New Year's Eve Detours

http://www.rtcsnv.com/transit/new-years-eve-transit-information/#.VJsx08AAA

BUS BITS FROM THE OCT/NOV 2014 TRIP

On one board Keno 60 posted about using the Walgreen's on Decatur and Tropicana, just a short walk from the Orleans to buy bus passes. This worked just great. The Walgreen's is 24 hours so I could go up very early at 5 AM when I could not sleep and had nothing much else to do.

I thought the walk was very safe and easy.

There were some pretty girls working the street, but they are not aggressive or much of a bother.

Walgreen's said that they don't run out of the 15 and 30 day passes with senior discount there, so we can count on them.

While I was there I picked up some snacks and a large gallon of water that cost just 99 cents as opposed to the small bottles for $2.25 for sale at the Orleans.

Along the way I noticed a Bank of America that would be a handy place for me to get more gambling money were I to run short.

Also, if I wanted some food outside the casino that great Irish Pub McMullen's is open 24 hours and there is a Jack in the Box not far from the Walgreen's.

What this does for me is make the Orleans an easy place to start my trips. In the past, the desire to buy a 30 day bus pass had me leaning toward starting my trip downtown. This time I followed up two nights at the Orleans with 5 nights on the strip, some of them one nighters, and I wanted to do that at the beginning of the trip when I was not so tired out that the check in/check out took away from the fun of the strip hotels. I'd do that again.

However to get the Orleans I decided to try getting off the WAX at the Koval stop. The idea was that I could manage a better choice of seats if I did not wait for the NYNY stop and possible crowds.

That was a mistake.

Hovering around that Koval stop are a half dozen homeless guys asking for money. They did not seem particularly troublesome, but after 5 hours on the plane I really don't want to hear sad luck stories from a guy with a beer can in a paper sack.

I talked to another regular rider who said they were harmless but always in that area.

So, next trip I'll go back to the NYNY stop which is less isolated from other riders, patrolled more often by security, and more comfortable for an old guy with a huge suitcase.

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I fully intended not to be out of downtown on Halloween night, but there I was on the BHX with some costumes. There was a route change, but from what the driver said I could not figure it out. This particular driver is a character. At one point he noticed the next bus directly behind him and he was hoping that no one would need to get off so that he could just sail on downtown.

I got off too early, well North of the Downtowner, but I did not really understand where he might go due to the festival. It was early evening and there were plenty of folks out on the street, so I was comfortable.

I expect that he did go all the way to just opposite the El Cortez as I saw the bus continue straight. There was just no asking. Folks were in a party mood and he was into other issues than helping me exit properly.

I did note that the place to catch the BHX is just before the Mob Museum and in the rear of the Downtown Grand. This is a temporary stop, so I can't tell if it will be there for long, but it is worth walking over to see.

Today, without knowing the exact temporary stop, I hopped on the DVX at Binions and transferred at the BTC, but that cost me time. From what I figured, I actually might have caught an earlier bus had I gone to the stop.

I had had such a run around last year when the temporary stops were not well marked, that I wanted the safe route, That might make me a bit late for the tournament, but I would not be wandering all over downtown checking for the stops and getting bad advice from folks who only knew the old stops. Nor would I be walking all the way out to the Western only to perhaps find that stop closed as it is for the Life is Beautiful Festival. That Binions stop is very convenient for just taking any bus that come, getting off at the BTC and then finding whatever bus is desired.

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Since I often write about buses as if I know what I am going, I think it only fair to share my bus errors from this trip.

Sometimes in life I just don't know what I am going. And it happens sometimes on the Vegas bus.

The first happened right on the WAX. I could not decide whether to just pay a dollar to get to NYNY and then a dollar to get to the Orleans or to buy a 24 hour pass.

When I finally decided, I did not have the correct change, so I bought a 24 hour pass (which as it turned out I did not need) and paid $3 for it, rather than the senior rate of $2.50.

The second was even more stupid. I got confused as to the position of the Palace Station compared to the Boulder Highway. I had two football squares and had decided to go from the Palace Station to Eastside Cannery and play during the football game.

I got on the Sahara Express going the wrong way.

I was way out West before I really woke up to the fact.

And by then I was going to be late for the Poker game.

