Monorail Las Vegas
The Robert N. Broadbent Las Vegas Monorail is a mass transit system located in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. It is owned and operated by the Las Vegas Monorail Company. For tax purposes, the Monorail is registered as a charity. Under Nevada law this is allowed since the Monorail provides a public service.
The present monorail (Phase 1 of the overall project) begins at the MGM Grand Hotel near the south end of the Strip, and runs roughly parallel to the Strip on its eastern side before ending at the Sahara hotel at the north end of the Strip. The monorail has off-Strip stations at the Las Vegas Hilton and the Convention Center. The ride takes about 14 minutes to travel its total distance of 3.9 miles. The Stations are:
The MGM Grand
Bally's and the Paris
The Flamingo and Caesars Palace
Harrah's and the Imperial Palace
The Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas Hilton - Star Trek: The Experience
Sahara
The monorail generally runs behind the eastern side hotels and casinos.
To get to the Strip thus usually requires a walk through the casino.
The longest walk is through the MGM. While this is a disadvantage to
the tourists, it has to be recognized that the Monorail was built without
one dollar of public money, and the casios were major contributors.
It is named for Robert N. Broadbent, whom Las Vegas officials credit with gaining the support from the public and officials needed to bring the monorail to fruition. Broadbent, a former Boulder City mayor, Clark County commissioner, assistant secretary of the interior, and McCarran International Airport director, died in 2003, a few months before the system's scheduled opening.
The Las Vegas Monorail generates revenue not only from ticketed passengers, but also from corporate sponsors. Branding rights for the 7 stations and the 9 trains are available, and the sponsorship prices are in the millions. Hansens Beverage sponsored the first monorail train, featuring its Monster energy drink. Nextel Communications created a totally themed pavilion by branding the largest station, adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center. Since the Sprint-Nextel Merger in late 2005, Nextel Central has been rebranded as Sprint Central.
After many delays, the Las Vegas Monorail opened to the public on July 15, 2004 with the completion and testing of Phase 1.
July 2005 set a record for ridership for the monorail, with over 1 million passengers. Also, Bank West debuted a red "MoneyRail" branded train, and joins Nextel Communications, Hansens Beverage, and Paramount Studios (Star Trek) as corporate sponsors.
On July 8, 2005, Transit Systems Management announced that it would shut down, turning over its responsibilities to the Las Vegas Monorail Company, the system operator.
Expansion plans took a step forward on November 1, 2005 when the County Commission approved a study into the feasability of an airport extension.
Speculation is wide spread about the expansion of the system. It may
or may not be expanded based on commercial considerations.
For Phase 2, a 2.3 mile extension to Fremont Street and Downtown Las
Vegas is planned, with new stations at the Stratosphere Hotel, Charleston
Boulevard, Bonneville Street, and Fremont Street. Construction was planned
to begin in 2005 with service beginning in 2008, however lack of funding
from the Federal government has put this plan on hold.
The Associated Press (AP) reported that Cam Walker, head of Transit Systems Management, the non-profit corporation 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 buses.
A Phase 3 was planned to extended the monorail system south from the MGM Grand Station to McCarran International Airport. At present, a feasability study has been ordered to fit in with an upcoming expansion at McCarran Airport that may would allow for an integrated station at the airport as part of a new terminal. Several hotel and casino owners on the Strip continue to support the Phase 3 project.
The Sahara station is designed to provide access to a possible downtown
extention and to the Las Vegas Strip in the area of the Circus Circus
Las Vegas and the Riviera (hotel and casino) using a second different
track. CAT Bus service is available from the Sahara station to the downtown
Las Vegas area.
