A storm-drain trench, blocked crosswalks and lane closures are turning one of Las Vegas' biggest transit makeovers into a daily access problem for small businesses near Boulevard Mall. King of Hearts Tattoo says business is down about 20%, while The DJ Museum says visitor traffic has fallen roughly 50% since work ramped up.
The businesses' struggles were detailed by KTNV, which reported that tattoo artist Bryanna Cortez has seen fewer walk-in customers at King of Hearts Tattoo. Nearby, DJ Museum owner Sam Maxion said the new attraction was just beginning to build momentum when construction made access more difficult.
Active Work Is Concentrated Near The Storefronts
The complaints are arriving as crews move through another active phase of the Regional Transportation Commission's Maryland Parkway Bus Rapid Transit project. In its latest update, RTC said roadway removals were scheduled between Sahara Avenue and Karen Avenue, while paving was underway between Desert Inn Road and Sierra Vista Drive; Dumont Boulevard was also expected to remain closed at Maryland Parkway through early August.
That places construction activity directly alongside the stretch where the businesses say customers are having trouble getting across the street or finding a straightforward path to the storefronts. RTC says access to businesses will be maintained, but its project materials also warn that lane shifts and parking impacts will continue as work progresses.
Owners Are Trying To Survive The Finish Line
Cortez told KTNV that artists at the tattoo shop pay to work there, making a drop in walk-in traffic especially painful. Maxion said the DJ Museum once saw visitors throughout the day, but the combination of closed lanes, blocked crossings and the trench outside has cut deeply into that flow.
The timing is particularly tough for a business that opened less than a year ago and is still trying to establish itself with tourists and locals. A storefront can technically remain open while customers decide that navigating the construction is more trouble than the visit is worth.
RTC's public schedule estimates the Maryland Parkway project will be completed in fall 2026, according to the agency's construction timeline. The planned improvements may eventually make the corridor easier to use, but for these businesses, the immediate question is whether they can keep paying the bills until the promised finish line arrives.
