Have you been following along our weekly ride guides? Have you worked up an appetite? You’re in luck because our third installment of ride guides, DTLV Bike Ride Guide: Eat, will serve up some delicious bites! From East Fremont to the Arts District, we’ve got the best guide to bring you one ride closer to satisfying your cravings.

• Ferguson’s Downtown: Dock at our Fremont and 10^th station to enjoy the new dining experiences at Ferguson’s. In search of a place that offers variety? Check out Vegas Test Kitchen which offers a variety of cuisines weekly from celebrated chefs testing new concepts. Looking to enjoy American cuisine and craft cocktails in a retro desert charm setting? Check out Peyote!
• Vegenation: In search of a plant-based meal with some community-sourced ingredients? Dock at Carson & 7^th, and cross Carson to Vegenation! With a fully plant-based menu, Vegenation also works with local small businesses to source their beer, booze, coffee, tea, artisan cheeses, seasonal herbs, and art.
• Pizza Rock: Dock at 3^rd and Stewart to indulge in a specialty pie while jamming out to old and new rock tunes. Pizza rock features gourmet pizzas in a variety of styles, 23 rotating drafts, craft cocktails, and over 60 bottled and canned beer; all served up in an artistic and energetic atmosphere.
• Rick’s Rollin Smoke BBQ: Brought to you by Rick Harrison (of Pawn Stars), Rick’s Rollin Smoke BBQ aims to satisfy all your BBQ cravings. Dock at Garces and Las Vegas Blvd to enjoy down home country sides and fall-off-the-bone hickory-smoked barbeque. 
• Tacotarian:  Inspired by a trip to Mexico City experiencing so many veggie dishes with such flavor and love, Tacotarian has brought plant-based Mexican cuisine to downtown Las Vegas since late 2019. Dock at Arts District – Casino Center and you’ll be steps away from Tacotarian.
• Braeswood Tex-Mex Barbecue: Dock at Main & Utah to enjoy low and slow Texas barbeque, southern and Mexican sides in downtown Las Vegas. You will not leave hungry! Check out Braeswood, one of DTLV’s newest barbeque dining experiences.

Don’t forget to share photos of your rides throughout the month on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram tagging @RTCSNV and #RTCBIKE5 for a chance to win two tickets to the upcoming Vegas Golden Knights game on November 9th against the Seattle Kracken.

This month, as part of our birthday celebrations, we will be celebrating our riders and featuring weekly rider spotlights. Our first feature is Matthew Chavez, or if you follow him on Instagram, @bicycleboy702. Matthew has been a Field Technician for RTC Bike Share since 2016 and we recently had the chance to ask him a couple of questions about his time with RTC Bike Share. 

When did you start with RTC Bike Share? You’re a Day 1 employee, right? Almost but not quite a day 1 employee! I started in the last week of October 2016. I started a couple of days before our official launch in downtown Las Vegas.

Do you have any notable early memories from the first year? Oh, for sure! I remember feeling excited about being on the ground floor of something so special in Las Vegas and the downtown area! I remember the official launch held on 3rd & Stewart at our Downtown Grand station. So many people were in attendance and such positive and inspiring speeches were made by Mayor Goodman and David Swallow from the RTC. The event was super festive and energetic!

What’s your favorite part about working for RTC Bike Share? My absolute favorite part of working for RTC Bike Share is my daily interactions with our riders! I take a great deal of pride to ensure that every single rider has the most positive experience possible. I strive to maintain a bike share system that is virtually seamless to the rider. Providing clean & well-maintained bicycles / stations is my # 1 priority. I absolutely love when I hear positive feedback from our bike share riders, and I love seeing everyone enjoying the sights & sounds of downtown Las Vegas while riding our bikes.

Have you always been an avid cyclist, or has your time with RTC Bike Share influenced an increase in your interest? I’ve always been a cyclist, yet I’ve become an avid cyclist during my time with RTC Bike Share. Cycling has become a part of my life and it’s changed me in the most positive ways. Think about it, I can cycle as part of my work, and I cycle on my off time as well! If I’m not bike sharing, then I’m definitely cycling out in the desert!

What do you use RTC Bike Share for most, outside of work? Outside of work, I use RTC Bike Share for a brisk workout and I’m always taking pictures of anything that catches my eye during my rides.

What’s your favorite place to visit within the RTC Bike Share footprint? One of my favorite places to visit within the RTC Bike Share footprint is the area surrounding our Premium Outlet station. I love riding around the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, the beautiful Smith Center, the lovely Symphony Park, and World Market Center. This area is so peaceful and quiet. I totally love the green spaces located within this wonderful area.

