Monorail wins approval despite protests

Thursday, Dec. 3, 1998 | 9:23 a.m.

The four-mile, $350 million elevated train was called a vital step toward solving the city's transportation woes by the private consortium putting it together, and Clark County commissioners agreed on a 6-1 vote.

"We think a monorail is absolutely essential for the future of this community," Commissioner Bruce Woodbury said of the project, which could be completed by mid-2002. "As tough as it is to do, we need to move forward with this project."

After more than four hours of debate, the commission voted to grant a franchise agreement to the MGM-Bally's (Hilton) Monorail Limited Liability Co. to build the train. The monorail would run from the MGM Grand to the Las Vegas Hilton or possibly the Sahara.

The vote came despite angry comments from some homeowners, whose request for a delay was denied.

Residents of the Desert Inn Estates complained that their homes would be severely devalued by the monorail. They said it would be noisy and that riders would overlook their neighborhood.

"There are homes that will be directly affected by this," said attorney Laura Fitzsimmons, who promised a lawsuit on behalf of the homeowners.

While Wednesday's decision marked the biggest procedural hurdle for the proposed monorail, the monorail is still far from being built. The nonprofit corporation has secured preliminary financial backing from Solomon Smith Barney, but it has yet to sew up funding for the system. The monorail corporation plans to sell tax-exempt bonds through the state of Nevada.

The group had planned to sell bonds through the county, but officials worried that doing so could leave taxpayers on the hook if the system fails. Those worries evaporated when the hotel group agreed to several provisions in the 50-year franchise agreement.

The group also must complete a study showing how the monorail would affect traffic. Proponents say the system will reduce congestion on Las Vegas Boulevard. But critics claim the monorail, which will run mostly in the middle of public roads, could further impede traffic flow.

Another outstanding issue is how the private monorail would interface with a proposed public fixed-guideway system.

The system, which will be 20 to 35 feet high in most places and travel at a top speed of 50 mph, would be an extension of the monorail between the O.8-mile train between MGM and Bally's. There would be stations at the Flamingo Hilton, Harrah's and Imperial Palace, the Hughes Center near Paradise Road and Sands Avenue, and the Las Vegas Hilton. Terminals might also be built at the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Sahara.