Las Vegas, Nevada, commonly known for its casinos, tourism, and nightlife, suffers like many other big cities from severe traffic jams, causing high emissions of air pollutants due to the large number and heavy concentration of gas powered vehicles on the road.  If you live in Las Vegas, you know what it’s like.  You walk out of your office, get into you gas car, and immediately get stuck in traffic on your way to a meeting.  When you finally get there, you have to take a few laps around the parking lot just to find a space to leave your car.  With rising gas prices and concerns for air quality you may be looking at other options!

While we usually tell you about the benefits of plug-in hybrid vehicles and battery electric cars, today we are taking a look at a lighter form of transportation, that can make sense if you are going for a very short ride.

The City of Las Vegas, the Southern Nevada Water Authority, and the Clark County Air Quality Division are working with the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada E-Bike program to develop a program that encourages the increased use of electric bikes (also called pedal-assisted bikes).

If you’re only traveling a short distance in the city by yourself, you may not be making the most efficient use of your car and its fuel.  Choosing to use an electric bike in the city lets you avoid hopping in your car just to drive a mile or two to another office, saving you time spent sitting in traffic and trying to find a parking spot

Currently, Las Vegas is offering a fleet of 25 electric bikes in an effort to decrease congestion on the roads and improve the quality of the air.  To make this program easy and safe for electric-bike riders, the city has also been making biking-related road updates.  Downtown, there are now wider sidewalks, bus-only lanes, and bike-only lanes to make using an electric bike in the city safe for everyone.  Some transit stations in Las Vegas even put in bike shops with storage areas, locker rooms, and showers for the most consumer-ready experience.

Electric bikes can travel up to 25 miles per hour and you have the choice to use manpower by pedaling or let the battery do all the work for you.  The electric-bike battery charge lasts between four and six hours, depending on biking style.  In order to charge a completely depleted battery, the user pays only ten to twenty cents, because of the low cost of electricity.

Since the program was introduced in Las Vegas, the electric bikes have put on over 1,000 miles total.  That’s a lot of short trips in the downtown area!  As a sustainable alternative to a full sized vehicle in Las Vegas, try an electric bike today.