What’s one thing that a new RTC Bike Share rider should know? How to ride in the safest way possible! Safe riding is as simple as wearing a helmet when possible, obeying stop signs & traffic signals, using hand signals, and staying to the right side of the road. These simple tips can make your ride safer, and you’ll have a positive experience and journey.

Our riders need the details on your infamous Blackjack Ride! The infamous Blackjack Ride is a ride that was created when I first started working with RTC Bike Share. Our system consists of 21 stations, and I really wanted to ride to all of them, including docking & undocking a bike, during my after-work evening ride. After some time, I developed a route that I really liked, and I began to ride to all 21 stations 2 to 3 times a week. It is so much fun, and I found myself getting better and stronger with each ride. Even though I take the same route, each ride is different in its own unique way. I’ve ridden in the morning, evening, sunny days, and even windy days. I stop to talk with downtown Las Vegas visitors, residents, and riders who may need assistance. I always seem to see something new that catches my eye and I love stopping to snap photos. Each ride starts off like a blank canvas which becomes a work of art by the time I finish.

You can follow Matthew along his cycling journey (and maybe catch some behind the scenes at RTC Bike Share snaps) on his Instagram, @bicycleboy702.

As we gear up to head into the second week of our birthday month celebration, we invite you to check out some of the best coffee in DTLV with our Coffee Route Guide. Along the route, you will have the opportunity to check out PublicUs, Mothership Coffee, Bungalow Coffee, Golden Fog, and Makers & Finders. Try something new or stop in for an afternoon pick me up to get you through the rest of your day.

• PublicUs: Located in the Fremont East District of DTLV, this canteen-style restaurant also features a coffee bar with crafted coffee drinks such as Espresso Old Fashioned, Black Swan, and Butter & Spice Latte. While you’re sipping, take a look around and check out some of the eclectic books on the shelves.
• Mothership: Check out Mothership’s DTLV location within Ferguson’s Downtown! Serving up specialty coffee to downtown residents and visitors alike, Mothership offers a robust selection of specialty coffees and crafted coffee beverages that any coffee lover can appreciate. 
• Bungalow Coffee Co: One of the Art District’s newest coffee shops is definitely worth checking out. Not only do they feature an extensive coffee selection, but they also have a full menu. Brunch, anyone? Bonus: Snap an Instagram-worthy selfie in front of the Big Sip Energy wall. 
• Makers & Finders: Makers & Finders have been an Arts District staple since 2014, in fact, they were the first coffee shop to establish in the Arts District. Founded on the 3 pillars of coffee, Latin food & culture, this vibrant restaurant-coffee-bar should not be skipped on your DTLV quest for coffee. 
• Golden Fog Coffee: Do you like a side of art with your coffee? If your answer is yes, Golden Fog is your spot to visit! Check out their monthly rotating art gallery by local murals as you sip on your crafted coffee beverage. Golden Fog is a fully vegetarian cafe exclusively serving Dark Moon Coffee, made using a Sanremo Cafe Racer.  A classic October drink, the Pumpkin Latte, is being featured at Golden Fog this month!

Don’t forget to snap a photo while you’re inside any of the five featured coffee shops and include #RTCBike5 and @RTCSNV to enter for your chance to win tickets to the November 9th Vegas Golden Knights game against the Seattle Kraken. Entries will be accepted through October 31, 2021. All bike share Passholders who take rides from October 10th through October 16th will also be entered to win a branded Jabba Bluetooth speaker!

It’s our birthday and throughout the entire month of October, we will be sharing fun experiences and incentives for you to celebrate with us! Need a pass? Use RTCBIKE5 to get your Explorer pass for $5 (normally $15) through October 31, 2021.

To kick off the celebration, check out some of the artwork that DTLV has to offer with our Fall Art Route Guide. Along the route, you will have the opportunity to check out work from Agostino Lacurci, Keya Tama, Pretty Done, Snipt, Brett Rosepiler, and more DTLV artists. Landscape ni1, Found Again, and Pretty Funk Alley are new pieces brought to DTLV by way of September’s Life is Beautiful festival. While you’re riding around checking out the murals, keep an eye out for cassette pieces by local artist Dan Forty-Five that contain one-liners from songs and the artists who performed them. Can you find all 19?

• Found Again by Keya Tama, Ogden between 7^th & 8^th, Downtown Las Vegas
  Keya Tama Is a South African artist based in Los Angeles. He Has painted murals and shown in galleries around the world since the age of thirteen. His style can be described as ancient contemporary minimalism as his work aims to reunite old and new through contrasting yet unified iconography. Instagram.

