Las Vegas Monorail

The Robert N. Broadbent Las Vegas Monorail, Sahara Station

After many delays, the Robert N. Broadbent Las Vegas Monorail opened on July 15, 2004. It begins at the MGM Grand at the south end of the Strip, and then runs roughly parallel to the Strip on its eastern side. The monorail passes next to the Las Vegas Hilton and the Convention Center before ending at the Sahara at the north of the Strip. It takes about 14 minutes to travel its total distance of 3.9 miles (about 6.3 kilometers). The fare is $3 one way or $10 for an all-day pass. A 2.3 mile (3.7 kilometer) extension to Fremont Street and downtown Las Vegas is planned, with construction beginning in 2005 and service beginning in 2008.

Since the opening of the monorail system in early 2004, it has suffered several malfunctions that first delayed the start of passenger service and then (on September 8, 2004) led to the closing of the monorail entirely for an extended period. A number of repairs have been made to the monorail cars, but the monorail system must undergo a lengthy "commissioning" process each time it breaks down, to confirm the effectiveness of the repairs. The local press has reported that each additional day of shutdown costs the system approximately $85,000 per day, and that over $8.3 million dollars was lost during the most recent shutdown. The current commissioning process was expected to last until the end of the year, but on December 24, 2004, the Clark County regulators approved a restart of the system.

Extensions

Phase 1 of the monorail system is now complete. During the second phase of construction, the system is to be extended from the Sahara station into Downtown Las Vegas. Phase 2 is to include four new stations: Stratosphere, Charleston, Bonneville, and Fremont St. Stations. Construction was to already have begun on phase 2, but was postponed in light of the technical problems. On January 27, 2005, it was announced that the government will not provide money for the $400 million project. The original plan for the Monorail called for the system to have opened in January 2004, and have been able to cover its debts and operating expenses by attracting 19-20 million riders. Since the system was not only delayed in opening, but later shut down for 4 months, income was not as great as organizers had hoped. This reportedly is a contributing factor for the government's denial of phase 2 funding.

It is unclear if Phase 2 will ever become reality. If it is not completed, it will be a serious blow to the urban renewal campaign in Downtown Las Vegas. The Associated Press reports that Cam Walker, head of Transit Systems Management which is charged with operating the monorail, said his company has no immediate plans to extend the monorail in any direction. The AP also reported that Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman has been looking at cheaper, alternative funding for a light rail system or high tech busses.

Previously, a Phase 3 had been discussed, which would have extended the Monorail system south from MGM Grand Station into McCarran Airport.

Construction

The Las Vegas Monorail was developed by the Bombardier corporation [1], which has widely been blamed for problems with the system. Bombardier also constructed the monorail at Walt Disney World, as well as many other transit systems. The company may be liable for losses of income due to monorail malfuctions.

External Links

Official Las Vegas Monorail Home Page