.15 charge for transfers, and bumped to $ 0.95 in 1984. In August 1987, published fares were increased to $ 1 for adults, $ 0.50 for seniors/disabled; transfers were $ 0.15, good for 2 hours (no round-trips nor stopovers). In November 1991, fares were raised to $ 1.25 for adults and $ 0.60 for seniors/disabled, transfers were held at $ 0.15. Las Vegas Transit's route structure for most of its existence used

5922-401: The new BRT line, complete with a new MAX Line "bluenose" livery. It consisted of a blue base, with a white line that stretched the length of the coach, and with gold stars on the rear quarterpanels of each side. In 2005, the RTC again changed the livery, returning to the first "mountains" livery design using the new color scheme, extending the shapes to the bottom of the vehicle. This livery

6016-482: The new Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) route, which serves Nellis Air Force Base via North Las Vegas Boulevard . RTC was a member of the BRT Consortium organized by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in 1999. North Las Vegas Boulevard had been restriped in spring 2000, which converted what had been a breakdown lane into a dedicated transit lane; RTC subsequently applied for a federal grant in 2002 under

6110-414: The new RTC gold/blue livery. In 2007, nine RTC executives received pay raises which averaged 22%. The raises were based on the findings of a consultant, Peter Ronza, who was once employed by Clark County. The RTC faced serious legal issues in 2008 after several car accidents involving bus shelters occurred. The public demanded that the RTC improve the safety of its shelters, while the RTC stated that there

6204-412: The northern portion of the service area. MV also operates the 700 series (Silver Star) routes. Keolis operates routes 103, 104, 108, 109, 117, 119, 122, 201, 202, 212, 217, 401, 402, 601, 602, 605, 606, 608, The Deuce on The Strip, BHX, & SX. These routes are primarily in the southern portion of the service area. MV also operates RTC Paratransit operations as of March 2020. RTC once again consolidated

6298-609: The older fishbowls were not. The Phantoms (also accessible) mostly replaced the Grumman 870s. LVTS itself purchased new and used air-conditioned buses in the early 1990s to get newer equipment on the by-then seriously overcrowded Strip route, replacing some of the older GM New Look buses, whose air conditioning units were frequently broken. Six secondhand GMC RTS-01 buses were purchased in 1991 from San Jose, California; two new TMC RTS-06 buses were delivered in 1992. In 1991, LVTS also bought four New Flyer D60HF articulated buses to run

6392-532: The purchase an indicator that the company's operational and financial turnaround had been accomplished. On August 19, 2005, New Flyer became a publicly traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange , renaming the company to New Flyer Industries Canada ULC and creating the publicly traded parent company NFI Group Inc. 2005 also saw a restyling of New Flyer's popular low-floor coaches with new front and rear endcaps, to modernize and streamline

6486-668: The remaining contractors submitted their final proposals to the board, and on February 14, 2013, the RTC voted to award the Sunset Maintenance Facility to Keolis, and the Simmons Maintenance Facility to MV, beating out the original two contractors. Keolis and MV began operations of RTC Transit on July 7, 2013 at 12:00am. MV operates routes 101, 102, 105, 106, 110, 111, 113, 115, 120, 121, 203, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 214, 215, 218, 219, 603, 604, 607, CX, & DVX. These routes are primarily in

6580-576: The remaining service area is in unincorporated Clark County. The system's two busiest routes, The Deuce on The Strip and Route 109 Maryland Parkway, provide service to the Las Vegas Strip and Harry Reid International Airport , respectively. Approximately 40% of Clark County residents do not live within close proximity of a bus stop. RTC Transit also operates special routes for occasions such as sporting events at Allegiant Stadium , T-Mobile Arena , and Las Vegas Ballpark . *owned and operated by

6674-404: The route finally ended in 2004, being conducted with six ex-Stockton CA RTSs at the end. In 1971, the one-way fare was $ 0.50; tokens could be purchased at a discount: 20 tokens for $ 0.35 each, and 6 tokens for $ 0.40 each. Legislation was being considered (AB 311) to reduce the fare to $ 0.20 for senior citizens. Although fares had not risen since the start of LVTS in 1965, those original fares were

6768-555: The routes were not synchronized to meet at the same time and sometimes, a rider may have had to wait up to 45 minutes for transfer to the next bus. By the 1980s, arrivals/departures were synchronized and the headways were increased on residential routes to 60–90 minutes, with limited operating hours, from about 5:30 AM to 10:00 PM. 24-hour service was limited to Route #6. Through the 1980s, LVTS also added several new residential routes: Routes #2 "North Las Vegas", #6A "Sam's Town/Strip", #11 "Henderson", and #12 "Spring Valley". They also added

