Negotiations OK’d for monorail system

Diana Sahagun

Thursday, July 19, 2001 | 10:44 a.m.

The city is moving ahead with plans for a monorail system that would connect Sahara Avenue with downtown and lure tourists to the struggling area, officials say.

The City Council on Wednesday directed staff members to begin negotiating with Transit Systems Development, Inc. to draft a franchise agreement that would define the objectives and requirements related to the project, expected to cost about $100 million per mile.

Transit Systems Development is a local partnership involving former Clark County Commissioner Bob Broadbent, and Cam Walker. Broadbent and Walker were lead consultants in the resort corridor monorail system under construction on the Strip in Clark County.

The proposed two-mile downtown leg of the monorail would extend from Sahara Avenue to downtown with stops on Charleston Boulevard, Bonneville Avenue and Fremont Street. City officials hope the monorail will bring tourists downtown, as well as help with air quality and traffic congestion.

"I think this is critically important to the future of downtown and the city," City Councilman Larry Brown said.

Ground was broken last year for a privately-funded monorail system in Clark County. The system will extend along the resort corridor from the MGM Grand hotel-casino to the Sahara. The project was entirely funded by casino companies, which footed the entire $650 million bill through tax-free state bonds.

Walker said the downtown arm of the monorail will likely require local and federal funding.

The Regional Transportation Commission is working to secure federal funding for the project with the help of U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat.

Walker could not say whether the city would be asked to contribute financially, although it will have to carve out right-of-ways and relocate utilities to help make room for the trams, he said.

The city's franchise agreement, like the county's, will include site plans, use permits and other information, which company officials will present to potential investors.

After the franchise agreement is approved by the City Council -- which is expected to take 30 to 45 days -- Walker said he would take the message to the private sector in an attempt to secure funding.

By the time the resort corridor monorail is built -- in 2004 -- Walker hopes funding will be in place to connect the station at the Sahara to downtown Las Vegas. He said the downtown connection could be completed by 2006.

Ingrid Yokum, a spokeswoman with the RTC, said the most important component of the project will be ensuring a smooth connection with the existing monorail.