(Las Vegas) Standing or stopping on the Las Vegas Strip’s pedestrian bridges is now prohibited, whether to take photos highlighting the casino’s twinkling lights or to watch street performers.
Violators of the order, which took effect Tuesday, could face a six-month prison sentence or a $1,000 fine.
Clark County commissioners voted unanimously this month to approve the measure prohibiting people from “stopping, standing or engaging in any activity that causes another person to stop” on the pedestrian bridges of the Strip.
This also includes a distance of six meters around stairs and elevators. Standing or stopping to use these amenities remains permitted.
Clark County said in a statement that its “Pedestrian Traffic Zone Ordinance” is not intended to target street performers or photo ops, but rather to increase public safety by ensuring a continuous flow pedestrian traffic on bridges.
The measure “will help ensure that our world-renowned tourist destination remains a safe place for people to visit and travel through,” the statement said.
But opponents say the ban violates rights protected by the First Amendment.
“This could concern the right to demonstrate. This could be about someone sharing expressions of their faith. This could concern a street artist,” raised Athar Haseebullah, director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada. These rights, he mentioned, are “protected at the highest level” in public spaces, including pedestrian bridges.
Clark County plans to install signs to identify areas where stopping or standing is prohibited.