(The Center Square) – U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, D-Henderson, introduced a bill Monday attempting to help transit agencies that deal with extreme weather conditions.
The Bus Utilization for Fleet Flexibility and Emergency Resilience (BUFFER) Act would let transit agencies upgrade their spare bus ratio from 20% to 30% of their fleet if they are in a part of the country that deals with extreme weather.
Titus said this change would help Southern Nevada’s tourism industry.
According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, tourism is the “lifeblood” of Southern Nevada’s economy. LVCVA estimated that almost 42 million people came to visit this part of Nevada last year, spending over $55 billion.
The total economic impact tourism had on this region in 2024 was almost $88 billion, which surpassed the record set in 2023, according to LVCVA.
Furthermore, the LVCVA stated the tourism industry supported nearly 21% of all direct wages in Southern Nevada last year. For the tourism industry’s indirect impact, the visitors authority said it had a total wage impact of $21.3 billion on other economic sectors in the area, which represented 30% of the region’s wages.
Southern Nevada is home to Clark County, Nevada’s biggest county by population. It’s where Las Vegas is located.
As an industry, Titus said tourism in Southern Nevada “depends on reliable transit service to transport millions of visitors, especially during events.”
However, in this part of the state, the representative noted extreme heat affects buses and the passengers who ride on them.
In Southern Nevada, the temperatures in July and August can average around 100 degrees, the state climate office says.
Titus said the BUFFER Act will permit the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada and other transit agencies to “increase the number of spare buses they can put into service during bus breakdowns, including those due to extreme heat.”
RTC is a public agency that oversees “public transportation, traffic management, roadway design and construction funding, transportation planning and regional planning efforts” in Southern Nevada.
RTC said it has 404 buses as of the fiscal year 2024. Under current law, the agency can only have 81 spare buses, but with the BUFFER Act, it would be able to increase this to 121.
MJ Maynard-Carey, the RTC CEO, said the public agency supports this bill.
“In a region experiencing rapid growth, extreme weather, and large-scale events, added flexibility will help us keep our community moving,” she said.
Maynard-Carey noted an update to the spare ratio policy will allow RTC to provide “safe, reliable service for the thousands of riders who count on us each day.”
In fiscal year 2024, RTC had a ridership of over 52 million people.
Titus estimated 80% of Southern Nevada’s “transit riders rely on buses to get to work and back.”
“Reliable transportation service is critical to both their health and their livelihoods,” Titus explained.
