The Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County (RTC) is enhancing its transit service and making changes that may affect your commute and schedule. The RTC is implementing these changes to continue to provide passengers with reliable and on-time service. These changes will improve transit access and passenger travel times to allow for more community-wide connectivity.

These changes are the first of many upcoming improvements to the RTC’s transit system, as recommended by the community as part of the RTC’s Transit Optimization Plan Strategies (TOPS). The RTC combined community feedback and direction from the RTC Board on different ways to improve transit. The TOPS recommendations are outlined on the RTC’s website. The improvements will be gradually implemented over the next five years as staffing and funding allow.

The RTC encourages transit passengers to check their routes to see the changes at rtcwashoe.com, or by calling RTC Customer Service at (775) 348-RIDE. New route brochures will be available at RTC 4TH STREET STATION and RTC CENTENNIAL PLAZA starting on Wednesday, September 7.

The following changes will be effective Saturday, September 10, 2022:

• Route 2: New schedule.
• Route 2S: Permanently discontinued due to low ridership. (This route has been discontinued since January 2022.)
• Route 3: This route was formerly known as Route 3CL. New schedule.
• Route 3CC: Permanently discontinued due to low ridership. (This route has been discontinued since January 2022.)
• Route 5: New schedule. The portion of Route 5 between Sutro Street and Wedekind Road and Sun Valley Boulevard at El Rancho Drive will swap alignments with Route 15. The new alignment will serve the recently relocated Hug High School location near El Rancho Drive and create a connection between Sun Valley, the new Hug High School, and the WinCo.
• Route 9: New schedule. Route 9 will now serve the 2nd Street Walmart and the Firecreek Walmart, but will no longer loop around the Renown Medical Center Complex. Route 9 now ends at Meadowood Mall.
• Route 13: New schedule, includes adding midday service on Sundays. Route 13’s alignment will change near Downtown Reno to serve Mill Street instead of 4^th Street and will permanently serve the Social Security Administration Building at Harvard Way/Vassar Street.
• Route 15: New schedule. The portion of Route 15 between Wedekind Road at Sutro Street and El Rancho Drive at Sun Valley Boulevard will swap alignments with Route 5. This change will create faster service to Truckee Meadows Community College from downtown Reno.
• Route 19: Permanently discontinued due to low ridership. Route 13 was previously adjusted to serve the Social Security Administration building at Harvard Way/Vassar Street. (This route has been discontinued since January 2022.)
• All routes: Continuation of timetable adjustments to continue improving travel times and on-time performance.
• North Valleys FlexRIDE: Truckee Meadows Community College added to service area. This service began on August 20 to coincide with the start of the fall semester.
• ACCESS/Senior Ride Services/FlexRIDE Adjustments: Standardizing reservation hours at 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. 7 days a week and continuing to expand the FlexRIDE service area.

The RTC continually analyzes its transit operations to maximize resources and improve efficiency to enhance and provide quality customer service to riders. This analysis tracks ridership data, gathers input from the transit operators, and input received from passengers and the public.

Transit passengers will see new bus stop signs and materials start to go up around the community starting about a week before the service change. Even though new signs will be up, the changes will not go into effect until Saturday, September 10.