I have a couple of my own personal observations on all these condos,
casinos, and more hotel room developments on Las Vegas's strip.
It seems like no one is thinking or talking about the traffic problems!
Since I moved here 5 years ago I can noticeably see not only has the vehicle
traffic increased, so has the pedestrian traffic on the strip! On a Saturday
you can barely walk on the crowded sidewalks without bumping into people.
The number of people taking the Deuce buses on the strip has also increased
dramatically. The buses seem to be fewer in number and the crowds waiting
are just that - crowds - not just a handful of people, the way it used to be.
Buses are literally packed at times, sometimes unable to pick up all
passengers. This means the buses are also slower - a lot slower.
Meanwhile, the newspaper said that traffic on the strip will triple by 2008
when Project City Center opens. That's impossible - it's already gridlocked
at times. How can you add 3 times the traffic?
The Las Vegas Review Journal had an article yesterday saying that all the
hotel room projects indicate that the city expects more and more visitors to
come, but basically the number of visitors they are expecting will outstrip the
ability of the airport to bring in visitors in a few years.
The poor monorail was badly designed, but might be of some help - but
advertising for it is poor and the cost of $5 a ride is over twice what you pay on
the Deuce.
My prediction - in 5 years or less, Las Vegas Blvd. will be one-way. They
will eventually have to remove some of the sidewalks to put in extra lanes.
People will walk directly through the casinos in an "indoor" sidewalk.
People looking for bargain hotel rooms in Vegas will be forced to go downtown,
eventually causing the downtown area to get the much-needed boost in revenue it
needs.
My advice - don't become a Vegas taxi driver!
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