Traffic on the strip

[3cats]

While we are coming down from the holiday weekend several observations seem to be at hand.
When there is a long holiday weekend, Vegas gets alot of drive in's from CA, NM, AZ, UT.
and it is noticed by several people that all these drive in's seem to want to do is drive up/down the strip and stare at the neon lights and the Bellagio fountains.

At a recent meeting with the Las Vegas zoning commission, as well as a meeting with the LV tourism committee, it is spoken of freely to soon put only commercial vehicles on the strip. Meaning taxi's, buses, Limo's and emergency. Why do these visitors who drive into town insist on blocking up the strip with their senseless cruising? It gets to the point that a person can walk the strip and see the neon faster than cruising it. This cruising will eventually ruin it for all of us.

So please, when driving in, or renting a car remember this and keep your LV BLVD driving to a minimum and use the Paradise, Dean Martin, Industrial, Koval.

Thank you
3cats

[vegasbound]

Sorry, but I have to disagree. It's fun to cruise down the strip, even after years of living here, it's still something I enjoy doing. There's nothing better than cruising in our Trans Am with the t-tops off just soaking up the neon on a warm night. We're heading into perfect cruising weather now, too.

If I'm in hurry or seeking the most direct route from point A to B, I know better than to take Las Vegas Blvd. I use short cuts and alternate routes such as industrial/koval/etc. just as the taxis and limos do. It's ridiculous to limit strip traffic to commercial vehicles. Las Vegas Blvd. is the scenic route, and in my opinion it should remain that way.

[Coaster Kikky]

Senseless cruising? Hardly. Annoying cruising, perhaps, but they're, and sometimes we're, cruising precisely because of what it brings to the senses. It's a feast for the eyes and ears. It's sensory overload. It's fun. Which is why they (we) came to Las Vegas in the first place.

[ken2v]

That's nuts.

I want the turistas to stay OFF Sinatra, Industrial, etc.

[mesa]

I'm not sure how you would get to some parking garages if it was commercial traffic only. But if Vegas wants the tourist dollar then I think it a little silly to restrict tourist traffic. I myself drive in from AZ, but once I park I do not get in the car until I leave.:drunk: I thought this was a joke post at first.

[DonD]

Once every two to three years, I get the urge to drive the Strip with all the traffic and get caught up in the excitement.
After one block, I start cussing myself for having had such an idea and TRY to get off as soon as possible. :nono:

[HurricaneMikey]

The Strip is much more fun to drive around 3:00 am. All the lights and sights, none of the traffic.

And oh by the way, only a politician would come up with an idea so dumb as to limit the Strip to commercial traffic. If it weren't for the tourists there wouldn't *be* any commercial traffic.

Mikey

[WallyBoag]

Absolutely ridiculous. Las Vegas is a tourist town. Always will be. The reason you can sell homes there is either because a tourist came and wants to stay, or a person wants to work in the tourism industry, either in construction or a service job of some sort. To deny tourists of one of the distinct "Vegas" experiences for the convenience of commercial traffic is lame. Take the freeway or the side streets if you don't want the traffic. The strip was meant to be cruised. And as a real estate agent, you should be wary of biting the hand that feeds you.

[3cats]

All the points brought up were almost identical to the objections brought up at those meetings as well,
the biggest point the "politicians" were concerned about were emergency vehicles.
Evidently there are a few law suits in play (2 very large $$$) regarding slow response times by EMT's to various hotels/resturants on the strip. The problem is that the traffic is so very tight that even with the lights/sirens going there is no place for the other vehicles to move to, to make way for the Emergency vehicles.

I don't like it anymore than the rest of you, don't shoot the messenger. but, also like Mikey said cruising the strip at 3:00 am is great less traffic, still see the neon lights, and watch the working girls in action.
The area they are speaking of is from Spring Mtn to Trop. the only hotel in that whole area that does not have other access than LV BLVD is Bellagio.

Also discussed was the new monorail and why its not being used as much as it was intended to be.
the answers were,,,, cost, convenience, and ignorance service. More media blitz's will be done to correct these issues.

3cats

[Dougie]

I hate the traffic on the strip. I usually travel the side streets, a lesson learned after taking an hour and a half to get from downtown to NYNY. But, it's tough to see the lights and fountains from Sinatra and Paradise.

Move all traffic from The strip to back roads. Then, hotels start juicing up the back entrances. Sooner than you think, you have the same issue you thought you just eliminated.

[HurricaneMikey]

I'm sure if they would've put the monorail down the middle of the Strip, people would be riding it. As it stands now, it's not convenient in the least.

Mikey

[vegasbound]

Response time for Emergency vehicles sucks all over town. Drivers usually carry on their merry way when sirens are sounded. Rare occasions when they do stop, they stop dead in their tracks. A lot of help that is :rolleyes2: Hardly ever to I see driver signal and merge to the right to allow EV to pass. Routinely, I see EV hop curbs and drive the opposite direction of traffic 'cause that's the only way to get by.

