ACE & DEUCE mass transit on the strip

For some reason the transit authority has a straightforward brochure that shows the ACE and Deuce stops (including the 5 stops shared by both lines), but they never put it online.

The four shared stops on the strip are (1) Mandalay Bay, (2) Excalibur/Showcase Mall, (3) Bellagio/Paris (4)Fashion Mall/Wynn. The last one is the Neonopolis mall on Fremont Street. The ACE is about twice as fast as the DEUCE, but in one case the stops can be a mile apart. The DEUCE stops are about 300 yards apart, but the DEUCE no longer goes sout of Mandalay Bay. They take different routes downtown.

You can buy a 3 day ($15) or 5 day ($20) pass online and have them mail you a ticket. Leave a week to get the pass. The timer starts when you get on a bus. It is just as easy to buy them from the vending machines except there is no vending machine at the airport. If you intend to take a public bus from the airport you must pay additional $2. The pass is good on the ACE, the DEUCE, and all the local buses around town. The vending machines do not give change, but they do take credit cards.

The ACE in particular is close to the monorail in speed (except in the middle of the day) and much more versatile.

The #108 and #109 bus from the airport are awkward. The #109 is the cheapeast way to get to the car rental place where you can also catch the ACE.

I believe we got our tickets at the stop at the Wynn, on our way to the Stratosphere. There was a transit official at the stop and as soon as I started reading the instructions on the ticket machine, he stepped in to make the purchase for me. I appreciated the help, but he may have been better served to watch me for a few minutes and see if I struggled with any of the directions. I had managed to determine we would get the 3 day pass just before he stepped in.
I also wound up with a fanfold that showed the stops for the ACE and DEUCE, in each direction, and the shared stops. Two items bugged me with the map though.
1. One of the shared stops was not marked correctly on the map. We were on the ACE coming back from Stratosphere, and were not sure if we were going to get a chance to get off where we wanted.
2. The ACE stop at the Stratosphere is MESSED UP. It is not well marked, although once you know where it is, it is marked. However, when you don't know where it is, and you are sitting on the Duece stop bench, you have NO chance to catch the ACE when you see where it stops.

There were 30 of us waiting for the Deuce outside Strat, and we had been there about 30 minutes (no idea why the Deuce was so far out of schedule). We saw the ACE pull up across the street, which we missed. We were then forced with deciding to ride it out waiting for the Deuce, or go across the street to catch the next ACE. We finally decided to go for the ACE, and as luck would have it, the next ACE came 10 minutes later, while the Deuce still had not shown up.

It is a GREAT system. I hope they get the kinks worked out so the ACE/DEUCE stays in service. It is much easier and cheaper than a taxi, to move from one end of strip to the other.

BTW, we ended getting the 3 day pass ($15), which is 72 hours from the time you buy the ticket at the vending machine, and we only ended up using it from Wynn to Stratosphere and back to Bellagio area (can't remember exactly where we got off). We never ended up using the pass again, but that was mostly due to our being based at the RIO. Too bad they couldn't get the RIO on the circuit somehow.........

(1) Your pass is good on the local buses as well. You could use it to take the bus from the Rio over to the strip. I think they are at 20 minute intervals.

(2) I am guessing what happened at Stratosphere is that they originally intended to stop the DEUCE at Sahara avenue and instead of going downtown going over to Palace Station. They had so many complaints that they restored DEUCE service to downtown (at least for the immediate future).
There was an unfortunate lack of signs like (ACE is across the street)


It looks like they will up the fares so that it is stupid to buy a one way fare. It was only $2 about two years ago.

2-Hr All Access Pass $5
24-Hr All Access Pass $7
3-Day All Access Pass $20

They may be doing away with the 5 day pass entirely.

RTC Southern Nevada (formerly CAT) is an excellent system for the type of environment that Las Vegas is and for their service footprint. Unfrtounately their footprint leaves out a large percentage of Las Vegans, but for visitors and the transit dependent workers living in the working class apartments and single family home neighborhoods it does pretty well.

The current fare increase proposal is what pacomartin describes above, but they are planning to leave a loophole that "general market" passes are valid with a local ID. In practice, that means the bus driver or fare inspector will accept any Nevada driver's license, which was done when the ACE was free for "locals" the first few days of service. This is a fare cut for the occasional local rider who purchases a day pass, since they can now purchase a $5 day pass instead of the $7 version or paying for the upcharge every time they board. The problem is that this discriminates against those locals, such as the immigrants who distribute those strip club cards, who can't get ID, because they're not supposed to be here in the first place. The other problem with the fare structure is that it doesn't say if monthly pass holders also have to show ID to get the discounted fare - after all, there are many snowbirds who may live in an equally tax advantaged jurisdiction (i.e. Washington State, although they would be rain birds) - and keep their Washington residency. They would be the ones who buy the monthly passes. Here is the call for the public hearing.

