Las Vegas Monorail
Encyclopedia
The Las Vegas Monorail is a 3.9 miles (6.3 km) monorail
mass transit system located on the Las Vegas Strip
, in Clark County, Nevada
, United States
. It connects the unincorporated communities of Paradise
and Winchester
, and does not actually enter the City of Las Vegas
. It is owned and operated by the Las Vegas Monorail Company. For tax purposes, the Monorail is registered as a not-for-profit corporation, which is allowed under Nevada law since the Monorail provides a public service. The state of Nevada assisted in bond financing, but otherwise no public money was used in construction; citizens may eventually have to pay taxes that fund the monorail.
upon an existing free monorail that ran between the MGM Grand
and Bally's
, closing a long gap in the Strip that tourists usually had to travel on foot.
After many delays, the finished Las Vegas Monorail opened to the public on July 15, 2004 with the completion and testing of "Phase 1."
During testing and commissioning, the monorail suffered several malfunctions that delayed the start of passenger service for almost a year. The most serious of these problems related to parts falling from the monorail to the ground under the tracks.
On September 8, 2004, more problems with falling parts led to the closing of the monorail for nearly four months. It reopened on December 24, 2004. A number of repairs were made to the monorail cars during this shutdown. Each time the monorail system requires major engineering changes, it must undergo a lengthy "commissioning" process to confirm the effectiveness and safety of the repairs. The local press reported that each day the monorail was down cost the system approximately $85,000, and that over $8.3 million was lost as a result of this one shutdown.
Transit Systems Management officials cited the good handling of crowds during the Consumer Electronics Show
in January 2005 as proof that the system can handle a major convention.
On February 2, 2005, the monorail system had to be shut down again due to problems with the electrical system. Reportedly, a short circuit required replacement of a 30 feet (9.1 m) section of the power rail. The system reopened about 12 hours later.
July 2005 set a record for ridership for the monorail, with over one million passengers. BankWest debuted a red "MoneyRail" branded train, and joined Nextel Communications (now a part of Sprint Nextel Corporation), Hansens Beverage, and Paramount Studios
(with a Star Trek
themed train) 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. Curtis Myles, a former deputy general manager of the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
, became President of the Las Vegas Monorail Company. He assumed his duties on July 18.
Expansion plans took a step forward on November 1, 2005, when the County Commission approved a study into the feasibility of an airport extension.
On June 6, 2006, it was announced by the Las Vegas Monorail Corporation that Las Vegas Monorail revenues rose nearly 16 percent from the previous year, to $3,250,565 in April 2006. Likewise, ridership had also increased, from 563,823 riders in January 2006 to 704,527 in April 2006. New ticket distribution and marketing efforts had been implemented to continue the trend, including a ticket brokerage program that provided convention attendees with monorail tickets in advance and a national public relations program.
On January 13, 2010, the Las Vegas Monorail filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection. The filing will not affect system operations and will have no impact on the Monorail’s hours of operation or service to its customers.
On March 11, 2011, the Sahara Hotel and Casino announced that it would close its doors May 16, 2011. The closure is significant for the monorail as the Sahara is connected to the monorail's northern terminus at the Sahara Station
. The station, however, is also accessible from street-level. On the same day of the Sahara's announcement, the Las Vegas Monorail Company announced that the Sahara Station would remain open after the closure of the Sahara.
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. The monorail passes next to the Convention Center
and the Las Vegas Hilton
, both with stations, before ending at the Sahara Hotel at the north end of the Strip. The ride takes about fifteen minutes to travel its total distance of 3.9 miles (6.3 km).
The monorail generally runs behind the eastern Strip side hotels and casinos, a long block away from the Strip. Usually, it requires a walk through a casino to get to the Strip, emerging upon the Strip in front of the property. This lack of a direct presence on the Strip along with criticized ticket prices has been a factor in the rather slow acceptance of the monorail.
