Monorail rating, ridership go down

Las Vegas Review-Journal ^ | 11 Fev 06 | Omar Sofradzija

[rellimpank]

Bleak outlook puts bond sale at risk

The Las Vegas Monorail had its worst ridership month ever in January, sinking the troubled $650 million rapid transit line's bond rating further into "junk" status Friday.

Ridership slid to just 18,187 daily riders last month -- roughly half of what it was in July -- while Fitch Rating, a credit rating firm, dropped the monorail's rating to "BB," two notches into "junk" territory.

That poor showing imperils plans to extend the monorail to McCarran International Airport, which would rely on a multimillion-dollar bond sale to cover the cost.

[rellimpank]

---for the mass-transit fans out there--

[rellimpank]

--thought you'd be interested--

[Publius6961]

Ah yes, the "public transportation" fanatics... the social manipulators.
Put your future in the hands of high school dropouts.

I will never support mass public transportation for one reason alone. It is legalized extortion. A union can bring a metropolitan area to its knees.

First of all, it makes sense and is efficient and economical only in the rat warrens. The densest cities. Nice places to visit, but I would never live in one.
When, if ever, such a system is built, competently run and maintained, and labor unions banned permanently, I might reconsider.

[Psycho_Bunny]

After 7 or 8 years of on-again, off-again, Seattle finally killed it's Monorail extension project.

Which was the first smart thing I've seen happen in this corrupt, libhole of a city.

I was half tempted to double-check the address on my mail.

[fuquadukie]

Willie would probably be only mildly interested. His main interest is Maglev, a multi-Billion$ boondoggle. According to the article, the Monorail is only a $650M "blip".

[HitmanLV]

The monorail was poorly planned and poorly executed.

The line is only on the East side of the strip, and it hits every other casino. The stations are not easy to get to - you have to go through the casino to get to the stop.

If the monorail did a complete loop around the strip, and also down to the airport, I think more folks would have used it. As it stands, it's a clumsy way to get from one casino to another, and it completely ignores the casinos on the west side of the strip.

[HitmanLV]

The monorail was poorly planned and poorly executed.

The line is only on the East side of the strip, and it hits every other casino. The stations are not easy to get to - you have to go through the casino to get to the stop.

If the monorail did a complete loop around the strip, and also down to the airport, I think more folks would have used it. As it stands, it's a clumsy way to get from one casino to another, and it completely ignores the casinos on the west side of the strip.

[Tribune7]

First of all, it makes sense and is efficient and economical only in the rat warrens.

And the most elaborate systems began as profitable private endeavors before cars.

Get government out of the way and you could still probably make money on mass transit via a private bus system

And you are right about the unions.

[Reaganesque]

Hmph, this didn't happen in East Haverbrook...

[jocon307]

Maybe this thread is a good place to ask for vacation recommendations for Las Vegas. My once and future hubby and I are planning to go there next month to be remarried and would appreciate any advice regarding places to stay, places to eat, which shows are good, etc. Hubby wants to stay in a hotel with a casino, and I want there to be a pool, those are pretty much the only requirements, oh yes, and room price not to exceed $125.00 a night.

Thanks in advance for any tips provided!

[Oztrich Boy]

Well, sir, there's nothing on earth
Like a genuine,
Bona fide,
Electrified,
Six-car
Monorail!
What'd I say?

Monorail!

(Shoulda took notice of what happened in North Haverbrook)

[rellimpank]

--here's the place to start--


--http://www.lasvegastourism.com/

[Balding_Eagle]

The monorail was poorly planned and poorly executed.

Of course. If there was a good reason to build one it would be done by private interests.

ALL public projects are poorly planned and executed.

[rellimpank]

--you can say that again--

I used to work on the Excalibur-Luxor-Mandalay Bay tram (private and free) and those criticisms were exactly ours from the get-go--the monorail really doesn't get anybody where they want to be--

[Willie Green]

The Las Vegas Monorail is a PRIVATE, non-profit company that was built WITHOUT public funding.
The current 4-mile system serves as a shuttle between casinos in a densely developed resort corridor.
Extending the line to McCarran International Airport will increase ridership dramaticly.

[Lorianne]

Wait until summer. Ridership will be high when it's 110 in the shade.

People walk more when it's cool outside.

I was there in May and it was 100+ every day. I didn't dare walk out in that heat and sun for fear of heatstroke. The monorail was packed.

[Willie Green]

Of course. If there was a good reason to build one it would be done by private interests.
ALL public projects are poorly planned and executed.

The LV Monorail is not a public project.
It WAS planned, financed and built by private interests.

[weave09]

Or Ogdenville

[rellimpank]

---however, our esteemed senior senator has been trying to lay the groundwork for a taxpayer-funded extension (which will end up being a takeover) from Day One--

[Reeses]

you could still probably make money on mass transit via a private bus system

Where I live the bus fares cover less than 20% of the operating costs. The rest comes from real estate property taxes and tolls and gas taxes collected from automobile drivers. If they charged the true cost plus a small profit no one would ride because the price would be ridiculous. That said, buses are much cheaper, more flexible, and more reliable than trains. A door that fails to close on a bus does not shut down the whole bus system. Unlike trains, bus transportation systems fail gracefully.