Pool & Spa News: On a roll: take a trip on Las Vegas' latest tourist attraction: the monorail

There are two relative certainties about Las Vegas--setting aside the long-accepted axiom that "the house always wins." First, it's a forward-looking city of constant change. Second, it has u nostalgic affection for the past, insofar as the past can be marketed and made profitable.

These two ideals have come together in a sleek addition to the cityscape that is designed to help Expo attendees mix business with pleasure faster and easier than ever before. It's the Robert N. Broadbent Las Vegas Monorail.

The monorail runs 4.4 miles along the hotel/casino corridor, moving at speeds up to 50 mph, making it possible to travel the length of the Strip in less than 15 minutes. Nine trains of four cars each run on a single rail some 20 feet (in some places, as much as 70 feet) above the ground. For getting from the convention center to the fabulous Strip and back, there is nothing like it.

Seven monorail stations allow you to climb on or off: MGM Grand, Bully's/Paris Las Vegas, Flamingo/Caesars Palace, Harrah's/Imperial Palace, Las Vegas Convention Center, has Vegas Hilton and the Sahara. The smooth-riding cars are driver-less, air-conditioned and giddily futuristic. Tickets are available at each stop and, in many cases, the price beats the fare for a comparable cab ride.

It's a great way to get up and down Las Vegas Boulevard, especially if you've already ventured the long walk once during your stay or gotten stuck in traffic--when it can take an hour or longer to get from one end of the Strip to the other.

The monorail is more than just an efficient means to get around town. It's different and strangely beautiful for a public transportation system. There's something undeniably cool about boarding the train and gliding swiftly over the noise and bustle of the streets below.

The $650 million system was built with bonds and contributions from resort properties. It's named for the late Robert Broadbent, a protean civic leader who battled mob control of the casinos in the 1970s, oversaw expansion of the McCarran International Airport in the '80s, and championed the monorail system as a sleek and sexy way to upgrade the Vegas experience for visitors and residents alike.

Back in 1995, MGM Grand and Bally's hotels built a one-mile monorail connecting their properties, which attracted millions of passengers. That success raised eyebrows in the resort community, and plans were launched to expand the monorail.

With seven more casinos and the convention center on board, the plans were put on the fast track to realization and in July 2004, the "most technologically advanced public transportation system of its kind in the world" made its maiden run. It was an instant hit. Locals and tourists found it fast, convenient and cost-effective. However, it has experienced some technical difficulties since its introduction--the monorail was taken offline for a few months to correct some mechanical issues.

Once the bugs are worked out, plans call for the route eventually to extend to the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas and, in a thought that must strike horror into the hearts of the rental-car agencies and cab drivers, to the airport. The day will eventually come when you can visit Las Vegas without having to touch shoe leather or tire rubber to pavement for the duration of your stay.

Upon its inauguration, the Las Vegas Monorail Co. promised that its new system would be more than transportation--it would be "a real trip." That trip, which runs behind most of the casinos, provides glimpses of the Strip and some of the city's most famous landmarks, mixed in with a landscape of barren walls and transmission towers. Hey, no one said the future would be perfect.

A single-ride fare is $3; a 10-ride pass is $25. A one-day (24-hour unlimited) pass is $15; a three-day (72-hour unlimited) pass is $40. The monorail operates daily, 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. Tickets can be purchased at vending machines located inside each station and on their properties. Note: The monorail is slated to be back on track in late November; check with your hotel to see if any delays are expected. For more information, visit www.lvmonorail.com.