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We have used the RTA over several years to get from the airport to Downtown, or out to Sam's or from Sam's to Gold Coast area, etc. We have a RTA senior reduced ID and these routes cost $1 when you show the ID. I understand that these are only issued now at the BTC.
However, our recent trip put us in a different situation. We were staying on the Strip--odd for us--at Paris and my wife was playing in a bingo tournament at Riviera. She was to register on Sunday nite, and play on Monday and Tuesday.. We also planned to go DTown after her tournament on Mon and Tues to eat dinner and cash a couple freePlay coupons. Additionally, we planned on going DT again on Thurs to finish our coupon run and to then catch Sam's shuttle there. Anyway, it meant running up and down The Strip corridor repeatedly, where the Reduced ID was not useful.
After repeated contacts with RTA, I eventually became convinced that the 5 Day Reduced Pass would be accepted in the tourist corridor, despite the fact that their web site said it was NOT accepted on the Strip. In fact, I printed off an email I received from them saying that the Reduced 5D pass was accepted with a Nevada ID OR a Reduced ID to use as defense exhibit A if a ticket enforcement officer disagreed.
Now the problem was HOW to get the 5D pass. As Dewey and others have noted here, the Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) at the airport and Strip do not sell reduced fares. I was told by RTA that they are available at off-Strip venders like Albertson's and off-Strip TVMs and at both the BTC and the SSTT.
So, if I landed at McCarren, how do I get a 5D pass? I developed two possible plans:
1. We would take the 109 North from the airport and get off at Flamingo and Maryland Parkway where the 109 intersects the 202 (we have done this before to catch the 202 east when we stay at Sam's Town). At that corner there is an Albertson's in the shopping center behind the Terrible's Car wash on the northeast corner of the intersection and they reportedly sell 5/30 Reduced passes. Additionally, I was assured by RTA that there is a TVM at that corner (I think at the 202 West stop) that would sell the reduced pass. Once we got the pass, we would take the 202 West and get off at Ceasars and walk to Paris. Cost $1 for the 109 and $10 for the 5D pass.
2. Or, we could take the 109 South out of McCarren to the South Strip Transportation Terminal (SSTT) and purchase a ticket there. Then catch the SDX out of the SSTT down the STrip and get off right in front of Paris. Same cost.
We chose Plan 2. We took the 109 south to the SSTT, about 5min ride. When we got off at the SSTT, we found that the TVMs were inside the terminal. One was in the "restroom corridor" and one was in the formal lobby. These are separated by glass partitions and doors. The sign on the door said the lobby is open from 6am to 10pm but I don't know if that included the restroom corridor or rather that hall is open 24 hours? We were arriving at 3p so that didn't matter to us. But if you are arriving at an odd hour, you might want to call and ask.
At the TVM in the SSTT we found that you first slid your RTA Issued Reduced ID into the slip called "Validate". The first time we did it it kicked it back out with no change in the screen. So we turned the ID around and inserted it and the screen switched to the "Reduced Fare Page." We punched the 5D pass button and the screen instructed us to insert $10 (exact change) in the bill acceptor slip or a credit card in the credit card slip. We put in the $10 bill. The TVM then kicked out a validated 5D pass. I was pleased to see that on the back it read "5D All Acc"---which I took to mean 5 day all access pass, and in fact that is what it meant. At the SSTT the SDX was almost completely empty. Our carry-on luggage held it's own seat all the way to Paris without a problem.
We used the pass on the SDX, the Deuce, and residential routes all week. When we swiped on the Deuce, it gave the seek beep of acceptance--no ID required--and when the ticket enforcement agents asked for our pass on the SDX, we showed the pass--without ID--and they waved us on. Of course we did have the ID handy if asked for.
We probably rode the SDX 6 or 7 times and enforcement agents checked our tickets 3 times, so I would not get on the SDX without a valid ticket.
