Another place to buy 5 day passes

[dewey089]

I don't know how practical this would be for many people, but I thought I'd note that Albertson's also sells the 5 day all access passes with no service charge and one is located right near Maryland and East Flamingo.
Were you not to want to go downtown and were you to take a 109 from the airport, you could be dropped near Maryland and in 3 minutes walk to the this Albertson's

Albertsons
1300 E. Flamingo Rd.
702-733-2947

They do take the senior reduced card. so the 5 day all access pass would be $10.(youngsters pay $20) This might be the best buy if you were going to go from the airport to any of the hotels on Flamingo. For seniors with ID a one way trip to Maryland would cost $1 and then the pass would cost $10 and be good on the trip down Flamingo and for 5 days. ($2 and then $20 for youngsters)

Because this is an interesting area for visitors who want to see a bit of local Vegas, the Albertson's might also figure in a trip without luggage to check out the college campus or visit the library with a computer for free wifi. Serving the college kids are a number of college type coffee places and some downscale restaurants.

[keno60]

Re: Another place to buy 5 day passes

Very helpful Dewey, thanks. I might add that the bus ticket machines sell passes cheaper than the strip.

[dewey089]

Re: Another place to buy 5 day passes

Explain that in more detail, Keno.
Where are these machines located? How do the costs compare with those machines on the strip? What passes are offered?

In Albertson's you will only have the option of the 5 day pass or the 30 day pass, which is probably too much for most tourists.
24 hours passes I generally get as I board the residential buses, but the RTC says these are only good on the strip buses if we are locals and can prove it with a local ID.

[keno60]

Re: Another place to buy 5 day passes

AT the BTC I paid $7.50 for a reduced 3 day pass, on the strip I paid $10. I noticed at the
Maryland and Flamingo bus stop it was $7.50. I am going to check these out again in July
when I am there, I will let you all know what I found out. What do you know about the SDX line. It stops at the airport where the 108 stops. Is there a different cost?
Thanks, Ken

[dewey089]

Re: Another place to buy 5 day passes

Well Ken, you were not buying the same pass for different money, but because you were buying a residential pass (supposedly only good on the Strip buses if you have a local ID)
It looks cheaper, but supposedly if you got on the Deuce with it, the driver would ask to see your local ID and when you told him you were from Texas, he would not honor the pass.


Here is the fare chart for the RTC :
Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) | Transit Fare & Pass Information

You can see the different prices for the different 3 day passes.
************************************************** ***
The 5 day passes, which as far as I know cannot be purchased in any of the vending machines were in that same category, but according to what they told me on Facebook, are not anymore.


Hi Dewey. If you are not a local and are staying in Vegas for more than 24 hours, we advise you to purchase a 5-day pass in order to have access to the entire transit system, including the SDX and Deuce (no up charges and you do not need a local Nevada ID). The 24-hour residential pass is valid on the SDX and Deuce only when passengers present a local ID. Please be advised that Walgreens only sells the 30-day and 5-day passes. Thank you.

That is why Albertson's is a good place to keep in mind. Often the 5 day passes cost the same as a strip 3 day pass.
*****************************************

However, this may not be what is happening beyond September 11 when the whole system goes through another transformation. What I read is that on the strip there will be no reduction for those of us with senior ID. That will make the 5 day at Albertson's or Walgreen's even more of a bargain because the senior ID will be useless on the strip.
I have read of suggestions to eliminate the 3 day pass.
And while I am writing, somewhere in Vegas the public is talking to representatives of the RTC and so anything can change in any way.

The intent of the RTC is to make tourist seniors into second class seniors when riding the SDX or Deuce. THose are where most tourists ride and if they don't give them a discount, then they make more tourist money while not bothering the local's money. But it remains a mystery if in fact any tourist has been denied a ride because they had a "residential " pass but no local ID.

I'd appreciate any experience you have on the buses in Vegas.
I so rarely ride the SDX or the Deuce, I don't have a chance to really check things out. When I do ride them, I am usually going from Flamingo to Tropicana or from Tropicana to Flamingo. I expect when I do ride the SDX, I'll be carrying some sort of residential pass, and if they put me off at the next stop..........well............that is my destination anyway, so
"Okay officer, I'm sorry, I'll get off here and get the right pass."
Next trip I may be downtown for a long while and want to go by Deuce to Imperial Palace so I'll try the residential pass at Walgreen's and see how that works for me.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The SDX does not go to the airport. That is a separate line called WAX. It is not as frequent as the 108, but it will get you and luggage downtown in record time and it will make two other interesting stops, one at Koval and Tropicana and one at NYNY. It is a residential bus, so you will pay the residential rate and probably the driver will tell you that your 24 hour pass is good on any bus. He has told many of us that. It is not true, or is it? Different people get different answers.
The SDX may not be too luggage friendly; however, that is debated too. It seems like it is on the airport site as they advise folks to take it to their hotel from the SSTT and some folks have had good luck with luggage. Again, who knows?

[keno60]

Re: Another place to buy 5 day passes

Dewey, Thanks again for the info. Have a great day, we are getting rain from a tropical depression!
Ken

[dewey089]

Re: Another place to buy 5 day passes

Hope some of it is helpful. Report back what you buy and how it works. I thought I would be testing the 5 day pass in the Fall, but yesterday I changed my 17 day trip to a 23 day trip starting downtown, so I guess I'll just get a $30 reduced fare all access 30 day pass and be done with it. That will let me go anywhere I want on any bus with no questions.
Maybe I'll survey the bus drivers when I ride about the 5 day passes. I'll certainly survey the inspectors on the SDX if I see any.
Sorry your weather is not good. I just came in from swimming under overcast skys. Computer modem was jarred by the thunderstorm late last night. Otherwise easy weather.

[keno60]

Re: Another place to buy 5 day passes

Dewey,

Your information is excellent, it helped with clear up and refine my bus plan. Thanks to your advice, I will buy a 24 hour pass on the 108 at the airport, which will take me close the Embassy S. where I have a conference, and when I have time, I am going to get to that Albertsons on Maryland and Flamingo. Unless I go downtown and buy the 5 day at the Walgreens. I can't feel bad about the rain, we needed it badly, but we tends to get it all at one time. Have a great day.