Transportation in Las Vegas is centered around the use of private cars, but there is more to it than that, with everything from trolleys to a monorail. More than 4 million cars and 30 million airline passengers come to Las Vegas each year on 1,000 flights a day, and nearly five million people make use of the local bus service. Once you are living in Las Vegas you will soon learn to avoid the Strip traffic, and if possible using the roads during the busier times of 7am to 9am and 4pm to 6pm. The city does not suffer the same levels of congestion as many other metropolises, but new infrastructure is needed to support growth. Back in 1975 the Nevada Department of Transportation predicted that in 20 years there would be 48,500 vehicles a year using the I-95, but by 1995 there more like 150,000. In total Las Vegans make more than a million trips per day and this is projected to nearly double in the next decade.
The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) is the transit authority and the transportation-planning agency for Southern Nevada. It used to be known as the Citizens Area Transit (CAT), and it has an extensive bus network throughout the Valley, which you can find at: http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/about/index.cfm The network runs 20 hours a day, and every 15 minutes at peak hours on the busiest routes.
Taxis can be tricky for locals since the drivers tend to stick to the tourist funnel of the airport and Strip hotels. This is not New York and you can’t just flag a cab down, also when you phone ahead to make a booking you should check to see whether the firm accepts credit cards or not. Some of the taxi firms operating in the city are:
- Ace: (702) 736-8383
- Deluxe Taxicab Service: (702) 567-0557
- Desert Cab Company: (702) 386-9102
- Henderson Taxi Company: (702) 384-232
- Lucky Cab Company: (702) 477-7555
- Nellis Cab Company: (702) 248-1111
- Western Cab Company: (702) 736-8000
- Whittlesea: (702) 384-6111
- Yellow Cab: (702) 873-2000
The Strip itself is serviced by a number of options, including a trolley which takes the back streets to stop at each of the casinos. There are three different routes that you can take: the Vegas Strip route from the Stratosphere to Mandalay Bay; the South route from Mandalay Bay to Grand View; and the Downtown Las Vegas loop route from the downtown bus terminal to the outdoor outlet mall. An alternative to the trolley is the Las Vegas Monorail, which covers a four mile route behind the Strip from MGM Grand to the Sahara.
Whilst these options are all well and good the reality is that you will be driving yourself most places once you settle in Las Vegas. If you are not keen on driving then this is not the place for you. New Nevada residents must obtain their driver license within 30 days, and register vehicles at the same time or within 60 days, whichever is soonest. Those that fail to do so face a $1,000 fine. When you register your vehicle make sure that you have:
- Most recent registration
- Out-of-state license plates
- Nevada Evidence of Insurance Card
- Nevada Emissions Vehicle Inspection Report (smog check) if needed
- Nevada Vehicle Inspection Certificate (“VIN check” done at the DMV office)
- Certificate of Title (if ownership is changing. If not changing ownership, the owner has the option of retaining the out-of-state title.)
It is required that you secure liability insurance from a Nevada-licensed carrier in the exact name(s) which will be on the registration and title. If your insurance is with a large, national company, you must notify the company that you have moved to Nevada. Out-of-state insurance is not accepted. The DMV will verify this electronically with your insurer, and there is a fine of $250 for those who do not maintain Nevada liability insurance.
The smog test, or Nevada Emission Control Certificate can be obtained from any authorized service station. If you don’t pass then you need to undertake repairs until you do.
To get the driver’s license you will need to jump through some administrative hoops and pass a written test on the laws related to driving in Nevada. The test is pretty easy if you do some study of the “Nevada Driver’s Handbook. You should be a Nevada resident and provide a Nevada street address when you apply for the driver’s license. The documents you need to take are some proof of your name and age such as a birth certificate or passport, your out-of-state driver’s license, and proof of social security number.
For the latest information on all your licensing needs you should visit the DMV web site: http://www.dmvnv.com/newresident.htm
