Local residents facing long distance transportation issues can rejoice at the return of a new bus service serving parts of California and Nevada.
Representatives with Silver State Mainline met with local officials on Tuesday to officially unveil the company’s services for the region.
Silver State Mainline provides transportation from Las Vegas to Doyle, Calif., north of Reno, with stops in between, including in Pahrump. The new route began operating on Sunday.
Company president Tony Fiorini said Silver State Trailways’ approach to transit operations helps travelers enjoy the benefits of customer service, timely arrivals and effective access for seniors and the disabled.
“We are also working with Greyhound, so literally, a person can get on here in Pahrump, go into Las Vegas and transfer to the Greyhound station and travel on to Salt Lake City, Reno, Sacramento or Seattle. We can get them to other destinations like Los Angeles or Phoenix,” he said.
Officials with the Nevada Department of Transportation were deeply involved in the planning.
Silver State’s general manager, Jerry Hagan, said the project has been in the works for quite some time.
“We have been coming out here to all of the local mobility meetings for a while now and everyone has been extremely helpful in Pahrump with their suggestions. We’ve been meeting with Don Macintosh at the senior center as well as Albert Bass from RSVP and Commissioner Butch Borasky. I think everyone sees the need for transportation not just here but throughout the state,” he said.
Hagan also said the company has been receiving calls from Nevadans wanting to learn more about fares and schedules.
“It’s been a long time since people can catch a bus and continue on through the state of Nevada. There’s been a great response and residents in Tonopah and Hawthorne have been calling to get information
Ryan Kelly, a consultant on the project, wrote the grants to get the bus service moving forward.
Kelly said the new service provides much more than just transportation.
“I think the real foundation of the service is to create economic opportunities for the residents of these communities. It provides additional access to healthcare and educational opportunities as well as the workforce. When we started working on this a couple of years ago, it was from an economic development standpoint. How to create jobs and also provide mobility to parts of rural Nevada that don’t necessarily have access to reliable transportation,” he said.
It’s not the first time bus transportation has come to the community.
Several attempts to establish a permanent service have failed over the years.
Kelly said it’s important to perform research on what the transportation needs are in the community.
“You really have to build your ridership and keeping it simple when you first start by not trying to run 12 routes a day through this community. Partnering with the senior center and with other communities, it’s important to determine how many seats you can fill based on going out and building the ridership before you start the service,” he said.
Silver State Trailways was founded in Nevada in 1986 with additional offices located in California.
The company also provides charter, casino line and school bus transportation services throughout the country.
For information on routes, fares and schedules call (702) 726-4100 or (888) 213-8330.
Tickets can be booked online at silverstatemainline.com.