The proposed New Las Vegas Arena
, to be built behind Bally's and Paris Las Vegas, could be accessed from the existing Bally's station.
mayor, Clark County
commissioner, assistant secretary of the United States Department of the Interior
, and McCarran International Airport
director, died in 2003, a few months before the system's scheduled opening. The Las Vegas Monorail Company is the company's official corporate name.
The Las Vegas Monorail generates revenue not only from ticketed passengers, but also from corporate sponsors. Branding rights for the seven stations and the nine 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. However, in late February 2008, the Sprint Nextel Corporation terminated their sponsorship contract.
The Las Vegas Monorail vehicles and signals systems were developed by Bombardier Transportation
. The technology for the monorail vehicles came directly from the well-tested monorail systems running in Walt Disney World. Bombardier constructed Mark VI Monorail
trains both for the Walt Disney World Monorail System
and for Las Vegas.
Stations listed from north to south:
" track standard; for the first seven years, the line only ran as the MGM Shuttle, between MGM and Bally's stations. During this time, two ex-Walt Disney World Mark IV monorail
trains were used. Though the Las Vegas and related train equipment appear superficially similar to the original ALWEG design (as exemplified by the Seattle system), their suspension and propulsion systems differ substantially. A Seattle train may be walked end-to-end which is impossible on a Las Vegas or Florida train. The ALWEG Mark VI system used in Las Vegas Monorail consists of two inline large truck tires per car that support the load over the concrete guideway with a rectangular cross section and eight guide tires that straddle the guideway from both sides. The total capacity of the four-car trains is roughly equivalent to two articulated bus
es at 80 seated and 160 standing passengers. The maximum speed is 50 miles per hour (22.4 m/s); although, it's only reached in a short straight segment of the line.
All trains in the system have available advertising and branding opportunities. By selling advertising and branding rights for the trains, the system earns additional revenue.
$5.00 Single Ride: Good for one person for one entry/ride.
$12.00 Unlimited Day Pass: Good for unlimited travel for one person for a consecutive 24-hour period during operational hours. The 24-hour clock begins and the expiration date and time are stamped on the ticket with first use at the fare gates.
$28.00 Unlimited Three-Day Pass: Good for unlimited travel for one person for a consecutive 72-hour period during operational hours. The 72-hour clock begins and the expiration date and time are stamped on the ticket with first use at the fare gates.
Purchase prices are online prices. Prices at Monorail Stations may differ. Additionally, Nevada residents may purchase up to two single-ride tickets per day for a discounted price of $1.00 each; these are available only from the customer service booths located at the Sahara and MGM Grand stations.
7:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. Friday to Sunday
, Charleston Boulevard, Bonneville Avenue and Main Street Station. Construction was planned to begin in 2005 with service starting in 2008. However, the anticipated funding from the federal government was not allocated in 2004, so the plans were put on hold. On January 27, 2005, the federal government announced that it would not provide money for the $400 million project.
The original plan was to open the system in January 2004, and for it to cover its debts and operating expenses by attracting 19 to 20 million riders. Since the system was not only delayed in opening, but later shut down for four 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.
. Providing monorail service to the airport has been an unpopular idea with limousine
and taxicab
operators in the city, as trips to and from the airport form a major portion of their business. Several hotel and casino owners on the Strip continue to support the project, and are more supportive of an extension to the airport than one to downtown Las Vegas.
On December 7, 2006, Clark County commissioners granted permission for the proposed extension to McCarran Airport. Funding had not yet been identified.
On September 9, 2008, the monorail company provided details of the proposed expansion to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors' Authority board members. The intended airport extension would begin at a new Terminal 3, with the first stop near Terminal 1, turn north on Swenson Street, then continue west on Tropicana Avenue
before turning north at Koval Lane to meet up with the existing system behind the MGM Grand. This route is proposed to be built with private funds. This would add approximately four miles to the existing route, doubling the length of the system.
When the monorail company first announced details of the extension in September of 2008, the airport extension was to be built with private funds and was expected to be built by 2012. However, as of March 2011, the Las Vegas Monorail Company was still in the planning phases of the proposed extension to McCarran International Airport, and the funding sources were in doubt.
Monorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
mass transit system located on the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
, in Clark County, Nevada
Clark County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It connects the unincorporated communities of Paradise
Paradise, Nevada
Paradise is an unincorporated town in the Las Vegas metropolitan area in Clark County, Nevada, United States. The population was 223,167 at the 2010 census...
and Winchester
Winchester, Nevada
Winchester is a census-designated place in Clark County, Nevada, United States that contains part of the Las Vegas Strip. It is one of a number of CDPs in the unincorporated urbanized area directly south of Las Vegas. The population was 26,958 at the 2000 census. It is governed by the Clark County...
, and does not actually enter the City of Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. It is owned and operated by the Las Vegas Monorail Company. For tax purposes, the Monorail is registered as a not-for-profit corporation, which is allowed under Nevada law since the Monorail provides a public service. The state of Nevada assisted in bond financing, but otherwise no public money was used in construction; citizens may eventually have to pay taxes that fund the monorail.
History
The Las Vegas Monorail project was built by Bombardier TransportationBombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
upon an existing free monorail that ran between the MGM Grand
MGM Grand (LV Monorail station)
MGM Grand is a station on the Las Vegas Monorail. The station is currently the southern-most on the Las Vegas Monorail's route.-Nearby Hotels:*MGM Grand*New York-New York Hotel & Casino*Tropicana Resort & Casino*Excalibur Hotel and Casino...
and Bally's
Bally's / Paris Las Vegas (LV Monorail station)
Bally's / Paris Las Vegas is a station on the Las Vegas Monorail. The station is an island platform located at Bally's and the Paris Las Vegas hotels. Bally's / Paris Las Vegas Station is located behind the two hotels.-Nearby Hotels:*Planet Hollywood...
, closing a long gap in the Strip that tourists usually had to travel on foot.
After many delays, the finished Las Vegas Monorail opened to the public on July 15, 2004 with the completion and testing of "Phase 1."
During testing and commissioning, the monorail suffered several malfunctions that delayed the start of passenger service for almost a year. The most serious of these problems related to parts falling from the monorail to the ground under the tracks.
On September 8, 2004, more problems with falling parts led to the closing of the monorail for nearly four months. It reopened on December 24, 2004. A number of repairs were made to the monorail cars during this shutdown. Each time the monorail system requires major engineering changes, it must undergo a lengthy "commissioning" process to confirm the effectiveness and safety of the repairs. The local press reported that each day the monorail was down cost the system approximately $85,000, and that over $8.3 million was lost as a result of this one shutdown.
Transit Systems Management officials cited the good handling of crowds during the Consumer Electronics Show
Consumer Electronics Show
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...
in January 2005 as proof that the system can handle a major convention.
On February 2, 2005, the monorail system had to be shut down again due to problems with the electrical system. Reportedly, a short circuit required replacement of a 30 feet (9.1 m) section of the power rail. The system reopened about 12 hours later.
July 2005 set a record for ridership for the monorail, with over one million passengers. BankWest debuted a red "MoneyRail" branded train, and joined Nextel Communications (now a part of Sprint Nextel Corporation), Hansens Beverage, and Paramount Studios
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
(with a Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
themed train) 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. Curtis Myles, a former deputy general manager of the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada is both the transit authority and the transportation-planning agency for Southern Nevada...
, became President of the Las Vegas Monorail Company. He assumed his duties on July 18.
Expansion plans took a step forward on November 1, 2005, when the County Commission approved a study into the feasibility of an airport extension.
On June 6, 2006, it was announced by the Las Vegas Monorail Corporation that Las Vegas Monorail revenues rose nearly 16 percent from the previous year, to $3,250,565 in April 2006. Likewise, ridership had also increased, from 563,823 riders in January 2006 to 704,527 in April 2006. New ticket distribution and marketing efforts had been implemented to continue the trend, including a ticket brokerage program that provided convention attendees with monorail tickets in advance and a national public relations program.
