Is the monorail making money yet ?

[slugr]

Is it working all the time now or still not going good ? I rode it once last spring? It was ok. I may use it again but it's to far off strip I think.

[Vegas Vic]

We always have a car so the monorail is not very usefull. Way too far to walk to the darn thing.

It should have been right down the strip....like it would be an attraction all by itself plus you would see the lights and the people as you flew by...

It is still running but not yet making the dollars they expected...

[sonntex]

We rode it once; last Christmas when it was free.

If we are down the strip and want to go from some place like Paris to Harrah's, we just walk.

I agree. It would have been neat if it had been on the strip so you could see something worth looking at. Viewing all those back alleys and parking garages it not very VEGAS.

[Strip Rat]

Vegas Vic,

I agree.

They Blew it

I have always said (even in the planning stages) it should have went right down the center of the Strip.

They could have elevated it above most of the palms trees going down the middle and just had the stations where the pedstrian bridges already are.

Then you could ride the escalator down from the elevated rail.

It was too obvious to me.

[mturner]

i can't imagine that it won't make money as it is usually busy whenever i use it. you can get a day pass for 10 dollars or 3 for each trip. I like it alot! Being a LV Hilton fan... it is a nice and much cheaper mode of transportation whether i am staying there or want to go there. eventually, it will go downtown i think. that will be nice.

be glad when they connect the west side tho! i assume they will try and connect the 3 that are in use now.

[GREGRIO]

It serves no purpose for me...haven't even ridden it out of curiousity.

[iam4nd]

We love it. We've been staying at the Sahara lately so with the ten ride for $20 ticket it costs us $8 roundtrip to go to MGM or NYNY to see a show. We like not having to worry about how much we drink so renting a car normally doesn't enter into our plans. We also enjoy walking so the distance to the entrances is not a problem.

[cindyinnj]

I used the monorail a few years ago, when it was free. I had my aunt with me who was in a wheelchair, so it was worth it then, but now I have no use for it. Way too far to walk to it. I agree...it should have been built along the strip with entrances and exits at each bridge. The walk to the monorail from Bally's/Paris is almost just as long as walking the strip! Well, I'm exagerating, but it's pretty far!

I cab it everywhere. I save for cabs six mos. before I come to LV by putting change in a large water bottle. I usually end up with $500, which is used for cabs, tips and some meals! Works out well!

[smmoo]

cindyinnj-I think there is a misunderstanding. The monorail that this thread is about is the one that just opened in July of 2004. It is the one that goes from MGM to the Saraha and costs money to ride, I think $3 a ticket. You rode the free monorail that has a station in Bally's, I don't think they connect anywhere. We always rent a car so we have not tried the new monorail yet, but we have taken advantage of the free ones in the past. :)

[mturner]

the only free ones now are on the west side of the strip and they go from one hotel to another hotel only. TI to Mirage... Bellagio to Monte Carlo ( which has newly reopened ) and the Excaliber to Luxor to Mandalay Bay.

I use them all-- free or not. i do enuff walking.

[Strip Rat]

the only free ones now are on the west side of the strip and they go from one hotel to another hotel only. TI to Mirage... Bellagio to Monte Carlo ( which has newly reopened ) and the Excaliber to Luxor to Mandalay Bay.

My guess is they will connect these three existing routes.

So, do they use Bombadier again as the builder and use the same type trains and track so they can connect at the ends with the current monorail on the east side of the strip (for a loop)?

Or, do they go their own direction and use a diffrent system/manufacturer altogether?

I think MGM owns the three existing routes on the West side of the strip (and pretty much everything else on the west side of the strip).

They could build thir own "closed" system that runs to their properties only.

This could get interesting.

[CeeJayRocker]

That's possible, but I think they understand the impact public money would have on their project. . . . The issue is that the monorail has to cross the Strip to get to the existing trams from the Excalibur south, and that, my friends, will be some tall cotton to crap in . . . . .

[batteryman]

I read somewhere the total plan will not only connect the Sahara to downtown but also extend it from MGM to the airport. This may be nice for the east side hotels, but people coming from the airport aren't going to haul luggage from the east side stops to the west side hotels.

[slugr]

I'm not sure I would want to haul my bags from the station to the check in now. That would be a long walk the way it's set up now and I see no way to change it. Having bell hops out there would cost way to much.

[wildpitcher]

I read somewhere that the Hotel San Remo (the one becoming Hooters) is closer to the MGM Monorail stop than the MGM casino. That says it's a pretty long walk from the strip side, boy-howdy.

I tend to rent a car when I'm in Vegas. That way I can go whereever I want whenever I want. I like to make a trip to the Palms and Orleans and another downtown. Add up all the cab fares for that + cabs to/from airport + monorail fares daily for two and it's not much more to rent a car.

Also, the monorail quits running early, doesn't it? Around 2am?

[Vegas Queen]

We took the monorail for the first time in August. It is the best thing to hit Vegas, it's clean, convient and it saves your feet. We stayed at the Flamingo and very rarely get down to the Hilton or the Sahara, this time we bought a 10 ride pass and took it 5 times...great way to hotel jump. A 10 ride cost us $20.00 no big deal thats 5 min. on a slot machine. Give it a try and I'm sure you'll use it often

[hchafee]

I love the monorail. I'm in a wheelchair and waiting for a wheelchair cab takes forever and costs a fortune! It's really easy to use and totally accessible. I love being able to get from the LV Hilton to MGM in 10 minutes. Walking down the Strip is hard to do with driveways and streets every few feet. I'd much rather walk to the back of the casino to catch the monorail and it's a lot cooler!;)

[VegasDMW]

It seems as though the monorail is doing OK, but still needs a bit of a boost in ridership and advertising to meet its obligations.

I have not had the opportunity to ride, but it sure has to beat the heck out of a cab ride down the strip. To go 100 yards on the strip when it's busy might take 15 minutes and cost $10.

The story is here. (http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Oct-20-Thu-2005/news/3895405.html)

[vu-doo]

I think the final plans for the monorail is to go from the airport to downtown. if they decide to do it.