U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and local Las Vegas officials on Monday, August 12 celebrated the groundbreaking of the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada’s Maryland Parkway Bus Rapid Transit project.
The project will expand transit service along Maryland Parkway, which connects the Las Vegas Medical District and Harry Reid International Airport.
Infrastructure upgrades will include enhanced transit stations, shared bus-bike lanes, wider sidewalks, and improvements to lighting and landscaping. Cortez Masto secured over $150 million in funding for this project through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law she helped pass.
“The Maryland Parkway corridor is home to 90,000 Nevada families and supports 80,000 jobs. This investment in public transit is critical for our economy, our transportation, and the safety of our communities,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “In Nevada, we are embracing 21st century innovation, and I am proud to support projects like this one that make our roadways safer and more accessible for everyone.”
“Thanks to President Biden, Vice President Harris, and this Congressional delegation, we passed historic infrastructure funding that includes the biggest investment in public transit in U.S. history,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “We’re using that funding package to improve roads in Las Vegas, we’ve started work on America’s first high-speed rail line between Las Vegas and Southern California, and today we begin construction on a new rapid bus route that will give residents a faster, more reliable, more comfortable trip between the airport, UNLV, downtown Las Vegas, and the Medical District.”
“The benefits of this project are vast,” said RTC Executive Officer M.J. Maynard. “We are implementing a ‘complete streets’ design to enable safe use and support mobility for all users, whether they choose to walk, bike, drive or take transit. We are enhancing Maryland Parkway for sections who lives, works, and travels within the corridor.”
Through her seat at the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, which has jurisdiction over the USDOT’s federal transit programs, Cortez Masto has advocated for increased support for vital transportation projects throughout Nevada. As part of her Innovation State Initiative, she secured multiple transportation provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including funding to support smart cities that use technology to solve transportation challenges. This funding is already benefiting Las Vegas and the RTC and enhancing traffic safety and efficiency.