On January 13, 2010, the Las Vegas Monorail filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection. The filing will not affect system operations and will have no impact on the Monorail’s hours of operation or service to its customers.
On March 11, 2011, the Sahara Hotel and Casino announced that it would close its doors May 16, 2011. The closure is significant for the monorail as the Sahara is connected to the monorail's northern terminus at the Sahara Station
Sahara (LV Monorail station)
Sahara is a station on the Las Vegas Monorail, in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. The station is a side platform located at the Sahara Hotel and Casino. The Sahara Station could be reached in two ways: from inside the hotel via a hallway located behind the Casbar Theatre Lounge or from street...
. The station, however, is also accessible from street-level. On the same day of the Sahara's announcement, the Las Vegas Monorail Company announced that the Sahara Station would remain open after the closure of the Sahara.
Operations
Monorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
(Phase 1 of the overall project) begins at the MGM Grand Hotel
MGM Grand Las Vegas
The MGM Grand Las Vegas is a hotel casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The MGM Grand is the third largest hotel in the world and largest hotel resort complex in the United States in front of The Venetian. The MGM Grand was the largest hotel in the world when it opened in...
near the south end of The Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
, and runs roughly parallel to the Strip on its eastern side. The monorail passes next to the Convention Center
Las Vegas Convention Center
The Las Vegas Convention Center is owned and operated by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in Las Vegas, Nevada....
and the Las Vegas Hilton
Las Vegas Hilton
The Las Vegas Hilton is a hotel, casino, and convention center in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a joint venture between Colony Capital, which owns 60 percent, and New York City-based REIT Whitehall Street Real Estate Funds, which owns the remaining 40 percent...
, both with stations, before ending at the Sahara Hotel at the north end of the Strip. The ride takes about fifteen minutes to travel its total distance of 3.9 miles (6.3 km).
The monorail generally runs behind the eastern Strip side hotels and casinos, a long block away from the Strip. Usually, it requires a walk through a casino to get to the Strip, emerging upon the Strip in front of the property. This lack of a direct presence on the Strip along with criticized ticket prices has been a factor in the rather slow acceptance of the monorail.
The proposed New Las Vegas Arena
New Las Vegas Arena
The New Las Vegas Arena is a description of a 20,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States that is currently in the planning stages. It originally had a planned opening date in 2010...
, to be built behind Bally's and Paris Las Vegas, could be accessed from the existing Bally's station.
System name and sponsorship
The Las Vegas Monorail was named the Robert N. Broadbent Las Vegas Monorail in honor of 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 CityBoulder City, Nevada
Boulder City is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It is approximately from the City of Las Vegas. As of the 2010 census the population of Boulder City was 15,023.Boulder City is one of only two cities in Nevada that prohibit gambling....
mayor, Clark County
Clark County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race...
commissioner, assistant secretary of the United States Department of the Interior
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
, and McCarran International Airport
McCarran International Airport
McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located five miles south of the central business district of Las Vegas, in the unincorporated area of Paradise in Clark County. It covers an area of and...
director, died in 2003, a few months before the system's scheduled opening. The Las Vegas Monorail Company is the company's official corporate name.
The Las Vegas Monorail generates revenue not only from ticketed passengers, but also from corporate sponsors. Branding rights for the seven stations and the nine trains are available, and the sponsorship prices are in the millions. Hansens Beverage sponsored the first monorail train, featuring its Monster Energy
Monster Energy
-Distribution :Though it is not widely advertised in the media, Monster receives a large amount of recognition from its sponsorship of various sporting events, including motocross and car racing. Hansen Natural Corporation announced a distribution agreement with Anheuser-Busch in the U.S. and Grupo...
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. However, in late February 2008, the Sprint Nextel Corporation terminated their sponsorship contract.
