RTC to install 105 bus stops with larger shade canopies and solar lighting across Southern Nevada by 2028

What happened

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) is installing 105 new bus stops with larger canopies and more lighting, the Las Vegas Sun reported. RTC CEO M.J. Maynard-Carey showed off the new shelter design at a news conference Thursday, Oct. 29, at the Robert E. Price Recreation Center, joined by members of Nevada's congressional delegation.

According to the Sun, the metal structures topped with wide blue roofs will soon begin going up at stops across the county, with a focus on central and east Las Vegas, where residents are hit hardest by heat. The work is expected to be finished by 2028.

How the new shelters differ

Seating that faces two ways

Traditional stops have one or two metal benches facing the street under a small canopy, the Sun reported. The new dual-direction stops have seats facing both ways plus an extra panel to block the sun, so riders can choose a side depending on where the sunlight falls.

Solar-powered lighting

The stops will also have added lighting powered by solar panels on the roof. Maynard-Carey said the shelters will offer more shade and better lighting so riders feel safer at night, according to the Sun.

Who paid for it

The project's $1.35 million in federal funding was secured by Nevada's congressional delegation: U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen and U.S. Reps. Steven Horsford, Susie Lee and Dina Titus, all Democrats.

Why heat mapping shaped the plan

In 2022, the RTC was one of 14 places nationwide picked for a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grant to map urban heat islands, the Sun reported. On Aug. 13, 2022, more than 60 volunteers drove the valley with roof-mounted sensors, gathering about 138,000 temperature and humidity readings.

The data showed the hottest neighborhoods were in and around downtown Las Vegas, central North Las Vegas, the Historic Westside and the east side of the valley. The 89101, 89030 and 89104 ZIP codes had the highest concentration of heat-related deaths in 2023. The Sun also pointed to stretches of Spring Mountain Road, where some stops lack shade or benches.

In an RTC survey with more than 1,300 responses, 88% said they walk to their nearest transit stop and 57% said they feel extreme heat most while waiting for the bus. Clark County had recorded 260 heat-related deaths in 2026 as of September, down from 284 last year and 513 in the record summer of 2024, according to the Southern Nevada Health District. The National Weather Service said 2025 was the fifth-warmest year on record in Las Vegas, with 77 days at 100 degrees or higher.

What riders and officials said

UNLV freshman Caleb Jackson told reporters he and his twin brother have used transit since elementary school because their mother needs the family's only car for work. He takes several routes from near Blue Diamond Road, with trips that can last an hour or more, and said more shade would make riders more comfortable and that he has no other option but the bus.

Titus said extreme heat is not recognized as a disaster like tornadoes or hurricanes even though it kills more people, and called the shelters a step forward, the Sun reported. Cortez Masto said the valley must do more to expand transit, noting the RTC's 58 million passenger trips each year. Readers following other neighborhood projects can find more in our community coverage.

What to watch next

• Installation of the new shelters is set to begin soon, with central and east Las Vegas as priority areas, according to the Sun.
• The RTC expects all 105 upgraded stops to be complete by 2028.
• Cortez Masto said the delegation remains committed to securing more federal funding for local transit.