Green transportation in and around Las Vegas

Not everything you could do in Las Vegas has to stay in Vegas.  While at the surface Las Vegas looks to be very car oriented there are many ways to get around which doesn’t involve the driving a car.  It’s possible to arrive in Las Vegas and not touch a car during the whole trip.  The principles can be used in trips to other cities so that even if traveling to the city is not terribly green (e.g. flying in an airplane) your stay at that city can be green.

Las Vegas Monorail serves The Strip which is the core of Las Vegas’s attractions.  It is an elevated train system running through the heart of the world famous hotel and casino and entertainment centers which draw people to Las Vegas from all over the world.  Because the Monorail is configured primarily to bring tourists to the casinos and hotels (perhaps because it is a private corporation rather than a government service).  All the Monorail stops are next to specific Casino’s along the Strip and they are situated to make it hard to do anything but go into one casino or another.  If this is what your trip is all about then the Monorail is a very convenient way to get around.

While the Monorail does not today go to the Airport it’s under study and may do so in the future.  If it did go to the airport the Monorail would make an excellent way to travel to Vegas, stay at one of the hotels served by the Monorail, and not have to rent a car.

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) is the public transit system for Las Vegas and surrounding areas.  As a public transit system it goes all over the city using the typical diesel busses.  The 109 bus goes to the airport and connects to the South Strip Transfer Terminal.  The bus going up and down the Strip is named The Deuce.  They are beginning to use biodiesel for the bus system.  Over the last 18 years they have increased vehicles in the system has increased from 28 (1992) to an expected 400+ in 2010.

Electric vehicle charging station guide

The RTC is studying instituting an electric bicycle project for the downtown area.  In downtown Las Vegas there are 5,000 employees in 38 buildings, and an average trip of less than three miles.  They feel this is a good option due to the majority of sunny days (no rain) and dry climate and the high concentration of people.

The Strip is has many overhead walkways making it a walkable environment.  There are certainly lots of things to do along the Strip however the street corners generally do not have cross walks and the street has heavy traffic.  By itself the lack of cross walks would keep Las Vegas an unwalkable nightmare requiring car trips to go from block to block.  Instead there is a network of overhead walkways connecting many of the blocks.  The overhead walkways can be used without waiting for the lights to change making traffic flow more efficient and reducing pedestrian frustration.

Green shuttle and tourism companies do exist in Las Vegas.  They allow you to take trips in and around Las Vegas in a green biofuel powered vehicle.

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About David Herron

David Herron is a writer and software engineer living in Silicon Valley. He primarily writes about electric vehicles, clean energy systems, climate change, peak oil and related issues. When not writing he indulges in software projects and is sometimes employed as a software engineer. David has written for sites like PlugInCars and TorqueNews, and worked for companies like Sun Microsystems and Yahoo.

About David Herron

David Herron is a writer and software engineer living in Silicon Valley. He primarily writes about electric vehicles, clean energy systems, climate change, peak oil and related issues. When not writing he indulges in software projects and is sometimes employed as a software engineer. David has written for sites like PlugInCars and TorqueNews, and worked for companies like Sun Microsystems and Yahoo.

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