Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) announced that Washoe County will receive $300,000 in federal funds for the next phase of the Virginia Street project. The funding will support planning for 12 additional bus stations to connect the Meadowood Mall to the south end of the Virginia Street corridor. This vital extension will create a public transportation route that runs the entire length of Virginia Street, from the Summit Mall in south Reno to the University of Nevada, Reno’s campus in the north.
“I continue to work to ensure that students and workers alike can get where they need to go in Reno, including through innovative, fast bus service along the Virginia Street corridor,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’ll always advocate for federal funding to support Reno’s public transportation and infrastructure needs, and I’m glad to see the Virginia Street project enter its next phase in its important work to connect neighborhoods across Reno.”
This grant funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will help the Regional Transit Commission of Washoe County (RTC) identify the optimal land use policies and patterns that will support 12 additional bus stations on the South Virginia Street RAPID extension. It will also ensure RTC can continue to coordinate with the private sector to improve connectivity, accessibility, and economic development throughout the Virginia Street corridor.
Senator Cortez Masto has been a strong supporter of Reno’s Virginia Street project to improve Reno’s main north-south road, make public transportation more accessible, and connect the University of Nevada, Reno with other Reno neighborhoods. In 2019, she helped secure $40 million in funding for the corridor. The next phase of the project will connect Reno residents with new retail areas, including the Reno Experience District and the Summit Mall, and make new and proposed multi-family, affordable, and senior housing more accessible. The Senator’s led her Innovation State Initiative to create new solutions to Nevada challenges, like her legislation to align transportation investments with housing needs that was included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.
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