Titus introduces bill to help RTC get more buses

By Jeniffer Solis

Nevada News and Views

In Las Vegas, extreme heat can make transit delays caused by a broken down bus especially dangerous for passengers who rely on public transportation.

Transit agencies’ ability to deploy a working bus for passengers waiting in the heat is also hindered by a federal rule that limits the number of spare buses operators can have on hand to 20 percent of their overall bus fleet.

Democratic Rep. Dina Titus, whose congressional district has the state’s highest share of public transit users, introduced a bill Monday that would allow transit agencies to add extra buses to their fleets to prevent disruptions to service during extreme heat events.

The Bus Utilization for Fleet Flexibility and Emergency Resilience (BUFFER) Act would allow transit agencies to increase their spare bus ratio to 30 percent of their fleet without jeopardizing federal grants if their region regularly experiences extreme weather events.

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC), which manages more than 400 buses, has struggled to maintain fleet availability due to more frequent service outages brought on by the region’s extreme heat and high transit demand.

Buses in southern Nevada also experience rapid wear-and tear due to long operation hours and a regular influx of millions of tourists a year.

Several bus routes in Las Vegas operate 24 hours a day to accommodate tourism and a non-traditional workforce that requires constant access to public transportation.

“In Southern Nevada and elsewhere, extreme heat takes its toll not only on buses but on the passengers who ride them,” Titus said in a statement. “My legislation will allow the RTC 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.”

“Eighty percent of our transit riders rely on buses to get to work and back. Reliable transportation service is critical to both their health and their livelihoods,” she continued.

Transit agencies that go over the spare bus cap risk losing certain federal grants if they aren’t granted an exemption from the Federal Transit Authority (FTA) for additional spare buses. However, the federal agency has never granted a waiver for additional buses to any state.

The bill would create a clear path for exemptions by requiring the FTA to issue regulations and guidance for transit agencies that want to request an increase in the number of spare buses they can have in their fleet.

Under the bill, transit agencies would need to submit a certification that their region regularly experiences extreme weather events, a description of how extreme weather events disrupt bus operations, and an explanation of how the increase would ensure reliable service.

Federal funds cover a majority of the expense it takes to purchase a new bus — up to 90 percent for low or no emissions buses — through competitive grants, including the Buses and Bus Facilities Competitive Program. But the cap on spare buses can limit how a transit agency can use those funds for their needs.

Southern Nevada is not alone. Several transit agencies with high-frequency and high-intensity service — especially in regions that are tourism and live entertainment hubs — have reported operational challenges related to the federal cap.

A recent study by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) found that spare bus availability was a common challenge for transit agencies, impacting their ability to meet service demands.

More than 40 percent of surveyed agencies reported bus availability problems at least a few times per month. A significant majority, 75 percent, said they believe changing the FTA’s spare ratio policy would greatly improve vehicle availability.

The RTC, which participated in the survey, emphasized that a major challenge for the agency is maintaining a sufficient spare vehicle ratio to meet operational needs.

High transit demand and the extreme desert climate in Las Vegas leads to rapid wear and tear on buses, said the agency, especially for high-mileage buses operating on super heated roads for long hours. Las Vegas roads can reach temperatures of more than 140 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, said the RTC.

The adoption of electric buses has also created unique challenges. In the survey, the RTC noted that summer heat can also accelerate the deterioration of batteries in electric buses, increasing maintenance needs and causing downtime, which reduces the fleet’s availability.

“The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada strongly supports revisiting the 20 percent spare ratio policy,” said MJ Maynard-Carey, RTC CEO. “In a region experiencing rapid growth, extreme weather, and large-scale events, added flexibility will help us keep our community moving. Updating this policy will ensure we can continue providing safe, reliable service for the thousands of riders who count on us each day.”

Last week, Southern Nevada’s congressional delegation sent a letter to the FTA asking the federal agency to remove or increase its cap on the number of spare buses transit agencies can own.

“Las Vegas’s vibrant tourism economy depends on reliable transit service to transport millions of visitors, not just year-round residents, especially during major events such as the Super Bowl, Formula 1 Grand Prix, FIFA tournaments, and large concerts,” wrote the delegation.

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Jeniffer Solis was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada where she attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas before graduating in 2017 with a B.A in Journalism and Media Studies.