Electric Daisy Carnival to bring high-energy dance music — and traffic — to Las Vegas
For locals, the real jamming begins when the big party ends.
Traffic jams, that is.
The Electric Daisy Carnival will again bring high-energy dance music and a carnival atmosphere to Las Vegas Motor Speedway during a string of overnight parties this weekend. About 400,000 revelers — many of whom will drive in from Southern California — will attend.
Expect heavy traffic, particularly during the morning commute to work next Monday. That’s when pooped partyers will mingle with local workers headed south on Interstate 15.
Be alert and steer clear of swerving vehicles. Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Jason Buratczuk said additional resources will be deployed this weekend to watch for drowsy drivers and those who might imbibe illegal substances.
The Nevada Department of Transportation said to expect traffic snarls to start Friday afternoon on northbound I-15, between Cheyenne Avenue and Speedway Boulevard.
“Just be patient and watch the signs,” Transportation Department spokesman Tony Illia said. “Festival organizers actually have done a good job planning for the additional traffic by urging carpooling or taking limousines and buses.”
Taxicabs are helping by cutting through Nellis Air Force Base to hit the music festival.
Carnival attendees will also fly into McCarran International Airport, where electronic dance music will thump through the terminals. The Transportation Security Administration is preparing to screen about 72,000 airline passengers headed out of town by the time most concertgoers go home next Monday,a 10 percent jump in normal operations, TSA spokeswoman Lorie Dankers said.
If you’re really feeling like a rock star this weekend, Maverick Aviation helicopters is offering rides from the airport to the speedway for a sixth consecutive year. The 15-minute trip aboard an EC130 copter costs $800 round trip, or $500 one way, said Bryan Kroten, Maverick’s vice president of marketing. Flights run 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
Maverick needed only two helicopters when the company first offered flights to EDC. Since then, Kroten said that demand has surged, requiring the use of 20 helicopters during the festival’s run.
Kroten wouldn’t say which performers planned to ride to EDC this year but hinted that “all the top-caliber artists will be flying with us.” In previous years, EDC luminaries Afrojack, Tiesto, Skrillex, Avicii and Calvin Harris flew to the concert with Maverick.
SIDEWALK SAFETY
Sometimes, crossing the street can be just as precarious as driving.
Terry, a former police officer from California, wanted to know why the crosswalks around Las Vegas were faded, and whether the city would repaint the safety lines.
“My concern is that the city could be on the hook if a driver cannot see the lines in the intersection,” he wrote.
Blame it on the sun, Terry.
A severe lack of rain leads to dirty crosswalks, while the constant heat makes it “extremely difficult” to keep the markings white and bright, city spokeswoman Margaret Kurtz said.
“Our high temperatures also cause oil and pavement material to bleed and be tracked on crosswalks, further blackening them,” Kurtz said.
The good news, Kurtz said, is that the crosswalks supplement other pedestrian safety measures such as traffic signals and yellow flashing lights at school crossings. The law is also on your side: Nevada drivers must yield to pedestrians, whether an intersection is marked or unmarked, Kurtz said.
Kurtz said the city refreshes school-zone crosswalks at the start of the school year and recently repaved areas. City crews have also experimented with several types of paint, film, colored concrete and other materials to make crosswalks clearer.
But the problems continue, thanks to the heat.
“Every material becomes susceptible in short order to our very difficult desert weather conditions,” Kurtz said.
Do you know a traffic sign, crosswalk or signal that needs fixing or replacing? Call the city at 702-229-6331 or visit lasvegasnevada.gov, click the “I want to” icon, and then “report a problem.”
Contact Art Marroquin at amarroquin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0336. Find @AMarroquin_LV on Twitter.
