We couldn’t help but notice in this awestruck, first-person story in the Las Vegas Sun about MGM Mirage’s new CityCenter project this little line: “Overlooking the convoluted-looking roadways feeding the rear of the property is a ribbon of suspended concrete for a monorail that will link CityCenter with the Bellagio to the north and the Monte Carlo to the south.”

A monorail, you say?  Well, how about that?

See, one of the long-term plans for the Las Vegas Monorail was to travel to the west side of the Strip, which was ignored by the casino barons who built the original line to shuttle tourists to some of their lesser-visited hotels. But, along with extending the monorail to McCarran International Airport, going to the west side of the Strip was always a gleam in the Las Vegas Monorail’s eye.

But it seems that MGM Mirage isn’t waiting for that. By connecting the Monte Carlo, CityCenter and Bellagio with a monorail, the need for a second train is moot. (That’s especially true, given the people mover that has been successfully ferrying guests between the Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Excalibur for years; and the link between Treasure Island and the Mirage. Why, the company nearly has linked up the entire west side of the Strip single-handedly!)

Not to worry: Las Vegas Monorail plotters are continuing to push for a link to the airport, which they see as the road to success. Because linking the airport to the back door of several Strip properties can’t possibly continue to lose money hand over fist, the way the monorail has every single day it’s been in existence, right?