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Jan. 13, 2008
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ROAD WARRIOR: Monorail extension going nowhere fast

ROAD WARRIOR
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Construction of an overpass over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks at Craig Road, near Interstate 15, is under way. The Nevada Department of Transportation expects the $34 million project to be completed in 2009.

Motorists should watch for lane reductions and work zones.

The right lane on U.S. Highway 95, between Ann Road and Lake Mead Boulevard, may be closed for work from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, the Transportation Department said.

The Las Vegas Public Works Department said road improvements on Fairfield Avenue, between Sahara and Cleveland avenues, and Cincinnati Avenue, between Las Vegas Boulevard and Tam Drive, should be finished on Friday, several weeks later than anticipated. The city had expected the work to be done by Dec. 21.
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The monorail, shown arriving Sept. 20 at the Las Vegas Hilton station, originally was to be a 14-mile rail line extending to the airport.
Photo by John Gurzinski.

Las Vegas Boulevard is at capacity.

There is no room for more automobiles and no more room to expand.

Anyone who has driven on the Strip in the last seven years knows traffic there moves slower than a slug on a buffet line.

Transportation planners in other cities facing similar situations usually turn to mass transit. And about a decade ago Las Vegas did the same, and the Las Vegas Monorail Co. was born. Apparently the folks in charge back then hadn't considered buddy paragliding.

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    • The monorail's short history has been a troubled one: mechanical failures, pieces of the rail line falling from the sky and a route too far from the Strip to be practical for many pedestrians.

    So it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that the $650 million, four-mile rail system that runs behind resorts along the east side of the Strip edged a little bit closer to bankruptcy last week. The company used $2.3 million in cash reserves to meet the more than $19 million in principal and interest due for the bonds issued in 2000 to build the high-tech train.

    The monorail has never made a profit, and for the past few years the company has been using other reserve funds to stay afloat.

    The value of its bonds are in the junk pile. According to Fitch Ratings, a New York City based credit rating firm, the Las Vegas Monorail has enough liquid assets to survive only until 2010.

    That isn't far off.

    So what is going to happen to the monorail and, by extension, at least one partial remedy to Strip gridlock?

    As far as the monorail goes, its future likely depends on whether it gets financing for an extension to McCarran International Airport.

    Originally the monorail was to be a 14-mile rail line that went from McCarran to the downtown casinos. Instead, a 3.9 mile line with seven stops was built, with the assumption that profits from that line would finance an airport extension.

    The past few months has seen ridership numbers go up, Ingrid Reisman, vice president of corporate communications for the Las Vegas Monorail Co., told me. But that won't translate into profits, she said.

    The company's best hope is providing rides to the millions who use McCarran and now take cabs or shuttle buses to the Strip.

    But hope is a four-letter word in this economy.

    The $500 million in financing needed for the airport extension, which the company would also use to refinance their debt, depends on the health of the market.

    Just on Friday, it was announced the profits from Nevada gaming companies were down 14 percent from the same month last year. It was the largest year-to-year decline since 2002. Meanwhile, the pressure on the Strip's bulging lanes isn't letting up.

    The $1.8 billion Palazzo has opened its doors, and more multibillion-dollar resorts are being built on the Strip, including the $7.8 billion CityCenter. That will mean more people wanting to move up and down Las Vegas Boulevard, many of whom will fly into and out of McCarran.

    The Regional Transportation Commission has a number of other current and potential future solutions to relieve the pressure on the resort corridor. They include:

    • Expanding the sleek, trainlike bus service, called ACE, to go from downtown to the Strip. Eventually, the plan is to build a dedicated lane down the center median of Las Vegas Boulevard, but in the meantime the bus line will be mixed in with other traffic. At this point, there is no plan to extend the route to McCarran.

    • Adding more lanes to Interstate 15.

    • Building over- or underpasses at major intersections like Flamingo Road and Tropicana Avenue. This is labor intensive and expensive, but there is a successful example at Desert Inn Road.

    • Changing Las Vegas Boulevard into a one-way street and having Koval Lane and Frank Sinatra Drive serve traffic headed in the opposite direction.

    •Encouraging Strip employees to carpool. During the morning commute, 60 percent of Strip traffic is made up of casino employees. During the afternoon commute, they make up 43 percent of the traffic. It is the easiest and cheapest solution, and tax incentives are already being used to encourage the practice.

    All of those options, including the monorail, could play a part in solving the problem, said Jacob Snow, general manager of the Regional Transportation Commission. He is still hopeful the monorail, which he calls an "essential" service, will be able to expand.

