Monorail could restart by May holiday

Hill: Timing would be ideal for convention

The Las Vegas Monorail could be running again just before Memorial Day weekend, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority board of directors was told Tuesday.

LVCVA President and CEO Steve

Hill updated the board on the acquisition of the 3.9-mile elevated electric transit system and said several things could happen between now and the end of May, but he’s optimistic about reopening the system, which has been parked since mid-march.

Hill said a convention that usually occurs in January, World of Concrete, was rescheduled to early June and the Monorail would be beneficial to the thousands of people expecting to attend. Hill also noted that Memorial Day weekend traditionally brings thousands to Las Vegas for the traditional kickoff of summer.

“Given the hopeful path of the vaccine at this point, we think that somewhere just prior to the Memorial Day weekend we’ll be able to open the

Monorail, get it back up and running in anticipation for some pretty significant attendance and visitation in the destination over Memorial Day weekend and leading up to World of Concrete and subsequent shows from there,” Hill told the board.

The board initially had planned on Tuesday to formally waive the prohibition on potentially competing transportation systems in the Las Vegas Monorail Non-compete Zone, but it opted instead to scratch that from the agenda and address it at a special meeting Thursday.

Hill said the $24.26 million sale of the Monorail system to the LVCVA is still scheduled to close Wednesday, as is $20.5 million in bond funding for the transaction.

Once the noncompete zone clause is waived, Elon Musk’s Boring Co. can get permission from Clark County to begin work on its Vegas Loop underground transit system, a 15-mile network of tunnels connecting resorts on the Strip and in downtown Las Vegas with Mccarran International Airport and Allegiant Stadium.