If you’re hanging out on the Las Vegas Strip, you’ll want to avoid standing or stopping on any of the city’s pedestrian bridges. Here’s why.
On Tuesday, Jan. 16, Clark County officially started enforcing what they’re calling a “pedestrian zone flow ordinance.” Basically, it’s a law that makes it illegal to stop or stand on Las Vegas pedestrian bridges.
The Las Vegas pedestrian bridges have long been a part of Las Vegas Strip history, and they allow visitors to easily make their way from one casino to another — even if they’re on opposite sides of the Strip.
In a statement to the Associated Press, a spokesperson for Clark County said that the new regulations “will help to ensure our world-class tourism destination remains a safe place for people to visit and transverse.”
More specifically, the law isn’t meant to target street performers or those who stop to take pictures on the Las Vegas pedestrian bridges. Instead, the ordinance is aimed at bolstering public safety by ensuring a smooth and fluid flow of pedestrians across each bridge.
Clark County commissioners voted unanimously to approve the ordinance earlier in January. Vegas News reviewed the text of the new rules, which specifically prohibit people from “stopping, standing or engaging in an activity that causes another person to stop” on Las Vegas Strip pedestrian bridges.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that the ordinance also applies to up to 20 feet of connected escalators, stairs, or elevators. County officials also say they plan to install signs indicating where stopping or standing is banned.
Although officials say the ordinance is good for public safety, the American Civil Liberties Union told the AP that the ban violates the right to free speech protected by the First Amendment, since the ordinance would ban people standing on the bridge holding signs to protest, sharing their faith, or performing.
Don’t want to risk a ticket as a pedestrian? Check out the Vegas News guide to the best drive-thru weddings in Las Vegas.