Construction and planning
The Las Vegas Monorail was designed by Gensler of Nevada, engineered by Las Vegas based Carter & Burgess (now Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.) and constructed by Granite Construction, Inc. of California, one of the largest civil contractors in the United States.The Las Vegas Monorail vehicles and signals systems were developed by Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
. The technology for the monorail vehicles came directly from the well-tested monorail systems running in Walt Disney World. Bombardier constructed Mark VI Monorail
Mark VI monorail
The Mark VI monorail is a monorail train used in the Walt Disney World Monorail System and the Las Vegas Monorail. The Mark VI started replacing the Mark IV monorails at Walt Disney World in 1989, replacing the final Mark IV by 1991...
trains both for the Walt Disney World Monorail System
Walt Disney World Monorail System
The Walt Disney World Monorail System is a public transit system in operation at the Walt Disney World Resort.The Walt Disney World Resort currently operates twelve Mark VI monorail trains on three lines of service. The monorail system opened in 1971 with two routes and with Mark IV monorail trains...
and for Las Vegas.
Stations
- Sahara StationSahara (LV Monorail station)Sahara is a station on the Las Vegas Monorail, in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. The station is a side platform located at the Sahara Hotel and Casino. The Sahara Station could be reached in two ways: from inside the hotel via a hallway located behind the Casbar Theatre Lounge or from street...
- Las Vegas Hilton StationLas Vegas Hilton (LV Monorail station)Las Vegas Hilton is a station on the Las Vegas Monorail. The station is a island platform located at the Las Vegas Hilton. The Las Vegas Hilton Station is located near the main entrance of the property. The station can be reached through the SpaceQuest Casino in the front of the hotel. It is the...
- Las Vegas Convention Center StationLas Vegas Convention Center (LV Monorail station)Las Vegas Convention Center is a station on the Las Vegas Monorail. The station is a island platform located at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Las Vegas Convention Center Station is located just east of the intersection of Paradise Road and Desert Inn Road...
- Harrah's / Imperial Palace StationHarrah's / Imperial Palace (LV Monorail station)Harrah's / Imperial Palace is a station on the Las Vegas Monorail. The station is a island platform located at the Harrah's and Imperial Palace hotels. Harrah's / Imperial Palace Station is located on the east side of Las Vegas Boulevard between the two hotels...
- Flamingo / Caesars Palace StationFlamingo/Caesars Palace (LV Monorail station)Flamingo / Caesars Palace is a station on the Las Vegas Monorail. The station is a island platform located at Caesars and the Flamingo hotels. Flamingo / Caesars Palace Station is located on the Flamingo side of Las Vegas Boulevard, across from Caesars....
- Bally's / Paris Las Vegas StationBally's / Paris Las Vegas (LV Monorail station)Bally's / Paris Las Vegas is a station on the Las Vegas Monorail. The station is an island platform located at Bally's and the Paris Las Vegas hotels. Bally's / Paris Las Vegas Station is located behind the two hotels.-Nearby Hotels:*Planet Hollywood...
- MGM Grand StationMGM Grand (LV Monorail station)MGM Grand is a station on the Las Vegas Monorail. The station is currently the southern-most on the Las Vegas Monorail's route.-Nearby Hotels:*MGM Grand*New York-New York Hotel & Casino*Tropicana Resort & Casino*Excalibur Hotel and Casino...
Trains
The monorail uses nine Bombardier MVI trains that have four cars in each of the fully automatic trains. The guideway is built to the "ALWEGALWEG
Alweg was a transportation company known for pioneering straddle-beam monorails.-History:Alweg was founded by Swedish industrial magnate Dr. Axel Lennart Wenner-Gren in January 1953 as Alweg-Forschung, GmbH , based in Fühlingen, Germany, a suburb of Cologne...
