Las Vegas Raiders expands bike facilities amid traffic concerns

Las Vegas Raiders is encouraging fans to travel to Allegiant Stadium by bicycle after unveiling a vast expansion of storage facilities and cycling routes.

The National Football League (NFL) team announced last year that it would improve facilities at its 62,000-capacity stadium, where just a handful of bike rack spaces were available compared to 2,600 car parking spots. The vow came amid increasing traffic congestion around the stadium and following criticism from some fans and cycling advocacy groups. It also came in the wake of Nevada placing towards the bottom of the 2022 Bicycle Friendly States report.

Now the Raiders organisation has shown the importance it attaches to its supporters on two wheels by unveiling a host of new racks at a ceremony attended by Raiders president Sandra Douglass Morgan and a number of Clark County dignitaries.

In addition, suggested bike lane paths have been added on-site to designate safe travel paths for fans arriving at the stadium via bicycle.

Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft said the new bike racks will be helpful to locals and employees getting to the stadium and reduce traffic congestion.

Naft said: “People like me who just like to ride their bike to the game or to the event but there is also a significant impact for people who work here and making sure they have a safe way to get to work.”

The focus on reducing vehicles on the roads around Allegiant Stadium and T-Mobile Arena could become increasingly important in the coming years with the recent news that the Oakland A’s have bought nearby land for their proposed new ballpark.

Speaking late last year, Christopher Sotiropulos, vice president for stadium operations for the Raiders, said: “We have identified the new locations and are currently procuring the materials needed to make this happen. In addition, we are also in the processing of creating bike lane routes so guests who are arriving on bicycles can take the safest route to any of the locations where they can lock up their bike.”