Clinton-Trump debate could collide with Rolling Stones on streets of Las Vegas
We already know the first two presidential debates will clash with the NFL’s scheduled games on Sunday and Monday night in getting the attention of television viewers.
During the final debate set for Oct. 19 in Las Vegas, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will collide with yet another iconic institution: The Rolling Stones.
The candidates will be center stage at the Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV campus, less than three miles from where The Rolling Stones will be rocking T-Mobile Arena before a likely sell-out crowd of 20,000 concert-goers.
With less than two months to go, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada this week started strategizing for what could potentially turn into a traffic nightmare along Tropicana Avenue, Interstate 15 and surrounding streets.
It’s too soon to determine whether any street closures or detours will be needed, but motorists headed home from work that Wednesday night should consider alternate routes to avoid the area.
On a typical day, roughly 95,000 vehicles drive along Tropicana Avenue near the UNLV campus and McCarran International Airport. That number is expected to jump to 105,000 vehicles, based on RTC figures from heavily attended basketball games and the National Finals Rodeo previously held at the Thomas & Mack Center.
“We don’t anticipate it to be any different than handling the large conventions that come to town or popular holiday weekends,” RTC spokeswoman Angela Castro said.
The Thomas & Mack Center seats about 19,500, although it’s unclear what the attendance might be for the presidential debate. Regardless, the two events likely will make for a hectic merging roughly around Wednesday rush hour.
The debate and the Stones also will overlap a few conventions that day, including Sweet Adelines International with 15,000 attendees at the MGM Grand hotel and casino across the street from T-Mobile Arena, said Jeremy Handel, a spokesman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
“With all the special events and major conventions we host all the time, we work through these things often, and we all work together as a destination very well,” Handel said.
The RTC will post traffic warnings on electronic message boards across the city about three days before the Stones’ concert and presidential debate. Potential road restrictions and suggested alternate routes will also be provided to driver-navigation apps.
On the day of the big events, workers in the RTC’s traffic management center will keep a close eye on the road with help from cameras mounted on traffic signals.
The live footage is beamed to large television screens, allowing workers to determine whether an extra-long green light should be allowed for the most log-jammed intersections around T-Mobile Arena, UNLV or any other problem areas.
Some traffic relief may come when nearly half of UNLV’s classrooms shut down early on Oct. 19 in anticipation of the debate.
“Planning is still ongoing, and we expect to have more clarity on details as we get closer to the debate,” UNLV spokesman Tony Allen said. “Las Vegas is known for its ability to successfully host large-scale events, and we are working hard with our partners to deliver an exceptional experience.”
Contact Art Marroquin at amarroquin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0336. Find @AMarroquin_LV on Twitter.
