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LVRJ - LV Monorail files for bankruptcy

#1

http://www.lvrj.com/news/lv-monorail-files-for-bankruptcy-81453607.html

<a href="http://www.lvrj.com/news/lv-monorail-files-for-bankruptcy-81453607.html">
http://www.lvrj.com/news/lv-monorail-files-for-bankruptcy-81453607.html</a>

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#2

We've taken the monorail many times in the past. In my opinion, its operation had some key flaws:

1) Location - Most stations require a long walk either to get to or from the monorail. An exception might be at MGM where the station is fairly convenient to the Grand Garden Arena. In most other cases too much schlepping, period.

2) Price - The monorail would have been packed at $3, not at $5.

3) Routing - Ideally, the monorail would have been in the middle of the Strip. Obviously, congestion prevented this path. But few tourists even SEE and are reminded of the monorail unless they're in the pool at Bally's.

4) Precedent - The "old" monorail between Bellagio and Monte Carlo was free.

Finally, the notion that the monorail will eventually run to the airport is absurd. There's realistically no way of financing it. And even if there were, taxis and shuttles would fight the expansion tooth and claw every step of the way.

···

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "vpFREE Administrator" <vpfreeadmin@...> wrote:

http://www.lvrj.com/news/lv-monorail-files-for-bankruptcy-81453607.html

<a href="http://www.lvrj.com/news/lv-monorail-files-for-bankruptcy-81453607.html">
http://www.lvrj.com/news/lv-monorail-files-for-bankruptcy-81453607.html</a>

#3

Monorail location is bad, and without the airport and/or downtown it's mostly useless. I have used it to get back up to Sahara after walking the length of the strip but that is about it. If it went to downtown and the airport it would be worth paying for, but right now it costs too much, is too hard to get too, and doesn't go anywhere.

···

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "mikeymic" <mikeymic@...> wrote:

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "vpFREE Administrator" <vpfreeadmin@> wrote:
>
> http://www.lvrj.com/news/lv-monorail-files-for-bankruptcy-81453607.html
>
> <a href="http://www.lvrj.com/news/lv-monorail-files-for-bankruptcy-81453607.html">
> http://www.lvrj.com/news/lv-monorail-files-for-bankruptcy-81453607.html</a>
>

We've taken the monorail many times in the past. In my opinion, its operation had some key flaws:

1) Location - Most stations require a long walk either to get to or from the monorail. An exception might be at MGM where the station is fairly convenient to the Grand Garden Arena. In most other cases too much schlepping, period.

2) Price - The monorail would have been packed at $3, not at $5.

3) Routing - Ideally, the monorail would have been in the middle of the Strip. Obviously, congestion prevented this path. But few tourists even SEE and are reminded of the monorail unless they're in the pool at Bally's.

4) Precedent - The "old" monorail between Bellagio and Monte Carlo was free.

Finally, the notion that the monorail will eventually run to the airport is absurd. There's realistically no way of financing it. And even if there were, taxis and shuttles would fight the expansion tooth and claw every step of the way.

#4

I completely agree with this post. The monorail will be an ongoing bankruptcy candidate until it links up with downtown and the airport. Unfortunately, this is a situation where you have to dump a TON more money in before you get a viable business model. Plus the political tar pit that is the taxi interest.

I really like the speed and flexibility that the monorail offers. But without downtown and the airport, it's just not worth the money. I'll continue to deal with the Deuce for downtown to strip travel and taxi's for the airport, even though the wait is often massively irritating.

rob

···

________________________________
From: hashpipek <bignasty2001@hotmail.com>
To: vpFREE@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thu, January 14, 2010 4:51:26 PM
Subject: [vpFREE] Re: LVRJ - LV Monorail files for bankruptcy

Monorail location is bad, and without the airport and/or downtown it's mostly useless. I have used it to get back up to Sahara after walking the length of the strip but that is about it. If it went to downtown and the airport it would be worth paying for, but right now it costs too much, is too hard to get too, and doesn't go anywhere.

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "mikeymic" <mikeymic@...> wrote:

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "vpFREE Administrator" <vpfreeadmin@> wrote:
>
> http://www.lvrj.com/news/lv-monorail-files-for-bankruptcy-81453607.html
>
> <a href="http://www.lvrj.com/news/lv-monorail-files-for-bankruptcy-81453607.html">
> http://www.lvrj.com/news/lv-monorail-files-for-bankruptcy-81453607.html</a>
>

We've taken the monorail many times in the past. In my opinion, its operation had some key flaws:

1) Location - Most stations require a long walk either to get to or from the monorail. An exception might be at MGM where the station is fairly convenient to the Grand Garden Arena. In most other cases too much schlepping, period.

2) Price - The monorail would have been packed at $3, not at $5.

3) Routing - Ideally, the monorail would have been in the middle of the Strip. Obviously, congestion prevented this path. But few tourists even SEE and are reminded of the monorail unless they're in the pool at Bally's.

4) Precedent - The "old" monorail between Bellagio and Monte Carlo was free.

Finally, the notion that the monorail will eventually run to the airport is absurd. There's realistically no way of financing it. And even if there were, taxis and shuttles would fight the expansion tooth and claw every step of the way.

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#5

The Monorail is very convenient if you need access to the Hilton and the Convention Center. I have a trip in March where I had been counting on it to get back and forth from the Strip to the Hilton.

It is definitely out of the way if you are on the West side of the Strip, but I find that it isn't really out of the way for a lot of the things I do. If I am trying to get from the Harrah's/Flamingo area to the MGM Grand it is great. The Monorail makes the Sahara a possible choice, too, if I am looking for a cheap room or low limit gaming (the Sahara is too far out of the way otherwise).

Even though cab companies might not be happy about it, I think that extending Monorail access to the airport would be good for Las Vegas in general. Hopefully the LVCVA would be able put some effort behind it, too.

Take Care,
Mark