Las Vegas Monorail could operate for another decade before becoming obsolete

The Las Vegas Monorail keeps chugging along and on Tuesday, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority unanimously approved another year of liability insurance coverage for the resort corridor’s 20-year old above-ground transit system.

For around two years, LVCVA officials have said the 3.9-mile monorail eventually would be decommissioned, but Steve Hill, president and CEO of the LVCVA, on Tuesday said the seven-stop system could likely run another eight to 10 years before it becomes obsolete.

Monorail officials have said they can no longer acquire parts for repairs for the system which was operated by the Walt Disney Co. before it was rerouted to Las Vegas.

Since acquiring the Monorail in a bankrupty proceeding in 2020, the LVCVA has marketed it and increased ridership since pre-bankruptcy.

Even after the Monorail no longer functions, Hill said there are plans to repurpose the track to provide some form of resort corridor transportation, perhaps as an alternate route for Boring Co. vehicles.

An underground transit system using Tesla vehicles is being built by Boring, owned by entrepreneur Elon Musk.

“We don’t want to tear down the infrastructure, it’s too valuable to us,” Hill said.

In Tuesday’s meeting, the LVCVA agreed to spend $722,105 for a liability insurance policy with Westchester, a Chubb Company, headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, extending coverage from Dec. 10 through Dec. 10, 2025.

In other business Tuesday, the LVCVA agreed to spend $28.1 million with Las Vegas-based Ryan Mechanical Inc. to upgrade the Las Vegas Convention Center’s central plant cooling system.

It was the last meeting for Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, Las Vegas Councilman Cedric Crear and Mesquite Councilman Brian Wursten. Goodman, who has been a member of the LVCVA board of directors for nearly 13 years, succeeding her husband, former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, who held the office for 12 years, attended the meeting telephonically. She is term limited.

“Over the last 12 years, Mayor Goodman has evidenced passion, grit and tenacity in her work as mayor, never losing sight of her job,” board member Jan Jones Blackhurst said of Goodman in a video tribute. “And she’s brought that same vigor to the LVCVA, where she recognizes this is about tourism, heads in beds, and making sure we’re the No. 1 resort destination and convention destination in the country.”

Goodman responded online.

“It’s been a glorious time to see this city, this entire community in Southern Nevada, and in particular the LVCVA, come out of that little thought many, many years ago, and (former LVCVA President and CEO) Manny Cortez really being the inspiration of bringing it on, and then (former LVCVA President and CEO) Rossi (Ralenkotter) and of course, you, Mr. Hill, and the many board members that we’ve had over the years that are so compatible with each other and hard working and always focusing on bringing us tourists, bringing us visitors, developing the economy and just want to thank you all. It’s just such a grand, grand place to live and to work and to be part of its full speed.”

Crear waged an unsuccessful bid to become mayor earlier this year.

Wursten opted not to run for a new term on the Mesquite council.

Hill said their replacements on the board have not been determined.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.