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Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012 | 2 a.m.
Another view?
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Richard N. Velotta’s article in Friday’s Sun on the new board for the monorail does not instill confidence that anything will be different in terms of its viability.
Now that the bankruptcy has thrown the bondholders under the bus, the logical thing would be to have the monorail taken over by the Regional Transportation Commission.
The RTC would be more than capable for its operation and be able to incorporate the monorail into an RTC network of buses.
An airport bus extension for the Koval station together with airport/hotel baggage checking would demonstrate whether an airport extension would be profitable with the increased ridership.
Buses could be used to connect monorail stations to west-of-the-Strip hotels.
The incorporation with the RTC also would serve to eliminate a number of politically appointed administrators making six-figure salaries.
I would only support this idea if two things happen.
1) Henry Schmid would have to sign a promissary note to be on the hook if the monorail continues to lose money.
2) Henry Schmid would have to pony up the cash to extend the monorail to the airport.
If those two items are done then I will support Henry Schmid's idea.
Otherwise, I refuse to put the taxpayer on the hook for this very bad idea.
Right now, the taxpayer is not on the hook for the lame monorail.
Extending the monorail to the airport is a bad idea.
Who in their right mind would drag their bags to the monorail , onto the monorial and then drag them to the front desk (nearly a mile or miles) at a casino. They would have to pay for that service too when most casino's have free shuttles to their hotels.
The monorail services a limited number of casinos.
It was poorly designed from the start.
Letter writer makes a cogent case for the RTC to take over the monorail. Worth a discussion for and against with the dollars needed, sources of funds, and a time table. Local politicians should take up the case and review the process. Then, let Las Vegans decide.
CarmineD
Extending the Las Vegas Monorail to the airport makes perfect sense.This is something that should have been done from the very start.The tax payers did not lose a dime with the failure and bankruptcy of the monorail line.
It will be very hard to find private investers to consider putting any money into a extension to the airport.Nearly 98% of the 650 million dollars by investers was wiped out due to the bankruptcy.
I would think that Govt. money would not be a wise choice in any extension of the Las Vegas monorail to McCarren airport. No matter which way the monorail looks for funding,it has a lot of leg work to perform before any extension occurs,and private investers are a little gun shy at this time.
You have to be kidding! The RTC is one of the most disfunctional of many disfunctional county departments. If you drive on our roads for any length, you can't help but notice how out of sync the traffic signals are. And what agency is responsible for their synchronization? One guess. As for extending the "White Elephant" to McCarran. Do it with your money - not mine and other taxpayers. I have a feeling that those who tout the monorail have never even ridden it. Who in their right mind will lug their baggage 1,000s of feet to a monorail car that costs them more to get to the Strip then present public transportation does and, then, drops them off 1,000s of feet (or more) from their destination? The only ones to benefit from an extension would be employees of McCarran and the businesses operating within. And, of course, the same "suits" who have been bleeding it dry these many years. Let the crappy monorail die and tear its monsterous concrete pillars down!
Let's add up the score.
The Federal government is running a trillion dollar annual deficit which is being charged to your children's credit card.
The Clark County government is dealing with another $60+ million annual projected deficit.
The state government has workers working less than 40 hours a week because it is broke too.
And you want the government to spend money on building a train to the airport????????
Are you freaking out of your mind?
Talking about spending like drunk sailors.....
The letter makes sense, it may be tough to shuttle people to the start of the monorail, they would have to lug bags, get on it, get off, lug to the hotel when the shuttle could just drop them off at the final destination in one move. The monorail should go to the airport and be user friendly for arriving and departing tourists, easy on, easy off. It needs that connecting leg for success. I would assume taxi and shuttle services would not want to see that happen.
Wow...Wow...Wow, this monorail was built without taxpayer dollars. Hence we are not on the hook if it fails. Yet many here are proposing that the taxpayers assume this albatross by suggesting that the RTC take it over. For gawd sakes man !! Are you all nuts?
"Yet many here are proposing that the taxpayers assume this albatross by suggesting that the RTC take it over."
Not so not so. Suggesting a joint private/public partnership with dollars and timetable. At some point down the road, when economy is humming, perhaps all privately owned and operated. Let Las Vegans see and hear the facts and decide what's best to be done with the rail. Why let it deteriorate and waste away? You don't give up on something just because it loses money. You fix it.
CarmineD
Most people have not taken into account that the Las Vegas Monorail's recent bankruptcy,has put them in a debt free position.
The bankruptcy has wiped out nearly 98% of the debt of $650 million dollars.This is a fresh start for them to proceed with a extension to the airport.
What business wouldn't want to be in such a position (with almost no debt).Everything they do will be risk free,thanks to the private investers (bond holders) who took it on the chin.
I would rather have the RTC partner with Monorail. It's going to make more money because the new Linq Project. Also, it'll be a great way to travel when the Las Vegas Marathon comes to town. The locals could rush to their jobs instead of waiting on the Strip Bus during rush hours.