RTC to launch new ACE rapid transit services in January
Commuting to downtown and the Strip will be a lot easier -- and faster -- thanks to the Regional Transportation Commission's new ACE and ACExpress transit services, which launch in early 2010. The two services are the first of many new rapid transit lines that will make residents rethink their daily drives to and from work.
The first ACE service, the ACE Gold line, launches in January 2010. It will have many of the features of a light rail system, including sleek, rail-like vehicles; level platform boarding; and off-board ticket vending machines where passengers will purchase tickets before boarding the vehicle. The ACE Gold line will link downtown Las Vegas with the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Strip. It features dedicated transit lanes for much of the trip through downtown, making it faster than a regular bus line.
Getting into downtown and to the Strip will be easier on the RTC's first ACExpress line -- the ACExpress C line, which is also scheduled to launch in January 2010. This commuter-friendly service will depart from the new Centennial Hills Transit Center and Park and Ride, currently under construction at Durango Drive near Elkhorn Road. The facility will feature ample parking and an air-conditioned terminal for passengers to wait for their transit vehicles to arrive.
The ACExpress C line will depart from the Centennial Hills area and travel on U.S. 95 via the high-occupancy vehicle lanes into downtown. The ACExpress C Line will stop in downtown, with continuing service to Spring Mountain Road and the Strip and to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
The RTC will launch additional ACE and ACExpress services over the next few years. The RTC's existing MAX rapid transit line will become the ACE Blue line and additional ACE lines are planned for Boulder Highway and Sahara Avenue. Those routes will feature dedicated lanes for much of the trip, speeding up service. Additional park and ride lots that will provide ACExpress services are also planned throughout the valley.
For more information, visit the RTC's Web site at www.rtcsnv.com.
