Standing or stopping is currently prohibited on the Las Vegas Strip pedestrian bridges, where tourists often stop to take photos or admire street performers in the glittering casino lights.
Violators of the ordinance, which took effect Tuesday, could face up to six months in prison or a $1,000 fine.
Clark County commissioners this month unanimously approved a bill that would prohibit “stopping, standing, or other activities that cause others to stop” on pedestrian bridges on the Strip. This includes up to 20 feet around connected stairs, elevators, and escalators.
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This prohibition does not include persons standing or stopping waiting to use elevators, stairs, or escalators.
Clark County said in a statement that the county's Pedestrian Flow Area Ordinance does not target street performers or people stopping for photos, but rather ensures a continuous flow of pedestrians across the bridge. The aim is to improve public safety by doing so.
The measures “will help ensure our world-class tourist destination remains a safe place for people to visit and cross,” it said in a statement.
People stand on a pedestrian bridge near the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on August 4, 2015. Stopping or standing on bridges on the Las Vegas Strip is now prohibited under a new ordinance that went into effect on January 17, 2024. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
But opponents say the ban violates rights protected by the First Amendment.
“It could mean the right to protest. It could mean someone sharing an expression of faith. It could mean a busker,” said Athar, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada. Hashibullah said. These rights are “protected at the highest level” in public places, including pedestrian bridges, he said.
The county said it plans to install signs along the Strip to indicate where stopping or standing is prohibited.