So, instead I got on the bus going East and the bus driver helped me get to my second choice, the Italian Club presentation of Kelly Holmes (Clint's wife). This mistake ended up giving me the best show I saw in Vegas this trip

 

The third mistake was to board the WAX on my way up to play my freeroll at Monte Carlo. There was a couple there who owned a condo in downtown, but never gambled. They asked me a pile of questions, curious about how I made gambling a frugal occupation. I got so absorbed in answering I missed my Tropican stop and the first thing I knew I was at the airport. Luckily, there was another WAX just arriving to take me back to the NYNY. I lost about 15 minutes, but perhaps less since I ended up on the correct side of the strip for Monte Carlo.

The fourth mistake was to take my son to catch the SDX and forget to get him to buy his ticket until the bus was on its way. Then we approached the machine and I asked the worker there, a very friendly fellow, to help him get a 24 hour $7 pass before the bus arrived. Well, in the confusion he ended up with two passes on his charge card and we missed that bus anyway. I tried to resell it, but when the next SDX came I just gave it to the worker and he passed it on to some needy person. I did not need a pass as I had the 30 day pass already.

MY COMPLETE TRIP REPORT SNIPPETS ARE PUBLISHED HERE:

http://vegasbirthdaybash.blogspot.com/

Bits of the trip are organized by topic and labeled TR Snippet.  Ignore dates.  However, it won't all load at first, so when finished with the first batch,  look for the Prompt "older posts" at the bottom right hand corner of the page and that will take you to page 2 and so on.


 

 

Residential Passes explained

If you purchase a $5 -  24 hour ticket on a residential bus like the WAX or CX bus, it is a "residential" ticket. Technically, it is not good on the SDX or Deuce unless you have local ID. However, it is perfectly fine for all other buses.
Whether any tourists are ever asked for local ID is open to debate on most tourist discussion boards.  This trip a lawyer type told me they could not do anything because it was illegal and a bus employee told me that no bus driver would ask for a local ID and that the Senior photo ID would be plenty even on the SDX to satisfy checkers.

If you pay $2, that is just good for one ride on the residential bus you boarded. It will cost you $2 on the next ride on that bus or on another residential bus.
If you pay $3, you can board any residential bus within 2 hours of the time you buy the pass. So, for example, folks going one way from the airport to the Orleans sometimes opt for the $3 pass because the WAX ride is just a few minutes, and the 202 can easily be boarded within the 2 hour period.

Seniors with ID pay half price for all residential rides and passes (photo ID available at the BTC for those over 60.  Medicare card also good for proof)  There is no senior discount for strip bus passes if you buy them from a Deuce operator or from a machine.  It makes a huge difference.  A 15 day reduced fare price is just $17.  Just a 3 day pass on strip buses bought on the strip is $20.


Here is a chart showing fares for Residential routes. 15/30 day passes cannot be purchased from most machines or from the drivers. BTC is a good spot. Walgreen's downtown is another. There are other vendors located around Vegas, but not convenient to tourists (on purpose)

Here is the chart from the RTC site:

Residential Route Passes:

These passes include access to all RTC Residential Routes. Single Ride, 2-Hour and 24-Hour Passes can be purchased on-board vehicles. 15-Day and 30-Day Passes can be purchased in person at the Bonneville Transit Center, South Strip Transfer Terminal (SSTT), RTC Administration Building, and vendor locations throughout town. 30-Day Passes can also be purchased online.

Single $2
Reduced Fare
$1

2-Hour $3
Reduced Fare
$1.50

24-Hour $5
Reduced Fare
$2.50

15-Day $34
Reduced Fare
$17

30-Day $65
Reduced Fare
$32.50

Taxi fares

So the WAX costs me $1 and there is no need to tip.
Young folks would have to pay $2

A more complicated two bus route to strip or off strip casinos would double those costs and certainly add inconvenience.

Here are the comparable taxi rates on average and BEFORE  tip.
The difference is what the convenience costs.

http://taxi.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/taxinvgov/content/Rider_Info/46x132T1ApproxFares.pdf

Here is a way to estimate other trips in Vegas and other countries:

http://www.taxifarefinder.com/

 

 

Downtown details

Here is an interesting thread answering a particular question on using the bus over a 4 day Vegas visit.

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?109072-Where-to-catch-the-SDX-Express-from-4Queens&p=989025#post989025

Passes available at Maryland and Flamingo by machine

Keno advises

  am not sure you have this on your blog? Hope it helps! At the Maryland and Flamingo bus stop the machine sells 1 ride-$2-RD$1 ; 2HR $3-RD$1.50 ; 24 hour-$5 ; RD $2.50

RD is the reduced fare paid by seniors, youngsters, and some others.