• Pretty Funk Alley by Pretty Done, Entrances to alley from both Fremont and Ogden between 7^th & 8^th, Downtown Las Vegas
  Pretty Done is a creative art brand that is based in abstract freestyle pop art. Hand-drawn characters, fonts, and design patterns are processed with creative color combinations, bold lines, and imaginary imagery. The artwork is based in positive energy, fun meaningful messages, and abstract youthfulness which represents a unique universal language of ideas.

• DTalley, Entrance to alley from Carson between 6^th & 7^th, Downtown Las Vegas
  dT-Alley Community Coalition, Inc., is a Nevada Non-Profit Corporation (“The DCC”) dedicated to the beautification of the Downtown Las Vegas Alley located between Fremont/Carson and LVB/6th Street.
  This community space incorporates art and interactivity for locals and visitors through the use of Murals, Sculptures, innovative landscaping, and multiple interactive “moments”. All of which provide a beautiful space in an otherwise under-utilized area.

• Jean-Michel Basquiat & Dennis Hopper Murals by SNIPT, shareDowntown, Downtown Las Vegas
  Derek Douglas, known professionally as SNIPT, is a Las Vegas based artist who has become best known for creating mixed media Pop Art mashups. Having showcased his artwork across the United States since 2013, the body of work created by SNIPT has included mural installations for corporate clients, convention exhibits, interactive music festival installations, and inclusion in several gallery exhibits in both solo and group formats.

• MF DOOM Mural by Brett Rosepiler, Main & Colorado, Downtown Las Vegas
  Brett Rosepiler is a Las Vegas native artist who has been tattooing since 2005. Brett paid homage to the late MF DOOM with this mural after his passing in October of 2020.

Share your bike share route photos on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter using the hashtag #RTCBIKE5 and include @RTCSNV for a weekly chance to win an RTC Bike Share Jabba Bluetooth speaker. Everyone who posts a photo of their ride on their public social media channels using #RTCBIKE5 and @RTCSNV through October 31, 2021, will also be entered to win two tickets to the upcoming Vegas Golden Knights game on November 9th against the Seattle Kracken!

RTC Bike Share is expanding to new downtown Las Vegas neighborhoods! After receiving partial funding from the Southern Nevada Health District, we have identified four potential areas for one to three new bike stations. Help us decide where the stations should be installed and you will be entered to win one of two $100 gift cards!

The proposed stations include:
– Alta Drive, between Shadow Lane and Martin Luther King Boulevard
– East Fremont Street, between Bruce Street and North 21st Street
– Martin Luther King Boulevard, near Pinto Lane
– South 13th Street, near East Clark Avenue and The Center
Public

Follow this link to take the survey!

New Riders: Win a 3-day GA Life is Beautiful Pass

RTC Bike Share will be giving away a 3-day general admission pass to the Life is Beautiful music festival to be held in Downtown Las Vegas, September 17-19, 2021. Every new rider who signs up for an Explorer Pass at the RTC Bike Share tent at First Friday will be entered into the drawing for the 3-day general admission pass. The drawing will take place at 11:00 AM and the winner will be contacted on Tuesday, September 7, 2021, via e-mail.

How to Enter: Stop by the RTC Bike Share tent near the food trucks during First Friday between the hours of 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM on September 3, 2021.

Eligibility: You must be a new rider (no current pass) and sign up for an Explorer pass during First Friday at the RTC Bike Share tent. One entry per person. You must be 16 years of age or older to become a bike share Passholder.

Current Passholders: Win a 3-day GA Life is Beautiful Pass

RTC Bike Share will be giving away a 3-day general admission pass to the Life is Beautiful music festival to be held in Downtown Las Vegas, September 17-19, 2021. Now through Monday, September 13, 2021, Passholders who post a photo from their Art Tour Route Guide trip and include #RTCBikeShare and @RTCSNV will be entered to win the 3-day general admission pass! The drawing will take place at 11:00 AM and the winner will be contacted on Tuesday, September 14, 2021, via social media, and announced in our next newsletter.

How to Enter: Now through Monday, September 13, 2021, share a photo of you and your RTC Bike Share bike at one of the featured murals from our Art Tour Route Guide series. You may post to Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. Be sure your profile is set to public, include #RTCBikeShare and tag @RTCSNV. Private profiles cannot be viewed and therefore not entered into the contest.

Eligibility: You must be an existing Passholder (Explorer or Downtowner) to enter. Pass status will be verified upon confirming the winner. Shared photos must be posts to count as an entry (sorry, stories will not be included) and Passholders may post to Instagram, Facebook, and/or Twitter. Social media account must be public for post to be viewed and entered in the drawing. One post/entry per person. Posts will be counted from Friday, September 3, 2021, through Monday, September 13, 2021 to be entered into the drawing. Passholder status will be verified upon confirming the winner.

We’re getting close to September and we have another installment of Life is Beautiful art-inspired bike routes for you to explore! Take some time to ride down memory lane and view the art of previous years’ Life is Beautiful festivals by bike.  

