RTC provides crowding information for Las Vegas passengers

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) has partnered with Transit to provide passengers with real-time crowd information directly via the journey planning app. The RTC is hoping that this new feature will help riders make informed decisions about trip planning and social distancing.

“As we continue to navigate through this pandemic, we are operating our transit vehicles at a 50 per cent capacity to allow riders to practice safe social distancing,” said MJ Maynard, RTC’ Chief Executive Officer. “We’ve made this safety commitment to our passengers, and we are taking that commitment a step further by providing our riders with valuable real-time information so they can make educated decisions about how and when to travel.”

When users tap their route line in the Transit app, they see a map showing the live locations of transit vehicles along their route. The vehicle icon displays the last update of the vehicle’s location but, according to the RTC, also its current crowding level listed as “Many seats,” “Some seats,” or “Very limited seats.”

The RTC says crowding levels are calculated using the authority’s current onboard capacity restrictions for COVID-19, providing passengers with access to an accurate indication of crowding on a given bus. When a vehicle is below 50 per cent of the COVID-19 capacity, it is classified in the app as “Many seats.” Vehicles between 50 and 90 per cent of the COVID-19 capacity appear as having “Some seats,” and buses above 90 per cent of the COVID-19 capacity are shown as “Very limited seats.” These levels reflect the latest guidance to ensure that riders can maintain physical distancing onboard.

“This kind of information is a huge step in helping riders feel confident getting on the bus. And not just during the pandemic: it also makes a big difference if you use a wheelchair, you’re carrying big luggage or you just want to feel more comfortable,” says David Block-Schachter, Chief Business Officer at Transit. “Even after the pandemic, crowding information is sure to benefit RTC customers. It’s been great to partner with an agency like the RTC that’s taking the lead on improving the rider experience.”

The authority says passengers can also share how crowded they perceive the bus to be by using Transit’s “GO” step-by-step navigator. These crowd-sourced reports, when compared against passenger count data from the RTC, provide insights into how customers are feeling about crowding levels onboard.