Las Vegas Strip workers frustrated by traffic jams from Formula 1 repaving
Repaving has been going on in and around the Las Vegas Strip for months now and will continue until one of the biggest sports in the world drives into Las Vegas this November.
By Kim Passoth
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LAS VEGAS, Nevada (KVVU) — Repaving has been going on in and around the Las Vegas Strip for months now and will continue until one of the biggest sports in the world drives into Las Vegas this November. The inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix is expected to bring $1.3 billion dollars to the local economy, twice as much as the Super Bowl.
People who work nearby are questioning if it’s all worth it due to the extreme traffic backups they’ve been facing which they say are dangerous. What should take about five minutes to get out of a parking garage, is now taking 45 minutes to an hour in some cases.
“Every night I got to fight like a dog to try and go home,” Robert Kneeland who works in the LINQ Promenade told FOX5. Kneeland shared it now takes him an hour to get to or from work. It used to take about 20 minutes.
“They are taking out lanes, they are putting up cones everywhere, it just goes on and on,” Kneeland contended. Kneeland worries what would happen in an emergency if first responders couldn’t get through.
“It’s scary. Everybody is stuck. Nobody is moving. There’s no help. There’s no traffic police here,” Kneeland said about the garage he parks in for work. Kneeland wants some of the money the race will bring in to be used now to help with traffic. “Metro or some type of traffic police, security that the hotels might be providing,” Kneeland stated.
“I’ve been stressing about it to be honest with you. I’ve been talking to my coworkers. How we are going to do it,” said Mariano Del Real, who works at restaurant on the Strip. Del Real says as frustrations rise with people caught in traffic, he’s seen people become physical. One of his managers was even assaulted.
“Got in an argument with another driver… the manager got hit on the face,” Del Real revealed.
Race weekend is November 16-18th. It will be the first of many. F1 has a 10 year contract to hold the Grand Prix races in Las Vegas.
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