Veolia, Nevada’s RTC celebrate 20 years

Veolia Transportation’s management team and employees celebrated 20 years as service provider for the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) on Dec. 5. Veolia has operated fixed route service under contract to the RTC without interruption since 1992 when the RTC inaugurated new service.  

Nearly 200 of the company’s 1,030 employees were on hand to join Veolia corporate leaders in a journey through the milestones of the past 20 years.

“In the first year of service, we completed 15 million passenger trips on 21 routes,” said Veolia’s Senior Vice President Bill McCloud. “Today we make nearly 60 million passenger trips, servicing 35 routes, making this the second largest transit system operated by a private sector operating company.”

“We are proud of the many innovations and accomplishments in on-time performance, safety, customer service, and technology to improve operations, that we and the RTC have achieved together,” said Ken Westbrook, President of Veolia’s Transit Division. “This system is a great example of high quality operational performance, continuous improvement and excellent service to passengers.”

Thirty-two employees who started with the company in 1992 are still with Veolia in Las Vegas. “It’s been truly rewarding to be involved in launching a brand new service and helping it grow into the most unique system in the country, operating 13 different types of vehicles and a 24/7 maintenance operation,” said Veolia bus operator Bob Tobin, who has driven 3 million miles in Las Vegas without a preventable accident.

Other accomplishments the RTC has been recognized for in the last 20 years include the American Public Transit Association (APTA) Silver award, the Gold award for Safest System, and the Outstanding Award for the Best System; the most cost-effective system in the nation for five years in a row, according to the NTD Date; and named last year as one of the top ten U.S. transit systems by the Brookings Institution.

Veolia has also achieved recognition in its own right during the past 20 years, having been named twice by the Nevada Minority Purchasing Council as Corporation of the Year, and by the North Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce as Business of the Year. The company has a history of community involvement in Las Vegas.