The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently awarded the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) a $149.9 million Capital Investment Grants grant to support construction of the 12.5-mile Maryland Parkway bus route.
Funding will be used to purchase 15 hydrogen fuel cell-powered, 60-foot articulated buses. Buses will run on 7.2 miles of dedicated lanes and receive traffic signal priority while in mixed-flow traffic.
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service will replace traditional bus lines and connect to Harry Reid International Airport as well as 25 other bus routes via the Bonneville Transit Center and the South Strip Transit Terminal.
RTC estimates the new service will decrease travel time by approximately 20 percent compared to the current bus route that takes more than an hour to run 20 miles.
“While Las Vegas is normally thought of as a tourist mecca, we know that thousands of Nevadans depend on transit to move them around this growing, thriving city,” FTA Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool said. “The faster, more reliable, more convenient service provided by Bus Rapid Transit has created an economic boost for communities across the country. We know it will bring that same impact to workers, students, and others who call Las Vegas home.”