Public input sought on new express bus service, route cuts

By Conor Shine

Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 | 5:56 p.m.

The Regional Transportation Commission is seeking public input on a series of proposed changes that would add faster, more convenient bus service to parts of the valley while eliminating routes in other areas.

The agency plans to bolster its offerings along Sahara Avenue with the addition of express service and dedicated bus lanes stretching along the thoroughfare from Red Rock Resort near the Las Vegas Beltway to east of Boulder Highway.

The project, which will be funded largely by a $34.4 million federal stimulus grant, will also bring new transit shelters, ticket vending machines, and improved sidewalks and landscaping along the route.

One goal of the new service is to provide more convenient access to the resort corridor to commuters in neighborhoods east of Nellis Boulevard near Lake Mead Boulevard, the RTC said in a statement.

The Sahara Express route will also link into the RTC’s other express lines, which run to locations including the Strip, Boulder Highway and downtown Henderson.

As part of the proposed changes, the RTC is also suggesting that two current bus routes be eliminated.

Both Route 207, which starts at the Westcliff Transit Center near Durango and Westcliff drives and runs to Stewart Avenue and Nellis Boulevard, and Route 211, which starts at MountainView Hospital and travels east along Smoke Ranch Road and Carrey Avenue to Nellis Boulevard, would be closed if the changes are approved. Both routes targeted for closure run within half a mile of other routes, and the RTC said it would modify currently operating lines to minimize inconvenience to riders.

More than a dozen public meetings have been scheduled by the RTC over the next month to discuss the route changes. For a schedule of the meetings and a complete listing of the proposed changes, visit the RTC’s website. Public comment can also be submitted directly to the RTC through its website, by calling 676-1557, or by visiting the Bonneville Transit Center in downtown Las Vegas or the RTC Administration Office, 600 S. Grand Central Parkway.

The proposed changes will be presented to the RTC Board of Commissioners for a vote, and if approved, would go into effect May 20.