    I don't know if it will, but the clock is ticking.

    If you have a question, tip or tirade, call the Road Warrior at 387-2904, or e-mail him at roadwarrior@reviewjournal.com or fmccabe@reviewjournal.com. Please include your phone number.

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    unknowncabbie wrote on January 19, 2008 09:32 AM: "Half of the traffic is Casino employees."

    Show of hands...how many actually think that reality is not by design?

    See to understand these issues, from the monorail to 50% gridlock from Casino employees all getting off at the same time during rush hour...one has to understand the Casinos have very little motivation (in fact the opposite) in moving anybody to and fro.

    Why make it easy for a slot player to exit your Casino and go elsewhere?

    Why make it affordable to go elsewhere to eat, i.e off-strip? something which costs minimum $30 in a taxi round trip.

    Ever try to do your own laundry while visiting Vegas? oops another $25-$30 taxi ride.

    How about buying normally priced Liquor near the Strip? oops, not going to happen as the Casinos make darn sure that is never allowed.

    Have a yearning to go to a stand alone Nightclub close to the Strip? sorry the Casinos have had all those closed.

    The Monorail is little more than a taxpayer funded scam enriching the pockets of a few County bigwigs. It was never designed o work and that WAS the Plan.


    John wrote on January 15, 2008 08:17 PM: As a frequent visitor to your lovely paradise I looked forward to the monorail. Then they built it--I couldn't believe it was so far off strip. That's when I knew it wouldn't work because it's too far to walk to take it. I get that the casinos want the foot traffic to/from through their joints, but wasn't the purpose for moving people? The Deuce was nice but last time I was down it seemed the frequency wasn't there as when new. I always rent a car anyhow and use Industrial and the other parallel streets which I know most visitors don't do. Regardless, I'm sorry the monorail turned into a boondogle--the idea sounded nice with great potential.


    2zero wrote on January 14, 2008 07:34 AM: Go figure.....bankrupt and still no link to the airport? Jacob Snow Director of "what", before he was in the job of moving people around gridlock las vegas he was the right hand man for Randy Walker the Director of the airport. That is right hand man with that hand down his pants. How many "Walkers" ran the monorail into the ground (while making big bucks)? There were more Walkers at the monorail than mormons at church last sunday. Walkers & Snows all under the guidance of Rogish....this city is so screwed up!


    TimeRanger wrote on January 13, 2008 05:41 PM: The ONLY way a monorail would ease congestion on the Blvd is if it were built right down the middle of it - 2 tracks, one for each direction.


    old rocker wrote on January 13, 2008 01:44 PM: What wasn't reported:

    The airport terminal for the monorail will be in the empty lot on the north side of Tropicana at Paradise.

    The downtown extension will run out of funds at Gass Avenue. The monorail will never pass Gass.


    GOD wrote on January 13, 2008 11:10 AM: Dig a hole and throw piles of money in it -- that's the monorail.

    Build a real subway, monorail, people mover straight down the strip and people WILL use it. Otherwise, keep throwing money away on bad ideas.


    Eric wrote on January 13, 2008 06:45 AM: Since you are new as The Road Warrior I am going to repeat myself. I have lived in this area for about 30 years and have seen the growth happen.I have also seen the action an inaction of our politicans. The monorail was was thought of about 30 years ago and numerous times was pushed aside as not needed, it was to go from downtown,south on Main St. to LV Blvd. and south down the middle of the strip to the area south of Russell Rd. to the old airport terminal. As we all know things have changed and we have had vast growth. Over the pat 20 years when the strip really changed every time the monorail was mentioned all the naysayers put it down as not needed and it would be an eyesore.We do have lots of trees and plants that obstruct your view of oncoming traffic and give the jaywalkers a place to hide when crossing the strip.They have also become a good place to throw trash as they run across the road.Now drive around and see how many signal lights are out of sync with the previous intersection or the next one. There is no easy fix but actions do speak louder that retoric.


    Sid wrote on January 13, 2008 03:55 AM: If the funds can be raised the monorail definitely needs to be extended to the airport. On the strip: Get all the cars off the strip 5PM to Midnight. Allow only Cat buses and Tuk Tuk's. Tuk tuk's are three wheel motorized Taxi's used in Thailand and some other parts of the world. Very fuel efficient and do not require much space, these would make very good strip transportation for tourist and locals alike. You can put four Tuk Tuk's where one car now goes, and do not cost much to operate.