RTC Board Approves Fixed Route Changes

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) board on Oct. 8, approved a series of transit service improvements that will increase service hours, double route frequencies on two routes and introduce a new route that will coordinate with two others to expand and improve transit service to the growing southwest valley. The changes are effective Sunday, Nov. 8.

New Route 121 (Durango / Buffalo) will operate along Durango Drive between Westcliff Drive and Warm Springs Road, and along Buffalo Drive between Westcliff Drive and Gowan Road. These changes will modify the highly successful Route 120 (Fort Apache / Buffalo), introduced last year, and extend Route 212 (Sunset) westward. All three routes will operate every 30 minutes during weekday daytime hours, doubling the current frequency of Route 120. This will be helpful, for example, to residents going to and from work and appointments.

Transit service improvements also include adding a total of 60,000 service hours to the current system, a 4-percent increase, resulting in more frequent service on several routes and an expanded service area.

Overall, the changes will affect 24 total routes across the RTC’s Southern Nevada service area. Route modifications may include frequency increases or decreases; selected trip additions or deletions; changes to operating hours; shortening or extending routes; and route redesigns.

For example, the RTC transitioned the service hours from the Sahara Express (SX) Shuttle service into the main SX-A and SX-B branches. This change brought the SX to Frequent Service standards, meaning it operates operate every 15 minutes, or better, on weekday afternoons and every 20 minutes, or better, during other daytime hours every day.  RTC has nine routes that operate at this level of service. 

The ADA Paratransit Service Area also will be adjusted to maintain the mandated three-quarters of one-mile border on each side of each fixed-route boundary.