Whether running errands, going to work or heading to a favorite destination, Downtown Las Vegas offers tourists and locals alike an affordable alternative to cabs, buses and driving.
The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) spent nearly $1 million to launch the RTC Bike Share on Oct. 27, which has 180 specially designed bikes that are located at 21 stations in and near Downtown Las Vegas.
Funding for the RTC Bike Share program was provided via a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant from the Federal Highway Administration.
“We are doing what progressive cities do to provide alternative forms of transportation that encourage healthy activity and a greener environment,” Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said in a news release announcing the program.
“This program perfectly complements the hundreds of dedicated green bike lanes in downtown Las Vegas,” Goodman said.
Each of the 21 docking station holds between six and eleven bikes and a self-serve kiosk accepts payments and makes the bikes available.
Single-ride passes cost $4 and give users 30 minutes of riding time, with a fee for riding longer than a half hour. Through December, the single-ride fare is discounted to $2.
A 24-hour pass costs $8, while a 30-day pass is available for $20. Bikes and docks are available at all hours.
Thus far, the new program is proving popular among locals as well as visitors and the average age of bike share users is between 35 and 45 years of age RTC Public Affairs Administrator Monika Bertaki said.
Bertaki said the downtown area is ideal for the bike share program due to wide bike lanes on many streets and the bike share program might be expanded to the UNLV area next.
Many of the bikes are used by people working at downtown locations, she said, adding that the program is too new to provide demographics other than a rough estimation of age on riders.
Bike docking stations are located as far north as the Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino and as far south as the corner of Sahara and the Las Vegas Strip. The most westward station is located at the Premium Outlets Mall, while the easternmost station is located near the PublicUs restaurant at 100 S. Maryland Parkway.
Among notable docking locations are the Gold And Silver Pawn Shop, the Arts District, Container Park, Zappos, City Hall and the RTC Bonneville Transit Center.
BCycle, which is based in Waterloo, Wisconsin, in January won the contract to implement the RTC Bike Share program, which is being managed by Philadelphia-based Bicycle Transit Systems.
“Las Vegas is the perfect city for bike share and will further enhance transportation options for residents of Las Vegas and the world-class experience for millions of visitors to the city,” BCycle President Bob Burns said when announcing the contract award.
Bicycle Transit describes itself as a “vendor-neutral bike share operator” with bike share programs in Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Oklahoma City, in addition to Las Vegas.
Each bike is designed by Wisconsin-based Trek and comes with a three-speed hub, basket and lights. Each bike also is adjustable to fit riders from 4 feet 11 inches to 6 feet 5 inches tall.
Each kiosk utilizes solar power and features components that consumer only a small amount of energy. Kiosks also provide route information to other kiosks, so that riders can use the bikes and park them in less than 30 minutes when on a half-hour ride.
BCycle offers a mobile app as well, which is compatible with Android and iOS phones. With the mobile app, riders can check bike and dock availability at specific locations, pay the ride fee to unlock the bike dock, and get directions to other bike share stations. The mobile app is available via the App Store and Google Play.