" track standard; for the first seven years, the line only ran as the MGM Shuttle, between MGM and Bally's stations. During this time, two ex-Walt Disney World Mark IV monorail
Mark IV monorail
The Mark IV monorail is a design model of monorail trains. The design was developed by Bob Gurr. Ten were built by Martin Marietta in 1969 at the cost of about six million USD each and they were used on the Walt Disney World Monorail System between 1971 and 1989 before they were replaced by the...
trains were used. Though the Las Vegas and related train equipment appear superficially similar to the original ALWEG design (as exemplified by the Seattle system), their suspension and propulsion systems differ substantially. A Seattle train may be walked end-to-end which is impossible on a Las Vegas or Florida train. The ALWEG Mark VI system used in Las Vegas Monorail consists of two inline large truck tires per car that support the load over the concrete guideway with a rectangular cross section and eight guide tires that straddle the guideway from both sides. The total capacity of the four-car trains is roughly equivalent to two articulated bus
Articulated bus
An articulated bus is an articulated vehicle used in public transportation. It is usually a single-deck design, and comprises two rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint...
es at 80 seated and 160 standing passengers. The maximum speed is 50 miles per hour (22.4 m/s); although, it's only reached in a short straight segment of the line.
All trains in the system have available advertising and branding opportunities. By selling advertising and branding rights for the trains, the system earns additional revenue.
Tickets
$12.00 Unlimited Day Pass: Good for unlimited travel for one person for a consecutive 24-hour period during operational hours. The 24-hour clock begins and the expiration date and time are stamped on the ticket with first use at the fare gates.
$28.00 Unlimited Three-Day Pass: Good for unlimited travel for one person for a consecutive 72-hour period during operational hours. The 72-hour clock begins and the expiration date and time are stamped on the ticket with first use at the fare gates.
Purchase prices are online prices. Prices at Monorail Stations may differ. Additionally, Nevada residents may purchase up to two single-ride tickets per day for a discounted price of $1.00 each; these are available only from the customer service booths located at the Sahara and MGM Grand stations.
Hours of operation
7:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. Monday to Thursday7:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. Friday to Sunday
Original Phase 2 to Downtown Las Vegas
Phase 2, a 2.3 miles (3.7 km) long extension along Main Street to Downtown Las Vegas was planned, with new stations at the Stratosphere HotelStratosphere Las Vegas
Stratosphere Las Vegas is a tower, hotel, and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Its tower is also the tallest observation tower, and the 5th-tallest structure, in the United States, as well as being the tallest structure in Las Vegas.It is owned by Whitehall...
, Charleston Boulevard, Bonneville Avenue and Main Street Station. Construction was planned to begin in 2005 with service starting in 2008. However, the anticipated funding from the federal government was not allocated in 2004, so the plans were put on hold. On January 27, 2005, the federal government announced that it would not provide money for the $400 million project.
Current Phase 2 to McCarran International Airport
Phase 2 was revised to instead extend the monorail system in the opposite direction, south from the MGM Grand Station to McCarran International AirportMcCarran International Airport
McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located five miles south of the central business district of Las Vegas, in the unincorporated area of Paradise in Clark County. It covers an area of and...
. Providing monorail service to the airport has been an unpopular idea with limousine
Limousine
A limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
and taxicab
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
operators in the city, as trips to and from the airport form a major portion of their business. Several hotel and casino owners on the Strip continue to support the project, and are more supportive of an extension to the airport than one to downtown Las Vegas.
On December 7, 2006, Clark County commissioners granted permission for the proposed extension to McCarran Airport. Funding had not yet been identified.
On September 9, 2008, the monorail company provided details of the proposed expansion to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors' Authority board members. The intended airport extension would begin at a new Terminal 3, with the first stop near Terminal 1, turn north on Swenson Street, then continue west on Tropicana Avenue
Tropicana Avenue
Tropicana Avenue is a major east–west section line arterial in the Las Vegas area. The road is named after the Tropicana Resort & Casino which is located on the Las Vegas Boulevard where it intersects with Tropicana Avenue. Part of it is signed as Nevada State Route 593.-Route description:SR...
before turning north at Koval Lane to meet up with the existing system behind the MGM Grand. This route is proposed to be built with private funds. This would add approximately four miles to the existing route, doubling the length of the system.
When the monorail company first announced details of the extension in September of 2008, the airport extension was to be built with private funds and was expected to be built by 2012. However, as of March 2011, the Las Vegas Monorail Company was still in the planning phases of the proposed extension to McCarran International Airport, and the funding sources were in doubt.
