BIKE: LV monorail open again

[Patrick Goetz]

Michael Bluejay wrote:
> Well, of course I did provide a link to the monorail website in my 
> message.  But to answer your question myself, the monorail does not go 
> to the airport.  Starts from just a few blocks *from* the airport, go 
> figure.
> 

However,, as far as I know, there are still plans to extend the LVM to 
downtown and the airport, with other extensions suggested:

http://vegasnews.squarespace.com/las-vegas-monorail-news/2004/02/22/las-vegas-monorail.html

This article gives a clearer indication of how the LVM is part of a 
bigger fiscal strategy:  facilitate even bigger and grander business and 
entertainment facilities (e.g. World Market Center) by providing an 
effective transportation infrastructure for them.  Compared to the 
potential income, the $650 million spent on the LVM is chump change; the 
World Market Center alone is a billion dollar project.

Meanwhile our strategy is to spend all of our transportation money 
building a half dozen toll roads out of town to get suburbanites to the 
malls faster; oh, and a new Zilker Park Flyer from Leander to the 
Convention Center which is going to run 8 times a day from nowhere to 
nowhere.  Brilliant.  On a brighter note, biking will be a lot easier 
when Austin's economic viability collapses -- too bad no one will have a 
job.

Here is a pretty good article about the LVM from the perspective of 
another community considering monorail:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001981040_vegas16m.html