Of course, we can also buy these on the bus directly from the driver.

August bus riding

Once on the bus, it should be fairly comfortable.  The problem is waiting in the heat for the buses.  Plan as much as possible to be at the stop close to the time the bus arrives.  Also, switching buses in places with some AC is better than standing out in exposed areas under the brutal sun.
August is not the best month for using the bus to get around Vegas.  I don't go much in August anymore, but if I did I would plan on being in a casino during the heat of the day and only walking or taking the bus long after the sun had set. 
If you are in the heat waiting for the bus, drink plenty of water even if you are not thirsty.  Carry and drink water all the time.  Order a free drink with a free water.  Buy it when you need it.  Dehydration is not joke and it sneaks up on people.

Late Arrival and bus to downtown

Here is a pretty good discussion of the issues and the options

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?109112-Late-arrival-into-Vegas-and-need-to-get-Downtown
 

115-212-117 Going to Southpoint

I've been playing with this trip in mind.
Perhaps it is silly to be on Boulder and decide to go so far.
However, I have been reading quite a bit about how nice the Sunset buffet tastes.  Station buffet prices are very low right now.  So I could head out to Sunset Station, have a meal, hang out a bit, and then head to SSTT on the 212, connect to the 117 and go on up to Sunset Station.

However, only some of the 115 go to Sunset Station, so that might be confusing.

How and why to validate a pass for the SDX

A board friend, Dave, says it much better than I can:

When you buy your ticket at the machine, there's a separate slot you insert the ticket in to validate it, which in effect "starts the clock" on your 3 day/15 day pass. I was the one who explained about validating right on the SDX bus, since the validation part of the TVM next to Binion's was not working. There's a ticket validator near the middle door of the SDX, which is what I used.

As far as security not checking the validity of your pass, that's likely not normal. When we have been asked to show our passes, the security officer has asked that the date/time side be visible to them. Many people get to ride the SDX for free when the monitors are not aboard, just hopping off when they see one coming on at a stop. We don't bother trying, since the expense for buying the 15 day pass is about the cost of one decent-length cab ride ($34). If you are staying more than 4 days, the 15-day pass often is the better deal.

Thanks Dave.

A Canadian Visitor to Vegas uses the bus for the first time.

This is a great report on getting into saving money by using the RTC in Vegas.

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?p=947930#post947930

Buses around LVH (old Hilton)

Here is a good discussion of the buses that run near the LVH.

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?p=942871&posted=1#post942871

Is the 2 hour residential pass all access

One thing is currently unclear to me. It may be that the 2 hour pass issued on a residential bus is "all access" for us tourists as well. There is an asterisk on the website list of fares that in my reading suggests it is "all access" without the need for local ID.
http://www.rtcsnv.com/transit/fare-information/
I can't trust the website because it has been wrong in leaving an asterisk OFF for the 15 day all-access-to-anyone-pass.
Calling RTC might get three different answers in three calls.
If anyone is at the BTC and can ask Christine, (who knows what she is talking about) and has the energy to run down this information, I sure would appreciate it.
And a half dozen of us getting the same answer reported here and in my bus blog, would be helpful. This is what I did for the 15 day all access questions.

If the 2 hour pass is now intended to be all access that would free up tourists coming from the airport to pay just $3 for a ride to any strip hotel without worrying about not having a local ID or breaking a technical rule.

But it needs to be carefully researched, rechecked and reported, and I'm more interested in what the RTC rule is than what might be allowed by an individual bus driver, sometimes, or how easy it might be for any of us to pretend to be local in these situations and get away with it.

*********

Many of you have expressed thanks personally and here. I appreciate the kudos, but there are dozens of people who gather this information and report it here on the board and to me personally in PM style. I know some of the buses from personal experience or BTC interviews, but much of it I collect and report from other's experiences with the intent on clearing up the confusing details of the rules.
I try to check and recheck details, looking for answers to the confusion that is caused by the intent of the RTC to establish a two tier payment system for buses (one for locals and one for tourists) and the natural confusion caused by continually changing the routes, fares, and rules.
So, the kudos go to all the folks who supply that information. All of you are experts. I simply have a good place to collect and keep the information, so when questions repeat themselves, I can often answer with boilerplate saved on my blog. (see link below)

And if you are in Vegas here is yet another opportunity to research. And thanks for anything you can gather.

