Clark County ready to roll out app for public transit
Want to buy a ticket for public transit in Clark County, or find out if your bus is running late?
There soon will be an app for that, known as Ride RTC.
The mobile ticketing application will have a “soft launch” on Tuesday for Android and Apple smartphones, with a full rollout expected by October, said Scott Mazick, information technology director at the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada.
RTC officials said they hope to spend the summer working out any bugs in the new app while also gathering feedback from early adopters of the program.
The technology is aimed at reaching a new generation of younger bus riders who tend to rely on smartphones for nearly every aspect of life. For those who aren’t as tech-savvy, RTC officials said bus tickets will still be available for purchase online and at vending machines.
Here in Las Vegas, riders can download the app to their smartphone, then register their personal information and credit card. The app’s security is about as safe as making a purchase from the popular online outlet Amazon, Mazick said.
Ride RTC will provide a list of bus purchased passes. A barcode appearing on the phone’s screen will be scanned by the bus driver.
The app is also capable of accessing a rider’s location from his or her phone’s GPS system, allowing it to display the nearest bus stops and plan your route. Real-time bus arrival information is also available if riders are using their cellular or Wi-Fi networks.
In short, Mazick said the app will allow bus riders to “plan, buy and go,” citing similar technology for transit agencies in New York, Los Angeles and Boston.
ROAD RAGE
Don from Henderson said he recently witnessed a “road rage” incident at Eastern Avenue and Pebble Road. A vehicle preparing to turn left was stopped at the crosswalk, rather than scooting into the intersection. The driver right behind him was “clearly upset,” believing he might not be able to turn left if the light turned red.
“The second driver blared his horn in a very big and persistent way, over and over again,” Don wrote. That prompted the first driver to closely enter the intersection, and both vehicles eventually turned left during the same signal cycle.
Don wanted to know the proper etiquette for drivers who find themselves in similar situations.
Basically, you need to bring your patience.
At an unprotected left turn — when an arrow signal is not provided — it’s the driver’s prerogative to slowly move into an intersection if, and when, they deem it’s safe enough, said trooper Jason Buratczuk of the Nevada Highway Patrol.
Sure, it might be a little rude of the first driver. But, maybe they weren’t familiar with that particular intersection, or saw something in the road that you didn’t. In the end, the vehicles lining up behind these types of slowpokes simply have to wait their turn.
Questions and comments should be sent to roadwarrior@reviewjournal.com. Please include your phone number. Follow the Road Warrior on Twitter @RJroadwarrior
Road work ahead
Northbound Interstate 15 will be restricted between Charleston Boulevard and Washington Avenue from 9 p.m. Monday to 4 a.m. Tuesday as crews make bridge repairs.
Volunteer Boulevard will be restricted between Via Firenze and Rancho Destino Road in Henderson over the next two weeks due to paving.
Northbound Interstate 15 will be restricted at Cheyenne Avenue from 9 p.m. Wednesday until 4 a.m. Thursday due to ramp repairs.
The Charleston Boulevard onramp to southbound Interstate 15 will be restricted from 9 p.m. Tuesday to 4 a.m. Wednesday due to bridge repairs.
The Rancho Drive exit from southbound U.S. Highway 95 will be closed through mid-September as crews work on Project Neon.
Eastbound Windmill Lane will be restricted between Vista Twilight Drive and Vision Street as crews install water pipes on weekdays through Friday. At the same time, westbound Windmill will also be restricted between the 215 Beltway and Paradise Road.
The northbound lanes of Black Oaks Street will be closed between Centennial Parkway into the Eldorado Community in North Las Vegas until Friday. Crews are working on utility and street improvements.
The intersection of Ann Road and Bruce Street in North Las Vegas will be restricted until Aug. 26 as crews work on improvements to storm drains, utilities and roads.
The intersection of East Lone Mountain Road and North Fifth Street in North Las Vegas will be restricted from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Aug. 26. Crews are installing new sewer lines and storm drains.
Summerlin Parkway will be restricted between Buffalo Drive and the 215 Beltway through Sept. 1. Crews are installing median barriers.
Buffalo Drive will be restricted between Sky Pointe and Grand Teton Drive from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays through mid-October as crews improve pedestrian crossings.
Cimarron Road will be restricted between Sky Pointe and Grand Teton Drive from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays through mid-October as crews improve pedestrian crossings.
Elkhorn Road will be restricted between U.S. Highway 95 and Tenaya Way from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays through mid-October as crews work on road improvements.
Sections of Bonneville Avenue, Charleston Boulevard, Grand Central Parkway and Martin Luther King Boulevard will have closed or disrupted lanes surrounding the Spaghetti Bowl as crews work on Project Neon through July 2018.
Traffic will be redirected and reduced to one lane in each direction of U.S. Highway 95 for about a mile in Boulder City through March. Crews are building a bridge over the highway for the future Interstate 11 corridor.
Valley Drive is being widened between Tropical Parkway and Cheyenne Avenue in North Las Vegas, with completion expected in March.
Sahara Avenue is restricted between Las Vegas Boulevard and Tam Drive until Sept. 22 due to construction of the new Lucky Dragon Hotel and Casino.
Gasoline prices
The average gasoline price Friday in the Las Vegas Valley was $2.38 per gallon. It was $2.41 in Nevada. The national average of $2.12 is the same as a week ago, down 9 cents from a month ago and down 47 cents from a year ago.
