County launches massive Strip pedestrian project
April 25, 2015 - 2:54 pm
It’s going to be more difficult than ever for tourists to bump into things on the Strip.
Clark County has started relocating posts, sign poles and fire hydrants.
The project, which started several weeks ago, is the latest piece of the county’s three years of work to clean up the world’s most famous tourist corridor and improve pedestrian flow.
The wide-ranging efforts have included ordinances targeting unlicensed vendors, limiting animal access and banning open-glass bottles and containers on public sidewalks.
“This is a very important part of the initiatives that we’ve advanced over the last couple of years, and it’s a part of our effort to improve pedestrian movement and public safety on the Strip,” County Manager Don Burnette said.
The Strip, which stretches along Las Vegas Boulevard from Sahara Avenue to Russell Road, is in unincorporated Clark County and under the county’s jurisdiction, despite its fame as the “Las Vegas Strip.”
“We want to be able to move pedestrians up and down the sidewalks on the Strip in a way that promotes public safety,” Burnette said.
A 2012 study commissioned by the county found that public works creations — such as sign poles and posts — hindered pedestrian movement on sidewalks, particularly in areas with a high volume of foot traffic.
That study came as the county was working with the tourism industry and started other efforts to clean up the Strip with ordinances addressing unlicensed vendors and street performers.
The county is starting its initial push in the high-volume areas and plans to do similar projects during the next two years. An example of the criteria for a high-volume areas is one where a 10-foot-wide walkway would have as many as 1,500 pedestrians — or more — in a 15-minute period.
On Tuesday, construction crews were removing old asphalt and preparing to make improvements to the sidewalk by the Chili’s near Polo Towers.
For the initial effort, the county’s work has a finish date of May 20 and has a cost of $1.9 million. The improvements include sidewalk widening, relocating signs, installing curb handicap ramps and new pavement markings. About 25 fire hydrants will be relocated out of the path of pedestrians and to the landscaped median in the middle of Las Vegas Boulevard.
Other visible changes are planned for later this year. This fall, the county plans to put a uniformly designed system of 360 news racks in place. Currently, operators put their news racks in county right of way on the Strip after obtaining a permit through a lottery process. The county’s new news racks will have a sloped top, which prevents passers-by from leaving drinks or other items on the top.
County commissioners had considered removing all of the news racks but abandoned that idea after an outcry from news rack owners and First Amendment advocates. The county also removed news racks from three sites where pedestrian traffic is high.
“It’s exciting to have it start,” Commissioner Mary Beth Scow said. “To me, this is where the county really is putting its money where its mouth is. We’re trying to improve that pedestrian walkway. We’re trying to set the example.”
The Strip has undergone significant changes in the past three years. Most recently, the county in 2014 banned open glass containers and bottles from Strip sidewalks. If they are purchased, they need to be carried in a sealed bag. Open drinks in plastic containers are still allowed, and resorts still can use glass containers inside their operations.
Multiple tools are needed, officials say.
“It’s not one thing,” commission Chairman Steve Sisolak said. “One thing wasn’t going to solve all this.”
In 2012, county officials enacted an ordinance that targets unlicensed vendors who peddle wares on public Strip sidewalks and right-of-way areas.
Changes didn’t always happen quietly. Street performers and vendors complained vocally about the ordinances affecting their livelihood when they were first put in place.
The county also passed an ordinance banning animals from Strip sidewalks and pedestrian bridges from noon to 5 p.m. daily.
And it banned “dangerous objects,” which include blades longer than 3 inches, skateboards, in-line skates and flame-shooting devices.
The Nevada Resort Association’s head said the wide-ranging changes, from ordinances to the public works efforts, all play a role in improving the experience.
“We want our visitors to have a very pleasant and safe experience,” said Virginia Valentine, executive director of the trade group. “We’re very encouraged.”
She said the combination of changes — not one single thing — was needed because of the complexity.
“It’s a very complicated problem and there was a lot of different types of activity, and each one of those required some type of tool,” Valentine said. “It has been a culmination of things.”
Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904. Find him on Twitter: @BenBotkin1.
BY THE NUMBERS
25: Approximate number of fire hydrants to be moved
360: New news racks planned for this fall
2: Traffic poles will be relocated
1: Traffic controller cabinet to be moved
16: New handicap ramps
$1.9 million: Cost of the initial work
Source: Clark County.