Las Vegas hospitality workers share commute around F1 race closures

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Hospitality workers shared their experience commuting around road closures for Formula One race week.

“They’re not happy about it,” Tara Mainer said. “They hate it.”

Mainer spoke with 8 News Now on her way to work at the Linq Promenade on Wednesday, sharing how she and her coworkers feel about the race.

“I’m working a closing shift,” Mainer said Wednesday evening. “So, I’m not going to get out of here until 1:30 in the morning, at least.”

Hospitality workers shared their experience commuting around road closures for Formula One race week. (KLAS)

She is one of many parked at the Las Vegas Convention Center to then take the Monorail to work at various hotels and casinos along the Las Vegas Strip.

“There’s a lot of workers that work in the hotels over here,” a woman who works at Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino said.

Some people who have maneuvered major F1 road closures since the first race in 2023 told 8 News Now that every year gets easier, with several parking lots set aside this year.

Some companies also provided free Monorail passes, according to employees.

“It’s good to know they’re trying to make it easier for everybody to get to work,” a hospitality worker said. “And get out of the strip.”

Hospitality workers shared their experience commuting around road closures for Formula One race week. (KLAS)

However, getting to work is only half of the battle, according to Mainer. The track, which once again impacts parts of Las Vegas Boulevard, Sands Avenue, Harmon Avenue, and Koval Lane, keeps tourists and customers away, so she said the hassle hardly seems worth it.

“It’s just kind of inconvenient to have to come to work,” Mainer said. “Because we’re going to be slow and all the traffic isn’t great.”

Regardless, the Grand Prix will keep coming back to Las Vegas, so all they can do is deal with it and hope each year brings more relief.

“We’re working,” one hospitality worker concluded. “So we have to be here.