Nevada: RTC partners with Waze to help valley residents plan commutes
New phase of Seeing Orange campaign, app includes road construction information
Editor’s Note: This is a press release submitted by Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Caption: Clark County Commissioner and RTC Chairman Larry Brown, Connected Citizens program manager at Waze Paige Fitzgerald, RTC General Manager Tina Quigley and Las Vegas City Manager Betsy
LAS VEGAS – The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) announced a data-sharing partnership with Waze, the free, real-time crowdsourced navigation app powered by the world’s largest community of drivers, to arm residents with information about current road conditions and construction projects to ease their commutes around the valley.
Waze’s Connected Citizens Program brings cities and citizens together to answer the questions, “What’s happening, and where?” Established as a two-way data share, Waze provides users with real-time, anonymous, Waze-generated incident and traffic slowdown information directly from the source: drivers themselves. The RTC provides real-time, government-reported data on road construction, traffic accidents and road closures. The result is a succinct and thorough overview of current road conditions in Southern Nevada.
The data sharing partnership with Waze furthers the goal of RTC’s Seeing Orange campaign, which is to provide residents with information about the various construction projects occurring throughout the valley. More information about Seeing Orange can be found at SeeingOrangeNV.com.
“While road construction projects are important to improving our community, the RTC understands the resulting traffic delays can be frustrating,” said Tina Quigley, RTC general manager. “So, we are proud to partner with Waze as part of our Seeing Orange campaign to provide Southern Nevada residents an easy way to access real-time road conditions. With the RTC providing Waze information on the valley’s construction projects and road detours, commuters can better plan around active construction sites and road closures.”
“Waze is only as strong as the information it receives from its users,” said Paige Fitzgerald, Connected Citizens program manager at Waze. “The Connected Citizens Program is a natural evolution for Waze as we already enable and empower drivers and are now bringing entire cities that same level of connectivity. The immense data the RTC will contribute to the Waze app makes them a key partner moving forward.”
As part of the April 8 event, the RTC also offered attendees a tour of the Freeway Arterial System of Transportation (FAST) headquarters, where the RTC, Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) and Nevada Highway Patrol personnel work together to monitor the valley’s freeways and arterials to keep traffic moving.
The RTC is committed to using technology to assist commuters in Southern Nevada. Whether it’s through FAST traffic alerts sent by text message, the dynamic message boards on our freeways that alert drivers to traffic delays, or now the Waze app, valley drivers have many tools available to help them plan their commute.
As the administrator of Southern Nevada Strong, the RTC is committed to initiatives that will promote more efficient commutes. The RTC’s partnership with Waze supports Southern Nevada Strong’s goal of reducing vehicle miles traveled, and decreasing emissions and improving regional air quality. To learn more, visit SouthernNevadaStrong.org.
About Waze
Waze is the social navigation pioneer, leveraging mobile technology and a passionate global community to redefine expectations of today’s maps. Waze is home to the world’s largest network of drivers who work together daily to outsmart traffic and save time and money. The app consistently recommends the fastest routes based on real-time driving and data from millions of users. From traffic reroutes to low gas price alerts and relevant offers from favorite brands, Waze is one of the most comprehensive driving companions in the marketplace. To download the free Waze app for iOS or Android, visit http://www.waze.com. For more information on Waze privacy policy, visit https://www.waze.com/legal/privacy.
About the RTC
The RTC is the transit authority, transportation planning organization and regional traffic management agency for Southern Nevada. The RTC’s vision is to provide a safe, convenient and effective regional transportation system that enhances mobility and air quality for citizens and visitors. The RTC encourages residents and visitors to use a variety of transportation choices to help reduce traffic congestion, clean the air and improve the quality of life in Southern Nevada. For more information about the RTC and its major initiatives such as Southern Nevada Strong, Fuel Revenue Indexing and Transportation Investment Business Plan, visit rtcsnv.com.