The Las Vegas Monorail system opened its first phase today -- a 4.2 mile segment connecting seven resort properties along the Strip and the Las Vegas Convention Center. The first privately funded public transportation system in the U.S., the Las Vegas Monorail was financed with a Revenue Bond being repaid by advertising and fare collection.

Gensler Architechture designed the five new, and two renovated, monorail stations plus all support structures and graphics. The project is owned and operated on a not-for-profit basis by the Las Vegas Monorail Company; Bombardier Transportation is train supplier; and Granite Construction is general contractor.

By alleviating the Strip's traffic gridlock and bringing access to underserved areas of the city, the Monorail will enhance air quality and mobility within the city while stimulating redevelopment. The first phase of the Monorail is designed to jump-start a comprehensive public transit system that will serve the entire Las Vegas community. Already under construction, phase two extends the system downtown, with a third phase connecting to McCarran Airport.

Open-air platforms maximize vistas of the Las Vegas Strip and bowed station roofs provide ventilation and complement the trains' curved-roofs. Gensler is designing the soon to open Nextel-sponsored Las Vegas Convention Center station, which includes a business center, retail, a theater, lounge and video displays.