Dock at Fremont & 7th:

• A short walk East, to the corner of Fremont and N 8th St will place you in front of a go-to Life is Beautiful backdrop created by local artist Eric Vozzola. While it’s not Eric’s first Life is Beautiful contribution, it has remained an 8th and Fremont staple since 2016. If elements of this piece seem familiar, you may have seen other Eric Vozzola murals around Las Vegas. Some current pieces include Window into the Multiverse along the west side of Area 15, Circa’s Garage Mahal murals, and Connecting Then and Now which can be found at the corner of Carson and 6th at the John E. Carson building.  
• Your curiosity may lead you to the fallen robot nearby, appearing to push itself back up. Mechan X is the second fallen robot of Tyler Fuqua Creations and was built for the 2018 Life is Beautiful festival. Mechan X won’t be down for long though, as this robot is only planned to be on display through the rest of this summer. 

Dock at 7th & Carson:

• If you find yourself wanting a snack along this tour, you’re in luck! Restaurant Row is located at this intersection and extends a few blocks down Carson. Don’t forget to be curious on your quest for a Downtown Las Vegas cuisine, as there’s art to be found! Another popular local artist’s work can be found on the north-facing wall of 7th & Carson restaurant. While not an official Life is Beautiful piece, Pretty Done‘s freestyle line work has become a DTLV staple. 

Dock at Sahara & Las Vegas Blvd:

• This one will require a little mixing of transportation methods, are you up for the challenge? Don’t worry, the Transit app makes navigating your multi-transit trips a breeze! Stepping outside of the Life is Beautiful footprint, we’re going to venture down the Strip. After you dock your bike at the Sahara and Las Vegas Boulevard station, you’ll want to hop on The Deuce and make your way to Wynn Las Vegas. Head to the Wynn Plaza rotunda and you’ll be greeted by Smiling King Bear; a colorful, 16-foot tall sculpture by Spanish artist Okuda. Smiling King Bear along with the mural The Rest of the Three Graces (still viewable near 7th and Stewart!) were featured at Life is Beautiful 2017.

Summer is here and we’re rolling out some amazing rider discounts! If you are new to bike share, we would like to welcome you with a $5 Explorer Pass. Experience your first 30-days of bike share with promo code Explorer5. For our existing Explorer (and previous 30-day) Passholders, if you have been thinking about upgrading your pass, now is a great time! Take $30 off the Downtowner pass with promo code 30OFF.

Promo codes may be redeemed on the Transit app, Bcycle app, or bikeshare.rtcsnv.com. Additional fees apply for rides over 60 minutes. Promo codes are good through Friday, September 24, 2021. One promo code per rider.

Get those wheels spinning and ride into your best days of summer with RTC Bike Share!

We had such a great time painting bike frames during July’s First Friday! Members of the Downtown Las Vegas community (and beyond) contributed to the painting of three bike frames which will become part of our RTC Bike Share fleet. Didn’t get a chance to contribute? We will be returning to First Friday next month! We look forward to seeing more artwork being added to our bike frames during the next First Friday, on August 6th. Keep an eye out around Downtown Las Vegas to see your art on wheels!

Are you as excited about the return of festivals as we are? Can’t wait for September? Take some time to ride down memory lane and view the art of previous years’ Life is Beautiful festivals by bike! 

Art Tour By Bike Route

Dock at Fremont & 10th:

• After you dock your bike, look up to be greeted by some colorful creatures. This is the work of Kevin Lyons, looking to spread some cheer.
• Looking west towards Fremont9 you’ll notice a group of larger than life butterflies appearing to flutter away. This is a mural by French artist sensation Mantra from Life is Beautiful 2019. 
• Walking towards Fergusons, you’ll notice shadowed letters above the entrance to Gather House. This is the work of Indian graffiti artist Daku paying homage to the building’s former life as a bookstore. Fun Fact: The quote is mistakenly attributed to Shakespeare but it is actually a slightly modified paraphrasing of the poem Time Is by American poet Henry Jackson van Dyke Jr. 

Dock at Fremont & 7th:

• After a short walk to the west you will notice one of artist Ernest Zacharevic‘s signature whimsical murals depicting two children playing on an infinity sign. Lithuanian-born, Ernest Zacharevic is an artist who combines fine art with creating art outdoors.

Dock at 1st & Ogden:

• The Plaza is an iconic DTLV property but have you ever taken some time to admire the artwork strategically placed around the exterior? This is the work of Brooklyn based FAILE, a collaboration between Patrick McNeil and Patrick Miller. Growing up together in Arizona, USA during the 1970s, the two began working together in New York in the late 1990s.