RTD kicked off its paid parking program Monday without all the bells and whistles it expected, but said it went smoothly since the "vast majority" of people using park-n-Ride lots will never have to pay.

Electronic pay kiosks weren't ready at the lots where the program started - Stapleton, Wagon Road, Thornton and Airport Boulevard. Workers from RTD and Central Parking collected payments. In March, paid parking starts along the T-REX light-rail line; in April, on the rest of the light-rail system; and in May, along the U.S. 36 corridor's park-n-Ride lots.

Daily commuters who live within the RTD boundaries pay nothing. People living outside the boundaries are charged $4 at high-demand lots and $2 at low-demand lots. District residents pay $2 or $1, depending on the lot, if they leave their vehicle longer than 24 hours.

Surveys of RTD lots show about 6 percent of vehicles are from outside the district. Go to www.RTD-Denver.com and enter your license plate to find out if you live in or out of the district.