6862-590: The same yard, on Industrial Rd near Charleston Blvd. Due to its lucrative Strip route, LVTS made significant profits for its owners. LVTS operated between 1965 and approximately 1993. They were bought out by the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTCSNV) in early 1993 for $ 900,000. RTCSNV inaugurated its Citizens Area Transit service in December 1992, and for a time, there were technically two public transit systems in Las Vegas until LVTS faded away. After CAT took over, LVTS only competed with CAT on

6956-491: The shift change. This resulted in travel times of two to four hours for some Las Vegas Transit riders, if they were caught between these break times, as most routes required a transfer downtown. After the Grumman 870 buses were delivered in 1982, when the newer handicap-accessible 870s broke down on a residential route, it was usually substituted by a RTS or old New Look fishbowl. Handicap passengers were told on their printed schedules to call ahead of time regarding availability of

7050-417: The special RTC logo with an "RTC Transit" logo on the sides and front of the coach. "Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada" was placed near the bottom of the coach. New "No Right Turn On Red" and "This Bus Stops At All Railroad Crossings" stickers were placed on the rear. The numbers were moved to the right of the front and rear of each coach, and " www.rtcsnv.com " is placed on the rear either on

7144-400: The state legislature to issue $ 100 million per year to fund mass transit in addition to a host of other transportation improvements, marking the start of what would become Citizens Area Transit. LVTS's general manager, Barry Perea, fought to keep LVTS in business and was strongly opposed to the formation of CAT, orchestrated by RTC chairman Bruce Woodbury after Clark County voters approved

7238-412: The transit logo between both decks, under the windshield, and under the engine door. Originally limited to the double deckers, the RTC decided to adopt the "goldbug" scheme for new fleet purchases starting in 2006. For non-double deck vehicles, the CAT logo remained above the windows, but the RTC logo was added to the position where the CAT logo was in 1992. To date, only 2 vehicles that were already part of

7332-499: The two sides were unable to reach a compromise on operators' wages and in May of that year, CAT suffered its first strike . Several drivers walked off the job and onto the picket lines, and service had to be suspended on several routes. Coach operators from sister agencies were called in to drive the buses and serve the city before a settlement was reached. In 2004, CAT received its first shipment of 10 Irisbus Civis bus rapid transit (BRT) vehicles from Irisbus . These buses served on

7426-699: Was a former operator of a small private bus system in Las Vegas , Nevada , United States . The Vegas Transit Company (VTC) started public transportation operations in Las Vegas on August 20, 1942 with three routes and six buses by 1943. The Tanner family (as Tanner Motor Tours of Nevada) acquired VTC, then sold the franchise in 1965 to Henry Burroughs, who rebranded it as the Las Vegas Transit System (LVTS). Both LVTS and Gray Line Tours of Southern Nevada (GLT) were owned by First Gray Line West of Los Angeles, California. LVTS and GLT operated out of

7520-414: Was best to cancel the award and bring forward a new fresh proposal for bid, and gave Veolia a 1-year extension while the board found a means to obtain a majority to make a decision. First Transit subsequently sued the RTC to force them to make a decision. In November 2011 First Transit and the RTC settled their lawsuit. First Transit continued to operate the paratransit system and Veolia continued to operate

7614-601: Was called the "Gold Line" , which serviced the downtown and strip corridors. In late 2007, the RTC began to rebrand the Citizens Area Transit system as RTC Transit . The New Flyer 900 series coaches were the last to be purchased with the CAT logo, and the first to be purchased with the RTC logo. The CAT bus stop signs around the city were replaced by "Transit Stop" signs using the RTC logo. All rider alerts, bus announcements, bus books, and new NABI Hybrid, NABI Diesel and New Flyer CNG buses no longer use

7708-557: Was expanded, doubling the amount of spaces available, in response to the overwhelming use of the lot by commuters heading to the airport. The Amtrak Thruway #10 and Greyhound started using the station in 2021, with Greyhound abandoning its long held station at the Plaza Las Vegas . The Downtown Transportation Center (or "DTC") was the main transit center for the RTC systems in downtown Las Vegas. The DTC had 30 numbered bays, and 4 unnumbered bays that serviced 14 RTC routes, and

