LV Monorail wants $100mil to expand to Mandalay Place

[BlunderMaker]

https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/...ble-to-expand/

Less than a decade after low ticket sales forced the Las Vegas Monorail Co. into bankruptcy, the private nonprofit wants to make its next big gamble on ridership.

The company is on the verge of borrowing $110 million to extend its route on the Las Vegas Strip from the MGM Grand to the Shoppes at Mandalay Place, according to a source familiar with the project.

Supporters tout that the mile-long extension will connect Las Vegas’ two largest convention centers, reduce Strip traffic and bring riders within walking distance of the NFL stadium being constructed for the Raiders.

Honestly this seems like lighting money on fire, but what do I know.

[Dan Druff]

It really is lighting money on fire.

The expansion is showed with the dotted line.

Laughably, despite passing right by the airport and the Tropicana, they are stopping at neither.

This is only useful if you want to go from another part of the strip to NEAR (but not at) the Mandalay Bay. I'm guessing it won't get used anywhere near what they're projecting.

Also, according to the article, the company doing this is a financial mess, and constantly hemmorhages money on this project.

[SrslySirius]

Honestly this seems like lighting money on fire, but what do I know.

No, good sir. It's on the level! There's nothing on earth like a genuine, bona fide electrified, six-car monorail!

[Shizzmoney]

Monorail ridership dipped last year. This is probably due to ride sharing methinks

It's a bad investment for Vegas; especially considering that the driver of any revenue for most urban transit projects come from both tourism *and* workers. It all my time taking the monorail, I've never actually seen anyone who *isn't* a tourist on the damn thing. Like most people on the West Coast (that isn't named San Francisco or Seattle), people drive to and from work. Tourism rev, even with the Raiders and Black Knights in town, isn't enough to sustain any rebate you get out of this.

Also, usually 90% of these public projects always have this initial estimate, and it never is enough. These things always run over budget. So the $100m figure will probably in the end be in the $150-$200m mark when the final bill settles if this thing gets the OK.