EV should use alternate routes, most often I see they do. Maybe create a special lane for Emergency vehicles. Even if the strip were void of excessive traffic is still not going to be the most direct route to access the properties, besides, pedestrian traffic would still be an issue.

The monorail ridership sucks because it's useless as-is. Expand it to the airport, downtown, and provide a west connector then it would actually serve a purpose.

[sanonofresurfer]

Also discussed was the new monorail and why its not being used as much as it was intended to be.
the answers were,,,, cost, convenience, and ignorance service. More media blitz's will be done to correct these issues.
3cats

Poor planning. Like Mikey said, the monorail would be more effectively used if it had been built down the middle of the strip. As it is now, it's only useful...and cost effective if you are riding alone. If you have 2 or 3 people, it's much easier (and a quicker walk), and cheaper to take a cab.

[ken2v]

I'm still scratching my head. Can someone explain this to me???

Bad response times? Get rid of gambling and the response times will be fantastic ... and no one will be stroking out in the first place.

[desertdiva]

Here's my 2 cents:

The Strip is so over the top that just about anybody who's driven to Vegas would probably want to cruise a block or 2 just to say that they were there and they did it. Then, like the PP said, after awhile you'd get tired of sitting there and not going anywhere and you'd turn on a side street.

However, the "blocks" in LV are not like a city block in NY. Everything is big in Vegas, including the distance from one cross street to another.

The monorail is great, but it doesn't service the hotels on the other side of the street. And the biggest factor for most people is the cost. Even with sitting in traffic in a cab, a cab is likely still cheaper than riding the monorail. Heck, $5 for a one-ride ticket? Rather pricey if you ask me. The only reason why we're going to use the Monorail once or twice when we're there next week is because of a deal somebody posted here to get 1/2 price tickets. Otherwise, I would not even have considered it.

**** Edited to add ****
Ok, don't shoot me for saying this - I moved to AZ about 5 yrs ago. Before that, I'd lived for 20+ years in CA. It wasn't until I moved to AZ that I ever saw anyone move to the right side of the road when an emergency vehicle was approaching with sirens and flashing lights. Is it a cultural thing in CA? Perhaps. But maybe folks in CA do not move to the right because there's so many cars on the road that you don't have any room to move over. Recently, I was on a very busy street where I live & a firetruck was approaching. I couldn't get over because there were cars on the right stopped & blocking me from moving.

[xizor]

I am with Ken on the head scratching thing - who is being sued for the slow response time? Is the ambulance company being sued because they couldn't make cars get out of their way? Is the hotel being sued because traffic didn't allow the EVs to get to their property quicker? Or are they claiming negligence because the EV tried to drive down the strip instead of taking Koval?

[gmoney590]

"who is being sued for the slow response time?"

My bet would be the city is being sued.

[DaveP]

At a recent meeting with the Las Vegas zoning commission,...
Is this the same zoning commission that approved all the new development along the Strip - City Center, Echelon Place, Founetainbleau, Encore, Palazzo, etc? They think these projects are going to reduce traffic?

Maybe, since the [useless] monorail is already located on the east side, they can use the center Strip to build an elevated emergency vehicle lane. And if an ambulance isn't in use, it can be used to give tourists one-way rides for $5.

[ken2v]

"who is being sued for the slow response time?"

My bet would be the city is being sued.

That's county, not city.

[chef]

Let's face the facts. The growing monster called the Strip swallowed up any ease and simplicity in vehicular travel long ago.
Rather than address these concerns, Vegas politicians, zoning personnel, seem to have an open-door policy on Strip casino construction. And the bigger the project, the better.
Apparently, there is little regard for the impact is has on the transportation system. But, when casinos run the town....
The solution - shut down the Strip to all traffic except shuttles, cabs, limos, police, fire, etc. and move the monorail to the middle of the Strip. It wouldn't hurt to widen the sidewalks either. It's just too damn crowded now, except at 3:00 am.

[SnertAlert]

My solution to the problem would draw millions of more tourists to the Las Vegas area every year. The typical automobile is 8' wide and requires 4' between vehicles to operate safely. The typical golf cart is 6' wide and requires 2' between carts. For the normal 8 lane roadway section on the Strip, you could increase the number of lanes 6 in each direction. Golf carts are shorter than normal vehicles and headways are less, so capacity would be huge. Widen the sidewalks, ban all traffic from Trop to Sahara, and replace it with street legal golf carts I say.

So when you check into your Strip hotel, you are given a golf cart that starts with your room key. Stretch golf carts would availible on demand. Valet would be mandatory. Each cart would also have a GPS to assist the valet. Drunk driving would not be allowed, but the fine would be $50. Golf cart cabbies could take you all the way to Sahara if you were headed downtown and could never charge more than $10 per fare. Cross streets would still be allowed through at Flamingo, et al, but red light running would be punished severely.

