Transit riders can now stop fumbling for loose change when boarding RTD vehicles. They can just load a MyRide card with up to $200 and tap it on a validator before boarding a bus or train. The system went live to the public on May 17.

 

How to Get a MyRide Card

Create an online account at https://myride.rtd-denver.com. Use a credit or debit card to load it with up to $200. The card will be sent by mail and received 7–10 business days later. Initial purchase and online reloads have a $5 minimum; reloads at RTD sales outlets have no minimum. Each rider must have his/her own card. Fares with a MyRide card are reduced by 25¢ per ride (15¢ for discount fare riders). Five retail locations where riders may obtain a card are listed in the article above. Those cards then need to be registered to an online account.
If a card is lost, RTD will transfer the balance on registered cards and mail a new card. Lost cards can be reported by logging into your online account, going to one of the retail centers, or calling 303.299.6000.

 

Tap Your Card on the “Validator”

Validators are at the front of each bus and on the rail platform or near the entry to train stations. At train stations, select the desired fare before tapping the validator. The balance remaining on the card will be shown when you tap. Security officers on the trains check that MyRide cards were validated for the current ride.
MyRide purchases are restricted to one-way trips within the standard three-hour transfer window or unlimited rides within fare zones but cannot be day passes for the entire system.
NOTE: Online fare re-loads do not register on the validators for 24 to 48 hours after the purchase.

 

Reload Your MyRide Card

Log into your MyRide account online to view the balance and add value to the card. NOTE: Online fare re-loads do not register on the validators for 24 to 48 hours after the purchase.
Cards can be reloaded at the following locations in the Front Porch distribution area and the new value will be activated immediately. Additional locations are listed on the MyRide website.
Mayfair King Soopers – 1355 Krameria St.
Mayfair Safeway – 6220 E. 14th Ave.
Lowry Safeway – 200 Quebec St. #400
Stapleton King Soopers – 2810 Quebec St.
Stapleton King Soopers – 10406 E. MLK Blvd.
For more information, call 303.299.6000.

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RTD has issued more than 7,000 MyRide cards. Another 1,500 users will be generated by a program announced by Mayor Hancock in his State of the City address on July 10. Denver has created a $90,000 pilot project to give away transit cards pre-loaded with up to $100 for Denver youth ages 14 to 19. These cards will need to be registered online as described above. It is part of the mayor’s Mobility Action Plan designed to reduce dependence on automobiles. Denver will use the pilot to gather more information on mobility behavior from program participants to determine how and whether the program should be expanded in the future, since a lack of mobility data serves to inhibit expansion of transit pass programs.

The information will be helpful to the city and to Denver Public Schools, which operates its own program purchasing about 2,500 RTD bus passes for high school students monthly.

Fares
Regular fares are $2.60 for a one-way local trip, $4.50 for a one-way regional trip, and $9 for an airport trip. MyRide users get a 25¢ discount per trip.

Discount Fares
Seniors age 65+, Medicare recipients, middle and high school students, and individuals with disabilities qualify for half-price fares and must be prepared to show proof of eligibility. Elementary school students are not required to show proof of eligibility. Children 5 and under ride free. Bulk discounts are not available on MyRide Cards. The RTD website contains a chart for determining a rider’s best fare (MyRide, ticket books, or monthly passes) based on trip frequency.

Transfers
Riders must tap the card on a validator when transferring, but no additional fare is deducted when transferring to the same service level on buses or trains for three hours from the time the card was tapped. The validator displays the time the transfer expires.

Retail Locations to Get a MyRide Card

• Union Station Bus Concourse
  (underground) 7am–6:30pm weekdays
• Denver International Airport (DIA)
  RTD Transit Center, Level 1; 8am–5:30pm weekdays; 8am–4pm weekends
• Civic Center Station
  Broadway & 16th St.; 7am–6:30pm weekdays
• Two retail outlets are in Boulder.

Future Option for Electronic Fare Purchases
Mobile ticketing will be the next electronic fare purchase program. This will enable patrons to purchase fares without using ticket vending machines. RTD has contracted with Masabi LLC to implement the first phase of this system before the end of this calendar year. Phase one of the new system will be limited to the day pass. The $1.45 million contract is for two “base years” with three one-year options. Masabi is a London-based technology company whose ticketing systems are used around the world including in New York City, Los Angeles, Boston and New Orleans.