RTC mulls improvements to transit services

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - The Regional Transportation Commission is asking for public comment on proposed improvements to their transit services.

RTC is floating these changes that would be implemented in May:

Improved Northwest Reno Service

Route 11: Extend east to McCarran Boulevard in Sparks and extend west to 7th Street Walmart in Reno via the Sky Mountain/Sky Valley loop. Maintain 30-minute service. Provide a connection to Route 4, Somersett-Verdi FlexRIDE, and Sparks-Spanish Springs FlexRIDE.
Route 4: Modify to loop around Walmart. Eliminate library extension. Fill in Sunday service gap. Modify segment run times.
Somersett-Verdi FlexRIDE: Extend FlexRIDE service zone eastward.
Route 3: Discontinue this route and replace it with redesigned service options. The southern portion of this route will be replaced with the new Route 11 westward extension and the northern portion of this route will be replaced with an expanded Somersett-Verdi FlexRIDE zone.

Modified Sparks Service

Route 11: Extend east to McCarran Boulevard in Sparks and extend west to the 7th Street Walmart in Reno via the Sky Mountain/Sky Valley loop. Maintain 30-minute service. Provide a connection to Route 4, Somersett-Verdi FlexRIDE, and Sparks-Spanish Springs FlexRIDE
Route 21: Extend to Northern Nevada Medical Center.
Route 26: Discontinue this route and replace with expanded Route 11 and expanded Route 21.

Enhanced Senior Services

Washoe Senior Ride Program: Improve CardONE loading process. Each month, participants will automatically receive a subsidy of $10 per taxi trip up to 6 trips per month.
Washoe Uber Rides Program: Increase coverage of up to $10 per trip for up to 6 trips per month.

Other Improvements

Regional Connector: Approve a reciprocal fare agreement with Jump Around Carson (JAC), the transit system in Carson City, to eliminate transfer fees for users connecting between the JAC and RTC transit systems.
All routes: Continuation of timetable adjustments to continue improving travel times and on-time performance.
Ongoing Technology Improvements: Introduce a new transit app called Transit. The app will allow passengers to coordinate and plan trips on both RTC RIDE and RTC FlexRIDE at the same time and will be integrated with the Token Transit app to allow passengers to pay for their trip within the app. The Transit app will also allow passengers to view real-time bus locations and see when the next bus will arrive at their stop.

The community is asked to provide feedback until Feb. 23 for an RTC meeting that will happen on Feb. 24. Comments can be submitted via email to mdulude@rtcwashoe.com or by phone at 775-335-0019.