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Published Monday, Dec. 8, 2008 | 5:31 p.m.
Updated Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2008 | 1:03 p.m.
Las Vegas Sign
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Legendary Las Vegas neon sign designer Betty Willis, known for her world-famous "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign, talks about how she created her illustrious masterpiece and the significance of each of the sign's various symbols.
Sun Archives
It's now even easier to get your picture in front of the famous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign.
Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid celebrated today's opening of the new parking lot outside the famous sign with showgirls and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The $400,000 new lot, on Las Vegas Boulevard south of Russell Road, has 12 parking spaces, including two handicapped spots and two places for buses on the median adjacent to the lot.
“This project has been a long time in coming,” Reid said. “Untold thousands have had their photos taken in front of the sign. Now they can do so without having to dodge speeding cars. I’m especially happy that we can provide access for the first time to our disabled guests. Las Vegas has been rated as one of this nation’s most accessible cities for the disabled and this project improves upon that record.”
Reid said that the new lot makes it so that visitors do not have to jaywalk or park in one of the Las Vegas Strip travel lanes.
The sign was created in 1959 and has been nearly impossible to access especially for the disabled, so the new handicapped spots make it the first time in the signs 49-year history that they will be able to safely access the Vegas icon.
The sign reads “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada” on the front and “Come Back Soon” on the back.
The county does not have plans to add parking to the other "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign that was placed in the median on Boulder Highway near Harmon Avenue in 2007.
WOW!!!!!
$400000000 TO CREATE A SPOT. I THINK WE COULD HAVE SPENT THE MONEY JUST A LITTLE MORE WISELY.HUMMMMMM MAYBE ON THE THINGS THE GOVERNMENT IS CUTTING EXPENSIVES ON SUCH AS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. I AM NOT SURE WHO AUTHORIZED THIS IDEA BUT HEY WILL SOMEBODY WAKE UP AND FIRE THEM BECAUSE THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO BE JUST THROWING THE MONEY AROUND. IT IS NOT LIKE THE OLD DAYS WHERE THE SAYING WAS "IF YOU BUILD IT PEOPLE WILL COME TO SEE IT"........
With all the budget cuts it would seem like this was a total WASTE of our money - schools having their budgets ravaged and in the meantime some tourist (or even a local) gets to pull over and take their picture by that ugly "Vegas" sign - go figure.........
I disagree with the two shortsighted anti-Vegas comments above.
I think it's a bargain price to protect the safety of our visitors, the primary source of income to the valley, and money well spent in the interests of everyone who lives and visits here.
I also love the aesthetics of the sign! It is our global symbol and well recognized the world over. To me, it has and always will speak "Las Vegas!" better than any symbol. Better than Sig & Roy, Frank Sinatra, Wayne Newton, and Oscar Goodman put together.
I don't think those comments are short sighted, I think they just highlight the traditional focus of Las Vegas politics: The strip will save us! That economy has been steadily shrinking over the years while the city itself is growing rapidly. We need to shift our priorities. It's not anti-Vegas to get upset about poor spending decisions in the face of a recession and massive budget cuts. In fact it's more more long sighted to focus on education. If we continue to churn out poorly educated children (not because of ability but because of resources) then we are going to have much bigger issues later. That parking lot money could've bought a lot of textbooks for kids.
To bring it to a personal level, when times are tough you don't buy a new kitchen table so your guests will be more comfortable, you make sure your kids are fed, clothed and your vehicle is properly maintained, ya know, important pragmatic things.
I understand the anti-sign comments posted above but the sign is a major piece of Las Vegas history, It is nice to see something of the old town preserved and promoted as opposed to the good old "implode" and replace everything philosophy that has prevailed in recent years. I used to enjoy going to Las Vegas in the Nineties much more than now for this reason. You could enjoy and see the new propeties as well as the old. For example: "The Glass Pool Motel" "The Sands, etc."
I used to visit Las Vegas more frequently then because of this.
"I don't think those comments are short sighted, I think they just highlight the traditional focus of Las Vegas politics"
Then you would support saving the money or spending it better elsewhere, at the cost of pedestrian safety? What if some little kid was killed there last week? What if a tourist was hit and injured just trying to get their picture taken?
I still disagree, strongly. This is the Strip we're talking about, with people parking in traffic lanes or running across traffic. Seems pretty clear this is money well spent. Cheap too!