This would be the same trick that San Francisco pulls on cable car riders. Tourists pay the higher fare, while monthly pass holders get to ride the cable cars, as a mode of transportation, like any other service.

Quote: calwatch

The problem is that this discriminates against those locals, such as the immigrants who distribute those strip club cards, who can't get ID, because they're not supposed to be here in the first place.

I'm not sure why that's discrimination. Isn't that just part of the overall risk and costs of doing illegal things?

Quote: pacomartin

It looks like they will up the fares so that it is stupid to buy a one way fare. It was only $2 about two years ago.

2-Hr All Access Pass $5
24-Hr All Access Pass $7
3-Day All Access Pass $20

They may be doing away with the 5 day pass entirely.

That's pretty steep. Just last month the 5 day pass cost $20, which comes out to $4 per day. At $20 for a 3 day pass, the price per day is $6.66, meaning it costs over 50% per day as compared to the old 5 day pass. They'd have to do away with the 5 day pass.

At those prices a rental car begins to look more attractive. Sure, it costs more, and there's insurance, but it's also a great deal more convenient.

Consider, in order to get from the Rio to the Atomic testing museum I had to 1) take the Rio free shuttle to Bally's, 2) walk to the bus stop on Flamingo Rd., 3) wait about 12 minutes for the bus, 4) ride the bus for about 10 minutes (estimate), including two stops along the way.

It was cheap and not too inconvenient. A rental car would cost more, but it would be more convenient.

For long term visitors (two weeks or so) a monthly pass actually makes more sense now. However, with the 24 hour passes, similar to the Harrah's buffet, you can schedule your travel such that you don't need a pass for every day that you are in the city. Las Vegas is the only big city that issues 24 hour bus passes (and the 3 day passes expire 72 hours after first use). Most cities have day passes become invalid at the end of the service day, usually 3 a.m. for 24 hour transit systems.

Quote: pacomartin

The #109 is the cheapeast way to get to the car rental place where you can also catch the ACE.

What about the free shuttle?

Quote: Nareed

Consider, in order to get from the Rio to the Atomic testing museum I had to 1) take the Rio free shuttle to Bally's, 2) walk to the bus stop on Flamingo Rd., 3) wait about 12 minutes for the bus, 4) ride the bus for about 10 minutes (estimate), including two stops along the way.

Isn't there a stop on Flamingo Rd near the Rio?

Quote: Nareed

At those prices a rental car begins to look more attractive. Sure, it costs more, and there's insurance, but it's also a great deal more convenient.

Consider, in order to get from the Rio to the Atomic testing museum I had to 1) take the Rio free shuttle to Bally's, 2) walk to the bus stop on Flamingo Rd., 3) wait about 12 minutes for the bus, 4) ride the bus for about 10 minutes (estimate), including two stops along the way.

It was cheap and not too inconvenient. A rental car would cost more, but it would be more convenient.

Well you didn't have to take the free shuttle. You could get on the bus at the Rio and it would just go to the Atomic testing museum.

I know that some women won't ride the bus. But a car can be an annoyance if you are just trying to get around the high traffic tourist areas. In addition there is the alcohol factor. I do recommend getting a car for a day and going to Hoover dam and some outlying places.A taxi is bad enough on the strip, it is prohibitive to go any distance.

Now that the Ace goes to the convention center the monorail is almost useless.

Quote: pacomartin

Well you didn't have to take the free shuttle. You could get on the bus at the Rio and it would just go to the Atomic testing museum.

You know, I didn't think of that. I didn't go straight to the Museum, though.

Quote:

In addition there is the alcohol factor.

True. But I've learned I shouldn't drink while I gamble anyway. I learned not to drink when I will drive long ago.

They won't do anything for a few months until the new Downtown Transit Center is constructed, but I think they should restrict the DEUCE to Manadalay Bay to Circus Circus. It would still go by the Riviera before it turns into the Circus Circus parking lot.

Sahara (from the rear) and Stratosphere are covered by the ACE.

The original intention was to turn around the DEUCE at Palace Station, but I think that is a stretch for a single casino.

There seems to be no point in having double coverage for downtown (ACE& DEUCE). The route #108 (from the airport) can be run up Las Vegas Blvd to cover downtown and the marriage bureau. That was the original intention.