The Bellagio Fountains, Paris Las Vegas, and Bally’s Las Vegas, August 15, 2019
Saying that City X is unlike any other city in the world might sound cliché, but I think there are cities that truly have a different vibe that no other city can come close to replicating. For example, I was reminded of the grandeur of Washington, DC’s main downtown avenues and the sweeping views from the National Mall while standing on the Monumental Axis in Brasilia. Walking through the markets of Istanbul triggered senses similar to walking through the markets in the Old City of Jerusalem. However, Las Vegas is truly unlike any other city that I have been to on account of the many casinos and their varying architectural styles. Just walking somewhere is a tourist activity in and of itself.
The Las Vegas transit system is also notable for several features. Firstly, I think it is fair to say the transit system is simultaneously catering to two different markets. There is a transit system geared towards the needs of the local population, connecting where they live to where they work and shop. The second market is the tourist market, which relies on the transit system to get from attraction to attraction along the Strip and in the Downtown area. There is overlap between the markets, for example, the Deuce route along the Strip is the main route in this corridor and used by both groups, but my feeling was that the RTC is catering to two distinct groups and needs simultaneously.
Secondly, the network is notable for the amount of privately operated routes and modes over the course of the city’s history. The privately operated Las Vegas Transit System (LVTS) was not taken over by the public RTC until the early 1990s, as LVTS was able to subsidize its residential routes by charging high fares on its route serving the Strip. The Las Vegas Monorail is a privately owned enterprise that received no public funding for its construction or operation (though ownership was transfered to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority after its private operator declared bankruptcy in 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic).
Keeping with the city’s reputation of being unlike any other place, while it is not the only North American transit operator to use double decker buses, it is the only one I can think of that does not use them primarily on commuter routes with little turnover at each stop. While this isn’t uncommon in places such as London, it is unusual for a North American transit property.
Observing and photographing the system is also quite the experience. Pedestrian crowds often make it difficult to get the types of shots I typically prefer, focusing on the vehicle and its architectural or natural surroundings. Heavy traffic also makes it hard to set up and get shots of the vehicles with the unique casino buildings as backdrops. Finally, nighttime photography is also challenging due to the amount of artificial light created by billboards and other illuminated displays, forcing one to “unlearn” some of the tricks usually used for those types of shots.
I’m glad I had the opportunity to go to Las Vegas when I did, as it is fair to say a trip to the city going forward is not going to be anything like how it was when I went in August 2019 in the near future. I do hope the city experiences a full recovery as the pandemic subsides, as tourism and entertainment are the primary workforce sectors in the city and many are likely experiencing hardship due to the lack of tourists visiting the city. Is it high on my list of places to make a return trip to? Probably not, as I can think of many other cities that I’d like to visit for a first time before going to Las Vegas for a second time, but I would also certainly welcome the opportunity to go back sometime if the occasion was right.
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