Las Vegas Valley getting dual-directional bus shelters to offer better refuge from summer heat

New bus shelters across the Las Vegas Valley will offer riders better refuge from the harsh summer sun.

The Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) is adding 105 new bus shelters around its 39 routes in Southern Nevada featuring seating on opposing sides that will allow riders access to shaded areas no matter the time of day. The shelters also feature enhanced lighting during the evening and are powered by solar panels on top of the structure.

The $1.35 million project is being funded by federal dollars secured by the state’s congressional delegation.

“There are over 100 of these new bus shelters, and 42 of them are right here in the heart of the valley, which is District 1,” Rep. Dina Titus said during a news conference last week at the Robert E. Price Recreation Center in the northeast valley. “Now, when I tell people I’m on the transportation committee, sometimes their eyes just glaze over. It’s not one of those sexy committees that people watch on TV. But when you get to do something like this, it becomes very exciting.”

The enhanced bus shelters being added are a direct result from feedback collected from 1,300 responses to the RTC’s Extreme Heat and Public Transit Survey. Of those responses, 57 percent said they felt the effects of extreme heat the most when waiting for a bus.

“We learned that 88 percent of respondents walked to their bus stop,” RTC CEO MJ Maynard-Carey said. “So, imagine that when it’s 115 degrees outside and 57 percent experience the greatest impact from heat while waiting for the bus. So, we heard that feedback and we have been responding.”

UNLV freshman Caleb Jackson, who lives in the northeast valley, uses the RTC bus system daily to get to school, work and for recreational purposes. He is excited about the new shelters and what they will add to his daily commutes.

“When you’re taking the bus every day, you spend a lot of time waiting at bus stops,” Jackson said. “I’ve lived in Las Vegas, and for anyone who has lived in Las Vegas, we all know how hot it gets during the summertime. That’s why I’m excited for the new bus shelters. I feel like it’s going to be a very beneficial investment for everyone who takes the bus every day, a more lit and safer environment.”

The group effort to obtain the federal funding was made by the state’s congressional delegation that includes Titus, Rep. Susie Lee, Rep. Steven Horsford, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Sen. Jacky Rosen.

“This is a perfect example of how we get things done,” Cortez Masto said. “This project is all about making our transit easier, more appealing for Nevadans to use, especially those who often rely more heavily on these options, these bus options, like our seniors, like students, like veterans.”

The 105 shelters, which will be added to stops along routes with high ridership and in neighborhoods that are most vulnerable to extreme heat, are expected to be installed by the summer of 2028.

Contact Mick Akers at [email protected] or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X. Send questions and comments to [email protected].