By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger
It is or isn’t it?
That is the question I am asking after seeing some news stories – including from the local paper, which should be considered a reliable source – about the Las Vegas Monorail. Is it history or isn’t it history?
Now operated by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), president and SEO Steve Hill told members at the monthy board meeting, “Our thoughts are we would like to extend this (monorail operations) as long as it makes sense to do so. That end could happen because the trains do wear out and are not replaceable.”
To me that means it’s history, tho it without a definite when, so it’s whenever, I suppose. Hill did say – again, not with any specifics or timetable – that he envisions the track to be converted into an elevated expressway of some kind (cars?) with a couple of lanes of traffic in each direction, potentially tying the guideways into Boring Co.’s Vegas Loop operations.
I mention all this because I have always found the Monorail a “secret” way to get up and down the Las Vegas Strip. Instead of waiting for an Uber or Lift, or paying a bunch for a taxi, I would go out the back of the hotels and get on the monorail. It cost just 6 bucks each way or less than $15 all day. Plus, it runs until 3 in the morning on weekends. I do wish public transportation (and this is kind of public transporation in a Vegas kind of way) in other cities, which shut down around midnight. Vegas knows we’re at the bars and clubs.
It is especially convenient for going to conventions. Team PubClub.com would take it to and from our hotel on the Strip to the Nightclub & Bar Show. There is a stop right there. The only other way to get to the Las Vegas Convention Center is to wait forever for a paid ride (Uber, Lyft or taxi).
Whatever happens to the Las Vegas Monorail, I’ll continue to use it as long as it is in operation. Viva Las Vegas if not Viva Las Vegas Monorail.
About PubClub.com
PubClub.com is one of the original websites on the Internet. It features articles on nightlife, food & drink, events, activities, travel and sports. It has been featured in USA Today, the LA Times and American Way magazine, among other major media outlets.
About Kevin Wilkerson
A journalist and travel blogger with more than 30 experience writing and years traveling around the world.