The Las Vegas Valley bus system (officially, the Regional Transportation Commission or RTC for short) doesn’t come close to public-transport systems available in New York City, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, or Chicago, but over the last 10 years, the RTC has made consistent improvements and now offers services of which every Las Vegas local (as well as many tourists) should be aware. I’ve been a big fan of public transportation all my life (especially when I lived in NYC 10 years ago), but even I was surprised by the many ways that the RTC can make my current Las Vegas living experience easier and cheaper.
According to their website, the RTC consists of 39 routes serving the entire valley, including Centennial Hills, Summerlin, and Henderson, plus Boulder City. Except for the Deuce bus, fares throughout the system are the same no matter how far you’re traveling. A single ride is $1, a two-hour pass is $2, an all-day pass is $5, and a 30-day pass is $65. Tickets and most passes can be purchased on the bus, in a ticket vending machine, or my favorite, via the rideRTC transit app (more on the app later).
Anyone who is over 60 (from anywhere), is disabled, or is a veteran living in Nevada qualifies for a Reduced Fare Pass (RFP), which can be quickly obtained from the downtown Bonneville Transit Center (BTC) free of charge. The BTC is within easy walking distance from the downtown casinos or a short ride from the Strip on either the Deuce or Strip & Downtown Express (SDX). The pass is good for five years and qualifies as a second photo ID. With the RFP, all fares and passes are 50% off, including the Deuce on the Strip (RFP rates: $3/2 hours, $4/24 hours, $10/three days).
The RTC runs an airport express bus (WAX) with initial pickups in the northwest Las Vegas area, including the Suncoast Hotel. With three downtown stops, air travelers get to McCarran (Terminal 1) in about an hour. I feel much better asking a friend to run me to one of these stops (about 10 minutes from my apartment) than taking two hours round-trip driving me all the way to the airport.
Visitors staying at Strip hotels, as well as local residents throughout the valley, can access the airport by several routes via the South Strip Transit Terminal (SSTT), which runs buses to McCarran every 15 minutes.
What I like about the RTC is that they keep everything up to date (far better than New York City). The buses are modern and clean, RTC literature is user-friendly, the website is well-designed, and best of all, the RTC has a great app (rideRTC). Riders can use it to get current schedule info, buy tickets and passes, and get time-and-cost information from both Uber and Lyft.
Now for the big question: Can you go carless in Las Vegas?
Unlike New York City, the answer is not an automatic “yes,” especially if your daily commute doesn’t work well with current bus schedules. But a knowledge of the RTC bus system can cut down (if not totally eliminate) other driving needs.
I work out of my home and walk to the local grocery, but I still need a car to get to the gym (a ten-minute drive), make a weekly trip to a client (30-minute drive versus an hour by bus), and run multiple errands. However, any transportation relating to nighttime entertainment that includes drinking is now done via the bus and Uber options offered by rideRTC.
The best way to save transportation costs (not to mention lives) in Las Vegas and everywhere else is never to drink and drive.
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I’m learning to use and enjoy the RTC myself, as a new resident of the valley. I think you have your fare information somewhat jumbled, though. For “residential” routes (non-Strip), single rides are $2 and a two-hour pass is $3, both prices halved for reduced-fare riders. Your prices for 24-hour and 30-day passes are correct.
I checked my memory by looking at their website: https://www.rtcsnv.com/transit/fare-information/