Sure Paradise, Industrial, and all the rest of the north-south routes would be impossibly jammed, but what do I care? I am cruising the strip in my own personal golf cart. It's what Elvis would have wanted.

[jazzguy]

Shut the strip down to all traffic. Fill it with kiosks selling trinkets. Cover it with an LED canopy and have light and sound shows. Call it the LV Strip Experience.

[PokerrNutt]

We have the same problem in South Florida - as far as people not pulling over for emergency vehicles. I don't know if they don't do it at home, or their heads are clearly up their tourist's a**es, but - these out-of-towners sit with blaring horns and sirens right behind them - and barely make an effort to move. It's insane!

Here's an idea - why not require each hotel to have their own helipad - then, when an emergency occurs, a helicopter can land on the pad and run into the casino/hotel and do what they have to do! An added bonus if you have to transported to the hospital - a nice view of Las Vegas from the helicopter!!

Problem solved!

Or, I like the suggestion of the Las Vegas Strip experience!!!!:thumbsup:

[Dougie]

That's county, not city.

Unincorporated Clark County, BITCH!

[howzie]

Let's face the facts. The growing monster called the Strip swallowed up any ease and simplicity in vehicular travel long ago.
Rather than address these concerns, Vegas politicians, zoning personnel, seem to have an open-door policy on Strip casino construction. And the bigger the project, the better.
Apparently, there is little regard for the impact is has on the transportation system. But, when casinos run the town....
The solution - shut down the Strip to all traffic except shuttles, cabs, limos, police, fire, etc. and move the monorail to the middle of the Strip. It wouldn't hurt to widen the sidewalks either. It's just too damn crowded now, except at 3:00 am.

If my commissioner voted for such a thing, I'd run against him. It's a taxpayer supported road. YOu're going to tell taxpayers that they cannot use it, but limos can? See you in court, sucker.

[howzie]

My solution to the problem would draw millions of more tourists to the Las Vegas area every year. The typical automobile is 8' wide and requires 4' between vehicles to operate safely. The typical golf cart is 6' wide and requires 2' between carts. For the normal 8 lane roadway section on the Strip, you could increase the number of lanes 6 in each direction. Golf carts are shorter than normal vehicles and headways are less, so capacity would be huge. Widen the sidewalks, ban all traffic from Trop to Sahara, and replace it with street legal golf carts I say.

So when you check into your Strip hotel, you are given a golf cart that starts with your room key. Stretch golf carts would availible on demand. Valet would be mandatory. Each cart would also have a GPS to assist the valet. Drunk driving would not be allowed, but the fine would be $50. Golf cart cabbies could take you all the way to Sahara if you were headed downtown and could never charge more than $10 per fare. Cross streets would still be allowed through at Flamingo, et al, but red light running would be punished severely.

Sure Paradise, Industrial, and all the rest of the north-south routes would be impossibly jammed, but what do I care? I am cruising the strip in my own personal golf cart. It's what Elvis would have wanted.

What about those of us who live here and pay for the roads? Revolution my friend, is what you would see.

[chef]

howzie,
Sure, taxpayers pay for the roads, but casinos run city hall.

[3cats]

howzie,
Sure, taxpayers pay for the roads, but casinos run city hall.

BINGO, RING A DING DING and the winner is CHEF

[sanonofresurfer]

I say, shut the whole the whole strip down to traffic, and make it pedestrian only. But please.....no canopy.:vomit:

[WallyBoag]

howzie,
Sure, taxpayers pay for the roads, but casinos run city hall.

The casinos are by far the biggest taxpayers of them all, especially when you include the sales tax from all those hotel gift shops and extremely high end malls on the strip, room taxes andthe like.

[ken2v]

It all sounds great, this ped mall, but it would solve what problem exactly? Under-designed for the volume of traffic, LVB nonetheless has a hell of a lot more carrying capacity than either Sinatra or Audrie/Koval, the routes that would need to be used to STILL GET 40 million visitors into those hotels. As proven in muncipalities across the land, shunting traffic off on another road doesn't solve the traffic problem.

I have a very EASY solution for you 3cats and anyone else put off by the gridlock of the Strip ... DON'T DRIVE ON IT.

As for some of the other comments: Public rights-of-way are vacated all the time. Not buying it? How 'bout Fremont Street? The we-paid-taxes argument doesn't mean anything.

It's the county building, not city hall, but the admonition stands correct.

Taxes support ALL popular vacation destinations. It's no different if it's Las Vegas Boulevard or Broadway.

[doctor_al]

If my commissioner voted for such a thing, I'd run against him. It's a taxpayer supported road. YOu're going to tell taxpayers that they cannot use it, but limos can? See you in court, sucker.

