Summerlin-area cycle shop signs up for Club Ride

They take the bus. They car pool a few times a month. And when the weather cools down, some may dust off their bicycles and hit the road that way.

More Las Vegans are committed to conserving energy to get to and from work as a result of the Regional Transportation Commission's Club Ride Commuter Services program, which recently added 18 new employer partners, including Summerlin-area Las Vegas Cyclery, 8221 W. Charleston Blvd.

Las Vegas Cyclery owner Jared Fisher said that besides staffers' natural affinity for bike riding, the opportunity to reduce one's environmental footprint was appealing.

"A lot of the employees are stoked about it," he said.

Its five employees often two-wheel it to work. Two of them ride bikes to and from work almost exclusively. One lives a mile away. The other, 17 miles away.

Does Fisher see the triple-digit heat of summer affecting participation for other companies?

"If your shift starts at noon, and you have to go 10 miles uphill to get there, you'd have to be pretty hardcore to do it," he said.

Other Summerlin-area companies new to the program include Diamond Resort Centralized Services, 10600 W. Charleston Blvd.; Wyndham Consumer Finance, 10750 W. Charleston Blvd.; American Family Insurance, 7171 W. Craig Road; and Escape Adventures, 8221 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 101.

The Club Ride Rewards Merchant Discount Program also added 29 new vendors to its list. Vendors offer discounts to those who show their Club Ride card. The program has a feature that includes monthly gifts and prizes.

"The growth we've seen for Club Ride is incredibly encouraging and shows that organizations of all kinds are on board with our mission," Transportation Commission General Manager Jacob Snow said. "Reducing pollution and congestion is important to maintain the valley's high quality of life, and our free programs make it easy to contribute to the region's sustainability."

The news of additional participation comes on the heels of the Transportation Commission's changes to its scheduled service to improve efficiency. Riders can view the changes online at rtcsnv.com or by viewing the June 2009 Transit Guide, available at all Transportation Commission facilities and at a number of local retailers. Call the customer service line at 228-7433.

Contact Summerlin View and South Summerlin View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.