LAS VEGAS — Standing or stopping is now prohibited on pedestrian bridges on the Las Vegas Strip, where visitors often stop to take photos amid the bright lights of casinos or to watch street performers.
Violators of the ordinance that went into effect Tuesday could face up to six months in jail or a $1,000 fine.
Clark County commissioners voted unanimously this month to approve the measure prohibiting people from “standing, standing or engaging in an activity that causes another person to stop” on Strip pedestrian bridges. That also includes up to 20 feet (6 meters) around connected stairs, elevators and escalators.
The prohibition does not include standing or stopping if a person is waiting to use an elevator, staircase or escalator.
Clark County said in a statement that its “pedestrian flow zone ordinance” is not intended to target street performers or people stopping to take photographs, but rather to increase public safety by ensuring a continuous flow of pedestrian traffic. pedestrians across bridges.
The move “will help ensure that our world-class tourism destination remains a safe place for people to visit and travel,” the statement said.
But opponents say the ban violates rights protected by the First Amendment.
“That could mean the right to protest. That could mean someone who shares expressions of her faith. That could mean a street performer,” said Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada. Those rights, he said, are “protected at the highest level” in public spaces, including pedestrian bridges.
The county said it planned to install signs on the Strip identifying places where stopping or standing is prohibited.