Taxpayer supported roadways closed except for bus/taxi/emergency vehicles exist currently -- there is one right outside my window. No courts, no suckers.

Any above-ground transit solution on LV Blvd would block the view that you came there for. Not sure tunneling in the desert is a good idea exactly, but if you dug out the roadway and made it two-level (ground level plus one level below ground, LV-blvd essentially becomes a long bridge), the lower level could be commercial vehicle traffic/service entrances/ express buses etc.

[SnertAlert]

Cut and cover tunnel is out of the question IMO Doc. With all the utilities and dead bodies located under LVB it would take forever to construct. Don't forget fire suppression, ventilation, lighting, etc that are required for long tunnels. Costs would balloon out of control. For an example of very public fiascos of this kind see Boston's recently constructed Big Dig or Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct proposal.

[northlites]

There is no painless solution to the traffic
congestion on Las Vegas Blvd.

A two tiered roadway is an eyesore and cities that have used this method
years ago are demolishing the raised portions;
Cut and fill construction for a subway will create major disruptions in the
adjoining traffic lanes on Paradise, Industry etc.
Tunnelling is exorbitantly expensive ! Do you really need a subway under the
Strip, which would be as pointed out, expensive to maintain.

What you should look at is expansion of adjoining arteries coupled with
east/west bus feeder lines on a dedicated roadway.
In any case, the traffic congestion has gotten completely out of control
and is in need of major funding.

[3cats]

WOW
what a response,
I have printed off all the reply's and I have sent them via fax to the lady who has the ear of the city council, and zoning commission as well as the visitors bureau. She is a happy hour friend of mine. and we will leave it at that. Needless to say she was floored by your thoughts and will of course pass them along to the appropriate people.

I am impressed with the passion this subject has brought to the surface. Thank you.


Thanx again

3cats

[ken2v]

WOW
what a response,
I have printed off all the reply's and I have sent them via fax to the lady who has the ear of the city council, and zoning commission as well as the visitors bureau. She is a happy hour friend of mine. and we will leave it at that. Needless to say she was floored by your thoughts and will of course pass them along to the appropriate people.

I am impressed with the passion this subject has brought to the surface. Thank you.


Thanx again

3cats

You know, city authorities are gonna have ZERO to do with the Strip. You're gonna serve your clients much better when you figure out who's who at the zoo.

[DonD]

NB Las Vegas Blvd. closed at Harmon
Several people were injured when a car veered on to the sidewalk on Las Vegas Blvd. just north of Harmon Ave.

Police and emergency crews are on the scene. Seven people were transported to area hospitals. Others were treated at the scene.

The driver of the car is a man in his 60s and authorities say he has a diabetic condition.

All northbound lanes on Las Vegas Blvd. near Harmon are closed and expected to remain closed for several hours.

http://www.lvrj.com/breaking_news/9885652.html

[3cats]

The driver had a diabetic seizure. I don't know the response time to the scene by emergency personel
or the length of time it took to get the victims off the strip area and to a hospital.
It is a very scarey thing when people have seizures behind the wheel.

3cats

[PosterQue]

Response time for Emergency vehicles sucks all over town. Drivers usually carry on their merry way when sirens are sounded. Rare occasions when they do stop, they stop dead in their tracks.


I have seen, in other cities, lights installed on the tops of traffic lights. They are plain white, and they flash when an emergency vehicles are approaching an intersection. It helps to advise drivers to get out of the way, or delay going through a changed light because of this traffic. I'm wondering why they dont have them here, I think it would be a great help. Obviously, it's still tough for ambulances, etc, when it's bumper to bumper and there is no where to go, but at least when the ambulance drivers have to jump a median and skirt about traffic going the wrong way, it might prevent our first responders from getting in an accident.

[mrsvjw]

I have seen, in other cities, lights installed on the tops of traffic lights. They are plain white, and they flash when an emergency vehicles are approaching an intersection. It helps to advise drivers to get out of the way, or delay going through a changed light because of this traffic. I'm wondering why they dont have them here, I think it would be a great help. Obviously, it's still tough for ambulances, etc, when it's bumper to bumper and there is no where to go, but at least when the ambulance drivers have to jump a median and skirt about traffic going the wrong way, it might prevent our first responders from getting in an accident.

In addition to just flashing, they change the signals to green in the direction the emergency vehicle is traveling. I've seen ones that do only the direction the vehicle is traveling in, and ones that will change for the direction and the oncoming traffic. We live close to two fire stations, one on a two-lane road and one stupidly close to an always busy intersection. But when an emergency vehicle is on the road, it moves thru pretty quickly even when there is traffic (and its a fun bonus when you're going behind it for a few blocks and get to blow thru a bunch of lights quickly).