Main Street was closed to vehicle traffic over the weekend for the Sundance Film Festival. Park City Police Chief Wade Carpenter designated the road as pedestrian-only for public safety reasons after consulting with local, state and federal law enforcement.
The move came weeks after a suspected terrorist drove a truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on New Year's Day, killing more than a dozen people.
Park City Special Events Manager Chris Phinney said the car-free Main Street concept was well-received.
“Everyone, all the attendees, anyone I talked to on the street, was just really happy to be able to walk up the street with all the activations and the lights and be able to take pictures in front of the Egyptian [Theatre],” Phinney said. “It was really, really positive feedback.”
Despite the rave reviews, Park City plans to fully reopen Main Street to vehicles on Tuesday.
Phinney said restrictions on Swede Alley will also end Tuesday. However, Park Avenue will remain one-way north, or downhill, until Sundance ends Sunday. Only city buses and residents with access passes will be able to travel the road southbound, or uphill.
The airport-style drop-off area that was erected on lower Main Street for the first weekend of the festival will also end Tuesday.
Park City Transportation Director Tim Sanderson said free public transit remains the best way to get around for Sundance.
“If anybody’s planning on going to any of the films, best way to get there is the bus,” Sanderson said. “Even though traffic is going to be considerably better for the next week, still everytime you take the bus, it’s one less car off the road.”
Buses will continue to run from the Richardson Flat park and ride near Highway 40 to the Old Town Transit Center every 10 minutes between 6:40 a.m. and 2 a.m. for the duration of Sundance.
