BIKE: Re: Monorail opens in Vegas

[Michael Bluejay]

Vegas banned pedicabs on the strip earlier this year:

	http://bicycleuniverse.info/newsletters/2004-01-12.html


A funny quote from another article on the subject:

" Las Vegas police painted pedicab operators as unsavory characters who 
deal drugs, solicit prostitution and ignore traffic laws."

Seems that cyclists breaking traffic laws is right up there with 
dealing drugs and soliciting prostitution.  I tell ya, MOTORISTS 
breaking traffic laws just does NOT get this much outrage, anywhere, 
ever.

-MBJ-



On Jul 20, 2004, at 3:21 AM, Fred Meredith wrote:

> At 5:24 PM -0500 7/19/04, Mike Dahmus wrote:
>> The first obviously difficult thing about the LV monorail is its cost 
>> - $3, initially for a one-way ride ($5.50 initially for a round-trip, 
>> $5.75 eventually). Cheapest option for locals appears to be the 
>> 10-ride pass ($20), which brings you down to $4/round-trip.
>>
>> http://www.lvmonorail.com/ride_01_gettickets.php
>>
>> As I stated a long time ago, you can charge these kinds of rates when 
>> a lot of your traffic is tourists whose alternative is cabs. You 
>> can't charge this kind of rate and expect to attract very many 
>> automobile drivers, though. (If this route was longer, it'd have a 
>> better shot - $2/trip is high for the distance this system covers).
>>
>> So the claim that LV is going to be the new model for urban transit 
>> because it will generate a profit is not true - even if it does 
>> generate a profit, it's doing so at a rate schedule which is not 
>> feasible for other cities.
>
> While I am not endorsing or criticizing monorail or light rail, I 
> think there is a bit more to understanding the Las Vegas monorail. 
> Besides its obvious attraction as another "whiz bang" thing to do 
> while on the strip, it can also be considered cost effective to build 
> if you consider the wealth along the strip (which directly or 
> indirectly probably helped fund it and will obviously profit from it)
>
> I think that anyone who has tried to drive in that area more than once 
> will agree that $2/direction (or even $3) is not too much to pay. 
> Consider that parking is not available uniformly along the strip and 
> that the monorail offers the convenience of parking where there is 
> room and traveling to where there is not, whether you are a tourist or 
> a hotel employee or whatever. Sure, this installation would not work 
> just anywhere, but I'm betting it works where it is. I've walked, 
> cycled, bused, taxied and even been tempted to ride a pedicab on my 
> many, many visits to Las Vegas (the bicycle trade show is there each 
> year). The only modes that seem to be relatively independent of the 
> congestion are walking and riding with a pedicab driver who skirts and 
> breaks the law. And, those too seem to have long waits at the 
> intersections when they are so choked with cars that even the outlaw 
> pedicabs can't get through. The monorail may be the only unencumbered 
> mode.
>
> Fred (procrastinating from working on Cycling News on a rainy day in 
> Ireland) Meredith
> -- 
> When in doubt ... ride your bike (or at least write about it).
>
> Fred Meredith
> P.O. Box 100 (12702 Lowden Ln for UPS/FedEx)
> Manchaca, TX 78652
> 512/282-1987 (office/home)
> 512/282-7413 (fax)
> 512/636-7480 (wireless)
> More than you want to know at: http://2merediths.com
>
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