City and federal leaders joined the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) to officially launch the RTC Bike Share program in downtown Las Vegas. The launch included the declaration of Thursday, Oct. 27 as “Bike Share Day” and announcement of a special offer – half off all single-ride passes through the Dec. 31, 2016.

Held at the RTC Bike Share station on Third Street and Stewart Avenue by Downtown Grand’s The Commissary, the event highlighted the numerous aspects of the system. Bike sharing is a fun, inexpensive, and convenient way to travel around and see downtown Las Vegas for both residents and visitors alike.

City of Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, who serves on the RTC board of commissioners, presented the “Bike Share Day” proclamation. To top off the celebration, several dozen cyclists dressed up as Elvis rode in on RTC Bike Share bikes to commemorate the system launch in the heart of Las Vegas.

Now with a 50-percent discount on single rides, users have even more incentive to try bike sharing. Bikes are available for 30-minute single rides for $4, and the half-price discount slashes that to $2 for the remainder of the year. Users can also purchase 24-hour passes for $8 and 30-day memberships for $20 online.

Rep. Dina Titus of the 1^st Congressional District said, “The RTC Bike Share program is a great addition to the District’s robust transportation network which includes a multimodal transit system, complete sidewalks for pedestrians, and dedicated bike lanes.”

In total, 21 bike share stations throughout downtown hold 180 sleek bikes that residents, visitors and downtown employees can check out at one station and return to another station near their final destination.

“This is a historic day for our city,” said Goodman. “Working with the RTC and its bike share contractors, we are doing what progressive cities do to provide alternative forms of transportation that encourage healthy activity and a greener environment. This program perfectly complements the hundreds of dedicated green bike lanes in downtown Las Vegas.”

RTC Bike Share is an affordable, convenient and easy-to-use transportation alternative for trips that are too long to walk and too short to drive. The region’s first public bike share program highlights the RTC’s commitment to support all modes of transportation and meet consumer demand. RTC Bike Share is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to keep up with the city that never sleeps.

Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino Chairman Seth Schorr was also on hand to emphasize that bike sharing is a great new amenity for visitors, residents and employees in the downtown area.

RTC Bike Share is funded by a $1 million Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality improvement (CMAQ) grant from the Federal Highway Administration, which subsidizes state and local projects.

Las Vegas is the latest city to bring bike share to its community, further enhancing transportation options for residents and the world-class experience for millions of visitors. Over the weekend, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) and its partners Bicycle Transit Systems (Bike Transit) and BCycle launched RTC Bike Share, the valley’s first public bike share system in downtown Las Vegas.

RTC Bike Share provides a convenient and easy-to-use transportation alternative to short trips in the downtown area where users can check out a bike from one station and return it to another station near their final destination. With 21 stations at popular locations downtown and 180 bikes available 24 hours a day, bike share will provide a new alternative for residents, commuters and tourists to travel.

Priced at $4 for a 30-minute ride, $8 for a 24-hour pass and $20 for a 30-day membership, RTC Bike Share is an inexpensive way to make trips that are too long to walk, but too short to drive. As part of the 24-hour pass and 30-day membership, users can check out a bike for 30 minutes at a time, for as many trips as their pass duration allows, without being charged an extra fee.

“The RTC Bike Share program demonstrates our progressive approach to multimodal transportation,” said Tina Quigley, RTC general manager. “The RTC is committed to promoting cycling as a more sustainable transportation option, and bike share is a fun and convenient way to get people outdoors and see the city.”

The program complements downtown Las Vegas’ dedicated green bike lanes and is the latest addition to the RTC’s current cycling initiatives, including the state-of-the-art bike center at the Bonneville Transit Center and hundreds of miles of bike routes throughout the valley.

Bicycle Transit Systems will operate RTC Bike Share station maintenance and customer service.

“Our team launched and operated large bike share programs since bike share first began in the U.S., so we’ve seen a lot and learned a few things,” said Alison Cohen, Bike Transit CEO. “Downtown Las Vegas has a unique combination of high transit ridership, a mix of tourists and residents and, of course, great biking weather that makes it ideal for the kinds of short, spontaneous trips that bike share provides. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with RTC and BCycle to help make bike share a success in downtown Las Vegas.”

The Las Vegas system brings the total number of communities with a BCycle system in the United States and South America to 42. BCycle currently has more than 1,250 stations and 10,200 bikes on the ground in North and South America.

Las Vegas joins Philadelphia and Los Angeles in using BCycle’s 2.0 bikes and stations. The 2.0 next-generation station features an intuitive kiosk and an updated aesthetic design while the 2.0 bicycle is lighter than the first-generation bike. All BCycle bikes are designed by Waterloo, Wisc.-based Trek.

“The 2.0 system’s proven technology and high-quality aesthetic will complement the high ridership expected of both resident and tourist users in Las Vegas,” said BCycle President Bob Burns. “It has been a pleasure working with RTC and Bike Transit to bring bike share to Southern Nevada. We’re pleased to welcome Las Vegas into the rapidly growing BCycle family of bike share systems.”