Las
Vegas, renowned for its vibrant Strip and bustling Resort Corridor, is
cracking down on all activities that disrupt the flow of traffic on the city’s elevated
pedestrian walkways. So, stopping for selfies or other photos—or for any other
reason, really—will become a practice of the past.
In a unanimous 7-0
vote, the Clark County Commission just approved a new ordinance that prohibits
people from, “stopping, standing or engaging in an activity that causes another
person to stop on Strip
pedestrian bridges or near escalators, elevators or stairways connected to the
bridges,” the Las
Vegas Review-Journal reported.
Obstructing the
flow of traffic on these elevated walkways, the arteries of the Las Vegas Strip,
now carries the weight of a misdemeanor violation, for which offenders could
face fines of up to $1,000, six months’ jail time or both.
“This is not
interpreted to mean that tourists and locals cannot take photos along the
Boulevard while on a pedestrian bridge, but rather is intended to maintain the
safe and continuous movement of pedestrians on the bridges to ensure pedestrian
safety on the bridges,” Clark County officials said in a statement obtained by the
outlet.
Commissioner Jim
Gibson emphasized the unique challenges posed by the city's footbridges,
especially during major events drawing large crowds, such as the recent Las
Vegas Formula 1 Grand Prix or the upcoming Super Bowl LVIII, which will bring hundreds of
thousands of visitors to Sin City.
“When you get
right down to it, the unique nature of these bridges and unique nature of this
city and the unique nature of Las Vegas Boulevard, when there can be 100,000
people moving up and down the street at the same time and accessing the bridges
and moving along as they do, that becomes really important,” he told the Las
Vegas Sun.
The new legislation
will create so-called “pedestrian
flow zones” on the system of overpasses that links the Strip’s hotels
and resorts, including those areas that extend as far as 20 feet from the escalators
and stairways at ground level. There is an exception included in the ordinance’s
verbiage for those who are waiting to use the stairs or escalators that connect
bridges to the street-level sidewalk.
A recent study by UNLV
criminal justice professor William Sousa showed that calls for law enforcement
services on the Strip increased by 29 percent between 2018 and 2022. Sousa
found that a disproportionate number of “disorderly offenses”—such as fights, public intoxication,
public drug use and loitering of suspicious persons—occurred on these pedestrian
bridges.
Signs will be placed
along the elevated walkways, and
near stairs or escalators, alerting pedestrians that they have entered
the designated “flow zones”. Individuals who violate the terms of the new measure
will first be informed of the rules by patrolling police officers “in an
attempt to generate voluntary compliance with the law”. Those who refuse to
comply will first be given a warning, then, issued a citation or even be arrested,
if necessary.
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