Remember when asking to ask reference to "tourists" who do not have local ID. For locals with ID all the bus passes are all access.

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105591

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FIRST ANSWER IS HERE

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105591

Once again explaining residential vs stip bus passes

This was a question on Vegas Message Board:

Quote:

I have a dumb question...if I buy a 24 hour pass from the driver on the WAX, is it only good for the WAX...or can it be used also for the Deuce once I get to the strip?

This is not a dumb question. It is complicated:
Technically, what you buy for $5 is a "residential" pass which means it is good on every route except the Deuce and the SDX unless you have a local ID.Actually, plenty of folks on this board use it on the strip buses with no problem. We here have yet to hear of anyone being asked for a local ID. So, it depends on whether you are comfortable breaking a rule or not.

That stop at MGM has lots of tourists with luggage. So you stand out as someone who does not have a local ID.

However, if your destination is Paris, that is the next stop on the SDX. So if you board, and an inspector did ask for local ID, most likely you would be asked to exit the bus and get the right pass, but you would have exited at your destination.

Note that a 24 hour pass is just $8 in the airport machine. So for $3 you can have total peace of mind because buying the more expensive strip pass is good on all Vegas buses period with no local ID requited and no questions asked.

The real issue is for us older folks who are going to get the residential pass at half price, just $2.50. Peace of mind costs us $5.50 more than a 200% markup compared to just a 60% markup for youngsters.
Most of us old folks solve this dilemma by buying a 15 day all access pass at half price, or $17, and then we have total peace of mind. However, we must get to a place that sells these. So most of us end up downtown getting it either at the BTC or more likely at Walgreen's.
I just heard that the Walgreen's at Decatur and Tropicana just past the Orleans also sells these passes. I'm going to try that out on my next trip because I start with two free days at the Orleans.
We old folks can also ride the residential buses at half fare. So, my trip to the Orleans will cost $1.50 for a 2 hour pass, or perhaps I'll buy a 24 hour pass at $2.50 and put off walking to Decatur.

If you are going to ride strip buses for 5 days or more, the 15 day pass, even at full fare, is a bargain at $34. A 3 day pass is $20, each other day is $8, so 5 days is $36. Now that folks who stay on the strip can buy these at Walgreen's on Decatur or at the 7/11 (full fare only) right next to Ellis Island, they become a pretty good deal.

If all this is confusing, tell us what you are thinking of doing with the pass and how you feel about breaking a rule and we can each offer our advice which will differ here depending upon our own comfort with breaking a technical rule, our experience with breaking it, and so on.

Also, please do not argue with the drivers or any inspectors. Play dumb if you are challenged. Some friends of mine, for example, thought they were buying a 24 hour pass on the strip bus for $5 when they were actually buying a one way. When they boarded downtown to return, the driver told them it had expired. The woman explained that she had made a mistake, and the driver let her ride back up the strip anyway.

And technically there are fines for intentionally trying to beat the rules. So you don't want to say to the inspector on the SDX who nicely tells you that you must get off at Paris,
"Listen, chump, that was where I was going anyway, so screw you and your dumba$$ rules."
Rather you want to say, "Thank you for explaining that to me." and then get off at Paris and go your way.

Also, a lot depends on what you want to do in that 24 hours. Some folks want to stay on the strip. However, strip buses can be very crowded. There is a free tram that goes out of Monte Carlo and to Bellagio and another that goes out of Excalibur and to Luxor or Mandalay Bay. So that entire South end of the strip can be accessed with a minimum of walking and still avoiding crowded strip buses which get caught in traffic and on which you could be packed as tightly as a sardine.
There is also the Boyd shuttle that connects the Orleans with the Gold Coast with the back end of Bally's, but it does not run much after midnight. The Tropicana bus 201 and the Flamingo bus 202 both run 24/7 although it is good in the early morning hours to know the schedule before you wait as these might be an hour apart. So, staying down near Flamingo, you might like using a residential pass to get you up Tropicana to the strip after heading over for an inexpensive meal at the Gold Coast or the Orleans and taking the shuttle to the Orleans. Also, a favorite frugal joint is Ellis Island. That Boyd shuttle stop they call "the strip" is really closer to Ellis Island than to the strip. Both Ellis Island and the Westin across the street have some cheap gambling during happy hours that start at 5PM.
Now none of that matters to folks searching for the pizazz of the strip, but plenty of bus riders are frugal and would enjoy getting off the strip to eat and gamble much more cheaply. Combining free trams and shuttles with a residential pass keeps you in the letter of the law and gives plenty of options. All these casinos can be accessed from the strip via one ride on a residential bus: Gold Coast, Palms, Silver Sevens, Tuscany, Westin, Sam's Town, Eastside Cannery, Longhorn on the 202. Orleans on the 201.

