The Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Washoe County will provide free transportation to and from the Reno Earth Day event at Idlewild Park on Sunday, April 24, 2022, from 10:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. RTC Transit Route 16 Special will drop off and pick up Earth Day eventgoers at RTC 4TH STREET STATON in Downtown Reno, or the courthouse parking lot, located at the intersection of Virginia Street and Court Street, and take them to and from Idlewild Park every 15 minutes. At the courthouse parking lot, the bus will pick up and drop off passengers near the parking lot entrance on Court Street.
This service is designed to be a convenient alternative to reduce traffic and avoid finding a parking space at this popular special event. Free service will be available on Route 16 to and from the Earth Day event only. Passengers getting on at other stops along the route will pay the regular fare.
“Sustainability is one of RTC’s guiding principles and increasing ridership on our public transportation system supports this initiative,” said RTC Executive Director Bill Thomas. “Taking public transportation instead of driving a car helps the earth and improves our region’s air quality.”
There are a variety of benefits to taking public transportation. For example, if you take a bus, you help reduce greenhouse gas emissions into our environment, which helps promote better air quality in the Truckee Meadows. In addition, public transportation can ease traffic, reduce congestion, save energy and fuel.
The RTC is committed to improving sustainability across the agency and throughout our community. Later this year, one-third of the RTC’s fixed-route transit fleet will be fully electric. The other two-thirds will be electric-diesel hybrids, capable of running 35% of the time in all-electric mode.
In July 2017, the RTC Board formally adopted its award-winning Sustainability Plan as the guiding document on the future of sustainability for the agency. This plan identifies the existing transportation and operational sustainability measures undertaken by the RTC and establishes goals to continue to reduce fuel consumption, improve air quality, and further minimize the carbon footprint of RTC operational activities.
To learn more about RTC’s sustainability efforts, visit rtcwashoe.com/sustainability.