Anyone who has visited Las Vegas in recent days knows how horrific the traffic can be. And nobody knows this better than the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC), who recently reported  that the construction of seven casino resort and condo properties on the Strip (some of which have already begun construction) will increase traffic on what is commonly called the Resort Corridor by a whopping 25%. RTC Chairman, Jacob Snow, said that unless something is done to curb these rises in traffic, it will be virtually impossible to prevent traffic jams worse than the largest tie-ups in New York City.

According to the RTC's estimates, if all seven properties go up on the Strip, there will be an estimated 100,000 more cars on the roadway.  Some critics say these estimates are highly exaggerated for the formula used to tabulate the sums incorporates two card trips per day for every new resort and condo room. Many of the visitors to Las Vegas will stay for several days and so will only need to take car trips to and from the airport.

While this point is true, there are the countless cab rides and trips downtown, to golf courses, and attractions like the Hoover damn.  There will also be thousands of more jobs created from the properties, which results in more vehicles from workers. The bottom line, according to the RTC, is that Las Vegas Boulevard is already maxed out with 50,000 vehicles per day. The Resort Corridor alone, which is comprised of Paradise Road, Las Vegas Blvd., Frank Sinatra Dr., Interstate 15 and Industrial Road, already handles 225,000 vehicles per day.

The majority of sentiments from vacationers in Las Vegas are getting frustrated with roadside situation.  People are missing shows and spending more time in vehicles than they they are shopping and gambling. Perhaps this is why several casino resorts and projects that are in the works have developed plans to help mitigate the bottlenecks and honking horns. MGM Mirage's Project City Center is going to feature an elevated roundabout that will allow vehicles to access two different properties without having to drive on the Strip itself, while Las Vegas Sands Corp. has resynchronized traffic signals with newly built right-hand turn lanes into their property, constructed several pedestrian bridges, and situated visitor and employee parking for its Palazzo expansion on the backside of the casino so that traffic is detoured from the Strip.

Most would agree (even the RTC) that the prospects of building the necessary amount of additional lanes on the major Interstate's and roadways is virtually impossible, and that the responsibility of structured traffic flow is in the hands of the casino resorts and condos responsible for bringing in the traffic in the first place.  Of course city planners need to assess the situation on their own, and a joint collaboration between both parties is the best remedy for a growing Las Vegas.