Las Vegas Monorail
The Las Vegas Monorail is a mass transit system located in Las Vegas, Nevada, running alongside the Las Vegas Strip.
Overview
The Las Vegas Monorail operates from 7:00 AM until 2:00 AM daily. A person can ride the system from end to end in as little as 14 minutes. A single ride costs $3.00 one-way or $5.50 round-trip. A 24 hour unlimited travel pass can be purchased for $10.00, and a 3 day unlimited travel pass can be purchased for $25.00. Tourists who are planning a trip to Las Vegas may purchase tickets in advance. Tickets may also be purchased from automated kiosks located inside the train stations. A map of the system can be found at the Official Monorail Home Page.
Background
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 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 nearly four months. A number of repairs were 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 reported that each additional day of shutdown cost 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.
On February 2, 2005, the monorail system had to be shut down yet again due to problems with the electrical system. Reportedly, after a short circuit a 30 foot section of track needed to be replaced. The system reopened after 12 hours.
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 a new station at The Stratosphere Hotel, as well as stops Charleston, Bonneville, and Fremont Streets. 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. The Associated Press reported that Cam Walker, head of Transit Systems Management the non-profit corporation which is charged with operating the monorail, said his company had 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.
Transit Systems Management officials have stated that the system is now in good running order and have cited, as proof of this, the good handling of crowds during the famous Consumer Electronics Show in January of 2005.
Previously, a Phase 3 had been discussed, which would have extended the Monorail system south from the MGM Grand Station into McCarran International Airport. This is now unlikely since another airport is being considered, 20 or 30 km away from the main downtown core and from the "strip" where the monorail runs.
Construction and planning
The monorail track was built by the Granite corporation of California, one of the largest civil contractors in the United States. The Las Vegas Monorail vehicles and signals systems were developed by the Bombardier corporation, which has been blamed for problems with the system. Bombardier also constructed the famous monorail system at Walt Disney World, as well as many other transit systems around the world. The company may be subject to litigation and liability for losses of income due to monorail malfuctions, though the legal responsibility lies entirely with the Transit Systems Management corporation, which inspected and accepted all the rolling equipment and the infrastructures.
The technology for the monorail vehicles came directly from the well tested and safe monorail train systems running in Walt Disney World. Having an independent non-profit corporation in charge of financing, maintaining and running the entire system was a relatively new idea with very few precedents. From the start extremely high standards and great financial demands were set for what was a new, unproven management "creature" in the transit domain. The pressure to perform without losing a cent was great. It was expected that in addition to covering operating expenses and service of the debt, there would be surplus revenue which would be invested in expansion of the system. While still in the project stage Las Vegas officials were warned by experts in mass transit that no major urban transportation system in the United States operates in the black: They all run with a deficit. As reported in the Washington Post a spokesperson for the biggest association of transit utilities in the United States noted that New York city's subway system recovers only 67% of its costs (through fares and advertising revenue) and it is the best performer in that respect.