Over the weekend, Las Vegas’ Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) and its partners Bicycle Transit Systems (Bike Transit) and BCycle launched RTC Bike Share, the valley's first public bikeshare system in downtown Las Vegas.

RTC Bike Share provides a convenient and easy-to-use transportation alternative to short trips in the downtown area where users can check out a bike from one station and return it to another station near their final destination. With 21 stations at popular locations downtown and 180 bikes available 24 hours a day, bike share will provide a new alternative for residents, commuters, and tourists to travel.

Priced at $4 for a 30-minute ride, $8 for a 24-hour pass and $20 for a 30-day membership, RTC Bike Share is an inexpensive way to make trips that are too long to walk, but too short to drive. As part of the 24-hour pass and 30-day membership, users can check out a bike for 30 minutes at a time, for as many trips as their pass duration allows, without being charged an extra fee.

"The RTC Bike Share program demonstrates our progressive approach to multimodal transportation," said RTC GM Tina Quigley. "The RTC is committed to promoting cycling as a more sustainable transportation option, and bike share is a fun and convenient way to get people outdoors and see the city."

The program complements downtown Las Vegas' dedicated green bike lanes and is the latest addition to the RTC's current cycling initiatives, including the state-of-the-art bike center at the Bonneville Transit Center and hundreds of miles of bike routes throughout the valley.

Bicycle Transit Systems will operate RTC Bike Share station maintenance and customer service.

The Las Vegas system brings the total number of communities with a BCycle system in the U.S. and South America to 42. BCycle currently has more than 1,250 stations and 10,200 bikes on the ground in North and South America.

Las Vegas joins Philadelphia and Los Angeles in using BCycle's 2.0 bikes and stations. The 2.0 next-generation station features an intuitive kiosk and an updated aesthetic design while the 2.0 bicycle is lighter than the first-generation bike. All BCycle bikes are designed by Waterloo, Wisc.-based Trek.