Vegas Free-for-All - Vegas Monorail

Boilerman

Jun 25, 2014
11:07pm

I don't believe that this system has ever made money. I would love to see it expand to downtown and to the airport, but I believe those projects have not found funding. The strip casinos like the idea of an airport leg, but they don't like the downtown leg (competition concerns I suspect). Has anyone heard about an update on funding for an expansion?

I'm sure that it would have cost a bunch, but it would be far more popular if it were a subway under Las Vegas Blvd..

hoops2

Jun 25, 2014
11:21pm

Block User

Public transportation systems all lose money

One of the problems with the monorail are that the stops tend to be long walks to the casinos. A subway under LVB would have minimized that, but the costs to build are now prohibitive. NYC is building a 2nd Ave line along with connections for Grand Central and Penn Stations. The estimate is now $10b.

Extending the monorail to the airport would be good as well as adding a spur to Mandalay Bay

pjstroh

Jun 26, 2014
12:12am

Block User

An intelligent design of the monorail would have it run right down the middle of Las Vegas Blvd. You could close that entire street to traffic and everyone would use the monorail. Have it go from the airport, right down the strip...and all the way downtown. Maybe even a leg that shot out to Boulder Highway.

But then nobody would use cabs or rental cars. And that would mean lots of jobs and business lost for those two industries. And therein lies your answer as to why the monorail's path was built the way it was. A fine example of the common interest being derailed (pun inteneded) by special interests.

snidely333

Jun 26, 2014
12:26am

Block User

Quote

Originally posted by: pjstroh
An intelligent design of the monorail would have it run right down the middle of Las Vegas Blvd. You could close that entire street to traffic and everyone would use the monorail. Have it go from the airport, right down the strip...and all the way downtown. Maybe even a leg that shot out to Boulder Highway.

But then nobody would use cabs or rental cars. And that would mean lots of jobs and business lost for those two industries. And therein lies your answer as to why the monorail's path was built the way it was. A fine example of the common interest being derailed (pun inteneded) by special interests.

I agree. Vegas would be cooler if the whole strip was a pedestrian mall. More room to walk and there could be designated areas for the costume folks and buskers. And you wouldn't have to go up and down escalators and bridges to walk across the street.

Build a big parking complex south of the airport for the California people to park their cars.

hoops2

Jun 26, 2014
12:32am

Block User

The monorail would not have the capacity to move all those people. It would also be unsightly; there is a reason NYC put their trains underground

pjstroh

Jun 26, 2014
12:42am

Block User

Quote

Originally posted by: hoops2
The monorail would not have the capacity to move all those people. It would also be unsightly; there is a reason NYC put their trains underground

They have big trains that can move lots of people...google the new ones they have in Beijing.

hoops2

Jun 26, 2014
2:20am

Block User

The challenge with LV is the need to have frequent stops, so the trains would never build up speed. NYC subway cars can hold about 100 or about 1,000 people per train. However the novelty of riding like a sardine can wear off quickly

New Yorkers deal with it as a fact of life, tourists will be less thrilled

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