So that was our---quite happy--experience with the RTA and our reduced pass. If any of this is unclear to you, let me know and I'll try to clear it up to the best of my ability.
However, our recent trip put us in a different situation. We were staying on the Strip--odd for us--at Paris and my wife was playing in a bingo tournament at Riviera. She was to register on Sunday nite, and play on Monday and Tuesday.. We also planned to go DTown after her tournament on Mon and Tues to eat dinner and cash a couple freePlay coupons. Additionally, we planned on going DT again on Thurs to finish our coupon run and to then catch Sam's shuttle there. Anyway, it meant running up and down The Strip corridor repeatedly, where the Reduced ID was not useful.
After repeated contacts with RTA, I eventually became convinced that the 5 Day Reduced Pass would be accepted in the tourist corridor, despite the fact that their web site said it was NOT accepted on the Strip. In fact, I printed off an email I received from them saying that the Reduced 5D pass was accepted with a Nevada ID OR a Reduced ID to use as defense exhibit A if a ticket enforcement officer disagreed.
Now the problem was HOW to get the 5D pass. As Dewey and others have noted here, the Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) at the airport and Strip do not sell reduced fares. I was told by RTA that they are available at off-Strip venders like Albertson's and off-Strip TVMs and at both the BTC and the SSTT.
So, if I landed at McCarren, how do I get a 5D pass? I developed two possible plans:
1. We would take the 109 North from the airport and get off at Flamingo and Maryland Parkway where the 109 intersects the 202 (we have done this before to catch the 202 east when we stay at Sam's Town). At that corner there is an Albertson's in the shopping center behind the Terrible's Car wash on the northeast corner of the intersection and they reportedly sell 5/30 Reduced passes. Additionally, I was assured by RTA that there is a TVM at that corner (I think at the 202 West stop) that would sell the reduced pass. Once we got the pass, we would take the 202 West and get off at Ceasars and walk to Paris. Cost $1 for the 109 and $10 for the 5D pass.
2. Or, we could take the 109 South out of McCarren to the South Strip Transportation Terminal (SSTT) and purchase a ticket there. Then catch the SDX out of the SSTT down the STrip and get off right in front of Paris. Same cost.
We chose Plan 2. We took the 109 south to the SSTT, about 5min ride. When we got off at the SSTT, we found that the TVMs were inside the terminal. One was in the "restroom corridor" and one was in the formal lobby. These are separated by glass partitions and doors. The sign on the door said the lobby is open from 6am to 10pm but I don't know if that included the restroom corridor or rather that hall is open 24 hours? We were arriving at 3p so that didn't matter to us. But if you are arriving at an odd hour, you might want to call and ask.
At the TVM in the SSTT we found that you first slid your RTA Issued Reduced ID into the slip called "Validate". The first time we did it it kicked it back out with no change in the screen. So we turned the ID around and inserted it and the screen switched to the "Reduced Fare Page." We punched the 5D pass button and the screen instructed us to insert $10 (exact change) in the bill acceptor slip or a credit card in the credit card slip. We put in the $10 bill. The TVM then kicked out a validated 5D pass. I was pleased to see that on the back it read "5D All Acc"---which I took to mean 5 day all access pass, and in fact that is what it meant. At the SSTT the SDX was almost completely empty. Our carry-on luggage held it's own seat all the way to Paris without a problem.
We used the pass on the SDX, the Deuce, and residential routes all week. When we swiped on the Deuce, it gave the seek beep of acceptance--no ID required--and when the ticket enforcement agents asked for our pass on the SDX, we showed the pass--without ID--and they waved us on. Of course we did have the ID handy if asked for.
We probably rode the SDX 6 or 7 times and enforcement agents checked our tickets 3 times, so I would not get on the SDX without a valid ticket.
So that was our---quite happy--experience with the RTA and our reduced pass. If any of this is unclear to you, let me know and I'll try to clear it up to the best of my ability.