Traffic signals, crosswalks installed at Las Vegas welcome sign

By Conor Shine

Thursday, April 23, 2015 | 3:28 p.m.

With the flip of a switch, two new traffic signals were activated along Las Vegas Boulevard today, making it safer for pedestrians crossing the street to get to the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign.

Hundreds of people with cameras and selfie sticks visit the site each day to take pictures of the iconic sign erected in 1959.

“The sign has become so recognizable....Everybody’s taking pictures and as soon as they take the picture, they’re putting it on Twitter or Facebook so their friends all over are seeing the sign,” Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak said. “It’s turned into one of the things everybody wants to do.”

But getting to the sign, located in the middle of busy Las Vegas Boulevard just south of Mandalay Bay, has been a challenge for pedestrians. There is limited parking in the median, but some people still cross the street on foot to get to the sign.

Until now, there were no crosswalks or traffic signals, forcing visitors to jaywalk while contending with cars going more than 40 mph.

“It’s like you’re playing Frogger when you’re trying to cross the street,” Sisolak said.

The new traffic signals, which stop both northbound and southbound traffic, were installed as part of a larger, $900,000 renovation that also increased parking at the sign from 12 spaces to 33 spaces, with two additional spots for buses. The signals will be synched with other stoplights to minimize the disruption to drivers.

A raised concrete barrier and fencing also were installed to protect visitors from cars running into the median, an infrequent but dangerous occurrence.

The added parking spaces are expected to provide relief to the often crowded lot. Visitors frequently park at nearby businesses or circle the area waiting for a spot.

Commissioner Mary Beth Scow said the changes are part of a broader effort to make the Strip as safe and friendly for pedestrians as possible.

“We’re trying to be ahead of the curve,” Scow said. “More and more people are walking the Strip, and we’ve got more and more visitors every year. We’ve spent a lot of time and money making pedestrians safe.”

Despite the high volume of traffic, there have been no reported accidents involving pedestrians trying to access the sign, a county spokesman said.

County commissioners also announced today that they plan to honor the designer of the Las Vegas welcome sign, Betty Willis, who died on Sunday, at their May 5 meeting.