No need to ask for a lift when you can use Park & Ride

It's a common custom for Summerlin residents to ask the guy next door, or maybe some friend in the neighborhood, for a ride to McCarran International Airport. But while that may save you a juicy parking fee or limo cost, it often incurs an inconvenience for your friend. And in these days of rising gasoline prices, that inconvenience can indeed become a bit more bothersome.

Well, in case you haven't noticed, there's no need to hassle your friend anymore. If you're heading to the airport with minimum luggage, such as a small roller bag and suitcase, you now can drive yourself to the new Westcliff Transit Center P ark & R ide facility. Leave your car at no cost for up to two weeks and for two bucks relax in a streamlined bus that will take you to the airport. Of course, you can return the same way from the airport.

For seniors, disabled persons and children between ages 6 and 17, there's a plan for a reduced fare of $1 . And if you prefer, the same bus will drop you off in d owntown Las Vegas or along the Strip.

The Westcliff Transit Center, which opened in December, is at the corner of Durango and Westcliff d rives, a short distance from Summerlin Parkway. It provides parking for 140 vehicles. There's also an enclosed climate-controlled center for the short wait between departing buses. Moreover, you can rest assured that your car will be safe, thanks to a 24-hour security watch.

If you're coming from a more southerly and westerly direction, you have another option. The airport bus actually begins at the Suncoast, 9090 Alta Drive . Parking for 50 cars at the Suncoast also is free, with a similar
24-hour security watch.

It's all just another effort by the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada to speed up service and help reduce traffic and costs, explained Tracy Bower, director of government affairs for the commission.

"We figure that the time it takes for someone driving their own car is very competitive with the bus, using the same route to McCarran Airport from the Westcliff Transit Center," Bower said.

She estimated the ride to take about 45 minutes under normal circumstances.

And that time frame includes three stops d owntown ---- at the Fremont Street Experience, the Bonneville Transit Station and the Premium Outlets ---- then along Interstate 15 to one additional stop, at Tropicana Avenue and the Strip, before reaching the final destination at the airport.

Bower said there are three other bus routes that also serve the Westcliff Transit Center. That means anyone who can conveniently use routes 207, 208 or 209 can hook directly into the airport-bound buses at Westcliff without having to use their car.

"The Westcliff Transit Center was opened last December, and our feedback has been very positive since then," said Bower. "People want bus service to be quick and efficient, and that's especially so when going to and from the airport."

The first bus leaves the Suncoast at
5:25 a.m. daily. It leaves Westcliff at
5:35 a.m. and is due at the airport at
6:13 a.m. The last of 23 daily buses leaves Westcliff at 10:15 p.m. Similarly, the first bus leaves McCarran International Airport at 6:20 a.m., and the final bus leaves the airport at 11:03 p.m. A complete schedule can be found at rtcsnv.com.

Bower said the commission's agreement with the Suncoast became effective at the same time the Westcliff facility was opened.

"There's a terrific partnership that exists between the RTC and the Suncoast," Bower noted.

David Nolan, assistant general manager of the Suncoast, affirmed the satisfactory relationship with the commission.

"It's a very good arrangement," he said, "one which we are extremely happy with. We have dedicated 50 spaces at the Suncoast for persons going to and from the airport. We provide the same 24-hour security for those cars as we do for anyone else who uses any of our 5,500 parking spaces at Suncoast."

He said parking spaces for airport passengers are in the southeast corner of the Suncoast, nearest to Alta Drive and Rampart Boulevard.

Herb Jaffe was an op-ed columnist and investigative reporter for most of his 39 years at the Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J. He is the author of the novels "Falling Dominoes" and "One At A Time." Contact him at hjaffe@cox.net.