User:Pkkao2/Las Vegas Trams/CityCenter Tram



The CityCenter Tram is a 2100 ft tram that connects Crystals with the Monte Carlo to the south and the Bellagio to the north. It uses the Cable Liner technology from DCC Doppelmayr Cable Car (DCC), and has two independent rope-hauled parallel tracks and a four-car passenger unit operating on each track. The tram began operations on December 1, 2009. The elevated track can handle 3,266 passengers per hour in each direction. A fully loaded tram can hold 132 passengers.

History
The original 2400 ft-long tram, built before CityCenter's completion, was constructed in October 1998 using the "YanTrak" people mover technology. Each of the trams had two cars and had completely automated controls. The tram was propelled by conveyor belts and used wayside pinch motors to drive, a one-of-a-kind technology at the time. The tram, which ran between Monte Carlo and Bellagio, operated smoothly until 2003, when Bellagio made plans to build a new Spa Tower. Unfortunately, the Spa Tower was located along the path of the existing tram. In October of 2003, Schwager-Davis, Inc. (SDI) was chosen to rennovate the trams by constructing new trams and relocating approximately 1000 ft of the tramway. On March 15, 2005, the new tram began operations between the Spa Tower of Bellagio and the Monte Carlo. In late 2009, when CityCenter opened, the tram was again rennovated to add a new station at Crystals at CityCenter. This third design, built by DCC, is currently in operation.

Operations
The CityCenter Tram opens every day at 8:00 AM and closes at 4:00 AM. Trams arrive every 7-15 minutes, and it takes 2-6 minutes to travel from Monte Carlo to Bellagio or vice-versa.

Stations
The tram stops at Monte Carlo, then proceeds 0.1 mi north to Crystals, and finally crosses CityCenter's central plaza and W Harmon Ave to Bellagio. The Bellagio station is located in the Spa Tower, the stop at Crystals is found upstairs above the mall, and the Monte Carlo station is near the Street of Dreams shopping center. Aria is accessible from both the Monte Carlo and Crystals stations. All three stations are located outdoors but are within a shelter with a shade to block the sun.

Technical
The tram system consists of two completely independent cable-propelled cars, designed by the DCC Doppelmayr Cable Car company, who also designed the Mandalay Bay Tram. Trams arrive at Bellagio and Monte Carlo simultaneously, leave at the same time, and meet at Crystals. This arrangement can be offset when the tram doors are forced open or when the trams move slower, but the tram's dwell time is extended or shortened to synchronize movements every so often.