Strip Traffic

For those of you who drive when you're in Vegas, you know that Strip traffic can be frustrating during certain times of the day. A lot of guide books tell you to avoid the Strip all together, but for those of us who like pretty lights and seeing the sights, it's not as much fun to take other roads. What's the average Joe to do?

First of all, I have to admit that I do like driving the Strip. Even when traffic is really bad, I remind myself that being on the Strip is 10 times better than being stuck on Highway 61 on my way to work in the morning! However, I understand that not everyone feels this way. So, I have a few tips to deal with traffic.

When to drive on the Strip:Typically, late night and early morning hours (after midnight to about 10 am), the Strip is less much congested than other times.
When to avoid the Strip:Once you hit the afternoon and early evening hours, you're going to sit for a while. Especially avoid the Bellagio area going South on the Strip at night. Many onlookers stop to watch the fountain show, and they don't care how many people honk behind them.
Alternate Routes:Paradise Road runs parallel East of the Strip (i.e. the side of the Strip that has MGM, Paris, Flamingo, Venetian, Riviera, etc.).
Industrial Road and Frank Sinatra Drive run parallel West of the Strip (i.e. Mandalay Bay, NY NY, Caesars, TI, Stardust, etc.).

These roads are pretty easy to get to, but note that sometimes they are also heavily traveled. We're not the first ones to think of alternate routes to get around the Strip, obviously, so lots of folks will be taking these roads. Also, if there's construction or an accident, expect major delays.

What Else To Know:

It's not always feasible to take an alternate route if you're only going a few blocks. Let's say you're driving from the Wynn to the Riviera. By the time you get off the Strip, turn onto Paradise, then get back to the Strip, it may not be worth it!

The best way to beat the Strip traffic is to STAY IN THE FARTHEST LEFT LANE THAT YOU CAN. Be careful not to get into a left turn only lane, but you will zip around much faster in the left lane than in the right because so many people make right turns off the Strip, and they often can't turn very fast because of pedestrian traffic blocking them. Therefore, the right lanes get stuck. If you need to eventually make a right turn, work your way over from the left lane about a block ahead of time, but no earlier.

Know where you're going before you get in the car. This seems obvious, but a lot of people don't know how to get from point A to point B and wind up missing turns, getting stuck, and causing a mess for everyone. There are a ton of free road maps around town, so there's no excuse not to always have one in the car.

Remember that you're in Vegas, so for the love of everyone please drive fast and turn up the tunes! No, I don't condone reckless driving or behavior, but step on that peddle on your right and make everyone happy. The speed limit is something ridiculous like 30 or 35, and I'm sure the cops will bust you for speeding, but I've never seen it. Now I've driven the Strip at 4 am when there's no traffic, and that's the time to watch your speed. I'm sure there are police cars just waiting for someone like me to zip by the Wynn at 105mph, so that's when I slow down. But during the day, when you're at a traffic light waiting for it to turn green, and there's no one in front of you...

Zoom Zoom Zoom,

Mike