7802-645: Was formed by the RTC to provide reliable bus service to the cities of Las Vegas , North Las Vegas , Henderson , Las Vegas Township , Mesquite , and Laughlin . The system began on November 15, 1992 under the direction of Kurt Weinrich, its general manager. Initially the old LVT routes were operated unchanged except for route 6–The Strip, which LVT still retained. The system was totally reconfigured and Strip service begun December 5, 1992. The fleet consisted of mostly old vehicles such as Flxible Grummans, GMC RTSs , TMC RTSs and Gillig Phantoms. They had also purchased 90 new New Flyer D40HFs . The initial route structure

7896-522: Was formed in 1965 by state legislation to oversee federally-mandated transportation planning in Clark County. Under pressure by the county and state, and by order of the state court, the company was ordered to cease operations except on Route 6-The Strip and relinquish all its city-owned buses to the Regional Transportation Commission of Clark County as of November 15, 1992. LVT and its successors continued to operate service in competition with Citizens Area Transit until about 2005. Citizens Area Transit ("CAT")

7990-561: Was later inducted into the American Public Transportation Association 's Hall of Fame for his work at the company. In 2003, King County Metro in Seattle placed an order for 213 hybrid buses, the world's first large order for hybrid buses. On December 15, 2003, New Flyer was purchased by private equity firms Harvest Partners and Lightyear Capital . The company's CEO, John Marinucci, called

8084-423: Was only so much they could do. The RTC created a Bus Shelter Advisory Committee, and made studies concerning bus stop safety. In 2009, the RTC raised bus fares despite public outcry. In 2009 and 2010, proposed bus fares increased from 62% for monthly passes to 100% for full day fare passes. The RTC argued that the fare hikes were due to higher fuel costs, however the largest increase in transit expenditures came from

8178-408: Was only used on the 800 series coaches and on coach 654, and it was only used in 2005. A variant of this livery has the CAT logos replaced with RTC fleet logos on the sides of the coach. Later in 2005, the RTC received its shipment of 50 double deck Alexander Dennis Enviro500 vehicles, painted in a third "goldbug" livery. This one consisted of an all-gold base, with a blue trim around the bottom, and

8272-523: Was opened in 2003 after the Vacation Village hotel and casino was closed, which was the southern terminus for many CAT routes. The SSTT has 18 transit bays that are serviced by seven RTC routes, Megabus , which began on December 12, 2012, providing service from the SSTT to Los Angeles via Riverside , and BoltBus to Los Angeles . Both have since ceased operation. In 2008 the park and ride lot

8366-408: Was operating at breakeven or a deficit, and any expansion would have to come via public subsidy. In 1978, LVTS operated a fleet of 26 buses, with half of them less than 5 years old. During 1976–1977, ridership rose by 21.8%. However, by 1979, an external consultant concluded the system was one of the worst in the nation, and that at least 110 buses would be required to provide adequate service. In

8460-462: Was scheduled to expire September 25, 2011, and was awarded to First Transit, the apparent low bidder and highest scorer on the comprehensive review, however, Veolia has complained to the RTC board of bidding irregularities in the First Transit bid as well as an unfair emphasis on price in comparison to other technical factors. The RTC board approved the First Transit bid on a 4-3 vote, but after

8554-567: Was soon seen as deficient and second complete revision was made in June on 1993. Soon after, CAT began to catch on with the city and blossomed. In 1997, the American Public Transportation Association awarded CAT with their highest honor, Best Transit System in America (within its category). However, things began to change in the following years. In 2002, The Amalgamated Transit Union and the bus contractor, ATC, began contract renewal negotiations, but

8648-468: Was the busiest and its buses were packed with tourists, that route was operated with the oldest equipment, including the smallest 35 ft long × 96 in wide fishbowls . The air conditioning units on these older buses were frequently out of service. By contrast, some of the residential routes, with few passengers, were operated with the newest buses, which were city-owned, 40 ft long × 102 in wide, Grumman 870s and Gillig Phantoms . One reason for this

8742-414: Was the city mandated that these newer city-owned buses, which also had handicap accessibility, run on the residential areas. A limited expansion of coverage followed the late 1970s and early 1980s, but it was too little and too late. In fact, LVTS were voted as the worst transit system in the country during one year in the 1980s The city had outgrown the small private transit system; it was unrealistic for

8836-418: Was used from 1992 to 2001. In 2001, the second "stripes" livery came in three variants, with the second one being the primary livery. The RTC decided to abandon their teal and magenta color scheme and adopted a white, blue, and gold scheme with blue stripes with a cat running on a white base, white around the windows, moving the CAT logo to just above the first window on either side, under the windshield, and on

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