The crowd watches as fireworks fill the sky during the midnight New Year’s Eve celebration on The Strip, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012.
Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014 | 2 a.m.
Navigating New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas can be daunting for newbie and veteran partygoers alike.
The city throws one of the biggest bashes in the country — more than 300,000 people converge on the Strip and Fremont Street to watch 80,000 fireworks explode from the rooftops of seven casinos, flooding Las Vegas’ skyline with a barrage of screaming lights.
Even for this land of excess, the party is over the top.
Such a massive gathering requires lots of planning and manpower. Every Metro Police officer works on this night, patrolling the streets and blocking off traffic for about 10 hours to accommodate dense pedestrian traffic in both entertainment corridors.
“We deploy all of our resources. We even take officers out of our plainclothes detectives bureau,” said Capt. Charles Hank, who oversees the event. “It’s the only planned event we do this for.”
To beat the massive crowds and get around Metro’s barricades, follow these tips:
Get there early
Metro officers start shutting down traffic around downtown Las Vegas and the Strip by early afternoon to accommodate big crowds.
“Anyone who’s going to be on the Strip needs to make sure they allow plenty of time to get where they want to go,” Officer Jesse Roybal said. “The last thing you want is to get stuck in traffic.”
Here’s a timeline for the closures
• Fremont will close at 4 p.m. as organizers set up crowd control barricades. Gates open at 6 p.m. for its Downtown Countdown event. Admission is $40.
• Ramps from Interstate 15 onto eastbound Tropicana Avenue will shut down at 5 p.m., and closures along the Strip between Sahara Avenue and Mandalay Bay Road will continue through about 6 p.m.
• Throughout the evening, eastbound and westbound travel on Sahara Avenue, Mandalay Bay Road, Desert Inn Road, Frank Sinatra Drive, Koval Lane, Russell Road, US 95 and the 215 Beltway will stay open. Harmon Avenue will be only be open for hotel guests traveling west toward CityCenter. Vehicle traffic on Harmon Avenue, east of Las Vegas Boulevard, will be limited to hotel properties.
Consider taking a bus
The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada will be offering free rides on all fixed routes from 6 p.m. New Year’s Eve to 9 a.m. the next day. The buses travel to locations throughout the Strip and downtown.
For route information, visit RTC’s website.
Wear comfortable shoes
All moving walkways, elevators and escalators leading to or crossing Las Vegas Boulevard will shut off at 6:30 p.m., and the Strip will fully open to crowds on foot.
That means you won’t be able to hop a cab to travel around the Strip.
Stay vigilant, and stick to a group
Heavy crowds of revelers are easy targets for pickpockets and muggers. Police suggest sticking to groups to discourage crimes of opportunity.
“We understand people want to go and have a good time, but they have to be aware of their surroundings,” Roybal said. “We want people to enjoy the night, but we don’t want them to fall victim to pickpockets.”
Prepare to start clearing the streets by 1:30 a.m.
Once the fireworks show wraps up about 12:15 a.m., all moving walkways, elevators and escalators leading to or crossing Las Vegas Boulevard will start running again. By about 1:30 a.m., police will begin removing vehicle barricades to let traffic out.
Street sweepers will clean up about 2 a.m., starting at Mandalay Bay and traveling north.
By 3:30 a.m., officials will start opening bigger roads and alleys leading onto the Strip.
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