How to find bus at airport video

This makes is very easy.  Just one addition. See the bathroom just before you exit?  This is a good idea as bus rides can be long.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=g373XC0g6i4#!

Bus passes at Walgreen's one stop West of the Orleans

Board friend Keno reports buying a reduced fare pass at this location.

Also here

Walgreen's downtown

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

This is just East of Maryland and near the library.

The 7/11 has passes but not for reduced fare customers.
Always good to call before you go to these places as they run out.

Convenience of Binions for catching other routes.

In front of Binions is a bus stop that serves the SDX, the WAX, the CX and DVX and each one of these buses goes to the BTC fairly quickly from that location. 

Be careful to get off at the BTC as overshooting with some of the buses will put you a long way from where you want to be.

summary of bus rules

You break no rules if you use the 15 or 30 day pass for the Deuce and Strip. No local ID is required.
A half dozen people have confirmed this with conversations at the BTC and it has been the rule since the 15 day pass was created. Why the Asterik is off the chart on the RTC website is a mystery and it keeps causing the confusion on the 15 day all access pass. The same confusion existed with the 5 day pass back a few years. No asterisk on the website, but assurances from all RTC officials that no local ID was necessary to use it even on strip buses.
Here are some of the reports back two years.
http://vegasonthebus.blogspot.com/20...ll-access.html

You break a technical rule if you are not a local and use a 24 hour residential pass ($5) and don't have a local ID. Some riders on this board break that rule and none have reported getting bothered. To call you on it, the driver would have to ask for a local ID. RTC did tell me that they installed the machine at the airport because too many people were getting a residential 24 hour pass on the WAX, getting off at NYNY and using it at that stop near MGM to take a strip bus North. With luggage it is pretty clear they are probably not local.

You break a firm rule if you take a reduced fare pass and use it but are not qualified. 60 or over for seniors. I've seen inspectors make people buy a different ticket. I've been asked by drivers to show my ID after swiping the 15 day reduced fare pass.

You break a rule if you buy a pass, do not validate it in the machine, and use it first to board the SDX bus. All other buses validate when you swipe and enter near the driver. Hop on, hop off SDX needs you to first validate in the machine. What will happen is an inspector will ask you to hop off and validate, but the SDX passes some rather tough neighborhoods, and you will probably end up having to wait for the next bus. Validation is what stamps the time on the pass and starts the clock.

You break a rule on jay walking if while waiting for the bus you walk out into the street to see if the next bus is coming. I've talked to locals who were fined for what was labeled, "intentional jaywalking." The fine is hefty.

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Okay, this is off topic, but I want to add it to every bus post because I missed it. The Deuce does not run to and from the SSTT except 12:30 to 9AM when the SDX does not run at all. So at the SSTT take either the SDX for most of the day.
Also, the reduced fare machine at SSTT is reported this week as being unable to bring up the reduced fare menu with senior ID. Thanks to Keno for this later info.

He also shares that the reduced fare passes are available at Walgreen's just one stop West on the 201 West from the Orleans. Nice resource.

106 to Texas Station and Fiesta Rancho.

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TEXAS STATION AND FIESTA RANCHO

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I have not done this in years.  The 106 used to leave and return to the Fremont area right downtown.  Now it leaves and returns to the BTC.

A google search from Binions recommends quite a bit of walking each way and the walking from Texas Station is rather complex.

I think it is best to get any bus to the BTC, then get the 106 right to that area.  Coming back the 106 is right there and will again go to the BTC with plenty of options for going back and being dropped right near Fremont.

 

I'd especially do this if I wanted to stay a few days out there.  However, I don't see me lugging suitcases unless I had some free offers.

SSTT reduced fare ID not working

Reports are that the machine at the SSTT is not taking the reduced fare ID and giving back the reduced fare menu. 
Not good news.