Other Transit Services in Las Vegas
Most visitors to Las Vegas eventually come across the Las Vegas Monorail, a privately operated train that operates from the Sahara Casino to the MGM Casino along Paradise Road and Koval Lane behind the strip. The price of the monorail makes it cost prohibitive for commuters, ranging from $5 for one ride to $12 for a day pass and $28 for a three day pass. Monthly passes are not available. Although the Las Vegas Monorail website still shows plans are in the works to expand it to McCarran International Airport, the fact that the Monorail declared bankruptcy in early 2010 makes it unlikely that any expansion will take place. Other monorail-like systems shuttle people between the Crystals shopping center, Monte Carlo, and Bellagio; between the Mirage and Treasure Island; and between the Mandalay Bay, the Luxor, and the Excalibur.
State Senator Schneider has once again introduced a bill to plan a light rail line from Henderson to North Las Vegas. Judging from the map, this line would have much of the same problem as the monorail: by going behind the Strip (in this case on the west side instead of the Monorail's east side) instead of down the middle of Las Vegas Boulevard the line will miss out on attracting ridership, and its routing behind the airport will require the airport to connect an expensive people mover system to allow people from the airport to access the line.
Overall
Although the recession has hurt ridership, the RTC has soundly based future transit expansion plans on buses rather than rail. The grid network of routes is intuitive, and though frequencies on many routes are poor, since so many of them run twenty-four hours per day the likelihood of becoming stranded is low. Ease of getting around Las Vegas without a car: 7/10.
