The Las Vegas Strip is America’s Adult getaway.
But the deadly targeting of pedestrians Sunday night was a harsh reminder that you can never really escape reality.
But can’t you at least expect to be able to walk safely on the Las Vegas Strip, which is a National Scenic Byway?
It’s an issue that the Clark County Commission has been working on for a few years with casino operators and Las Vegas Metro Police.
As chairman of the Clark County commission, Steve Sisolak has overseen the changes and knows what’s ahead.
"We have installed pedestrian fencing along Las Vegas Boulevard," Sisolak told KNPR's State of Nevada, "Now, is it all the way fence, no, of course not. It's one of these issues there is only so much time and only so much money."
He said pedestrian bridges have also helped with safety along the Strip, but he points out the crash on Sunday night was not an "accident."
"Someone who has the intention to take a deadly weapon such as a motor vehicle into a mass of people is going to be able to do it whether it's on 5th Avenue in New York City or it's on Las Vegas Boulevard, or it is Spring Mountain or it is on Sahara," he said.
He said Strip properties, the county, Metro Police, the Regional Transportation Commission and others are all aware of the potential dangers along the Strip and are making efforts to make sure people are safe.
"Everybody is on the same page and pulling in the same direction to make the Strip corridor and all of the side ways are as safe for pedestrians as humanly possible," he said.
Sisolak dismissed some of the safety options that have been floated since the crash, including closing down Las Vegas Boulevard to vehicle traffic.
"Realistically, you can't close five miles of Las Vegas Boulevard," he said. "To close Las Vegas Boulevard from Sahara all the way down to Russell is such an enormous length, I don't see that as being viable."
He also pointed out that major streets that cross the Boulevard also have a lot of pedestrian traffic and they can't keep cars off of those streets, noting that any time there are pedestrians and cars in the same area there are going to be risks.
Steve Sisolak, Clark County Commission chairman
