Monorail funds wait for OK

Benjamin Grove

Thursday, Feb. 6, 2003 | 9:57 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- President Bush included $40 million for the Las Vegas monorail in the federal budget he unveiled this week. Now it's up to Congress to approve it.

The grant money would be used for the second phase of the project, which would ultimately construct a 2.3-mile route extension north from Sahara to downtown, as well as an eight-tenths of a mile spur to the Las Vegas Hilton.

The first 3.6-mile phase of the project from the MGM Grand to the Sahara is being constructed with about $650 million in private investor money.

The Regional Transportation Commission hopes Congress eventually will pay $158 million, about one-third, for the $450-million second phase. The balance would be paid by federal loans and bonds.

Project backers say up to 20 million casino employees and tourists will use the monorail in its first year, which they say will ease traffic congestion on the Strip. The first phase is scheduled to open in January 2004.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., has vowed to help Nevada secure the $40 million congressional down payment on the second phase from his seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Nevada also has two members on the House Transportation Committee, and both Reps. Jon Porter, R-Nev., and Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., vowed to fight for the money. Porter in a conversation this week lobbied panel chairman Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, for his support.

"We need this project," Porter said. "It's good for Nevada."

RTC general manager Jacob Snow has joined Nevada's lawmakers in lobbying the U.S. Department of Transportation to include the $40 million in this year's budget request. Federal departments submit their budgets to the White House, so the monorail money ended up in the $2.2 trillion national budget Bush sent to Congress this week.

In the last year and half, Snow has met three times with the DOT's Federal Transit Administration chief Jenna Dorn to update her on the project and assure her it was ready for federal money next year.

Snow said he was "ecstatic" Bush had requested $40 million.

"This is a real vote of confidence from the administration," Snow said.