Main Street vehicle closures bumped to the fall as Salt Lake City eyes permanent pedestrian shift
Walk Around the Clock
By Benjamin Wood @BjaminWood
The past three summers have seen Salt Lakers and downtown guests taking to the streets on weekends thanks to a temporary road closure and retail encouragement program known as Open Streets on Main.
But pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, shoppers, sidewalk diners and street performers will have to wait until the cooler months of fall—at the earliest—for the next taste of car-free living downtown. While the city government is formally studying the feasibility of permanently transforming Main Street to a pedestrian-first promenade, the COVID-era emergency orders that made Open Streets possible in the short term have since expired, putting the near-term future of the Main Street project on shaky ground.
"Salt Lake City and Downtown Alliance are hopeful to produce Open Streets—a walkable Main Street demonstration—again in 2023 in September and October," said Andrew Wittenberg, spokesman for the Mayor's Office. "Salt Lake City is in the process of identifying permit changes and coordinating public safety measures to ensure the activation is a safe space for all."
Of particular issue is the sidewalk, not the street itself, Wittenberg explained. The city is fully within its rights to suspend vehicle access at any time (no matter how vehemently car owners might object to walking one extra block), but emergency orders issued in response to the COVID pandemic effectively designated the roadway as a sidewalk in a legal and accessibility sense, freeing up space between the curb and storefronts for patio dining, retail sales, musical performances and other programming and activation.
The loss of emergency status effectively puts Open Streets in the position of needing new temporary policies or long-term adjustment to city ordinances, both of which would typically require action by the Salt Lake City Council. Sources familiar with the city's planning, who were not authorized to speak publicly, also noted the costs around the program, which include security personnel and temporary barricades around TRAX lines and street entrances, as well as lost revenue to city coffers in the form of paid street parking.
Some of those costs would be mitigated by a permanent redesign of Main Street (note that end-to-end gating of TRAX is not necessary in other pedestrian-dense locations along the rail routes) while others would likely be outstripped by the enhanced economic activity of a more-walkable, less-car-dominated downtown. At the close of the 2022 Open Streets season, downtown businesses representatives credited the initiative with an uptick in sales, in some cases above pre-pandemic figures.
Wittenberg said the city's study of Main Street between 400 South and South Temple will assess the options for "pedestrian-first" improvements while maintaining "limited" access to automobiles. And two blocks east of Main Street, this summer will see the partial closure of 200 East between 300 South and 400 South in a pilot demonstration for the proposed 5.5-mile "Green Loop" around the city center.
"Downtown Alliance and The Blocks will continue to program free outdoor performances downtown and on Main Street this summer," Wittenberg said.
Disclosure: The author of this report has previously been compensated by the city for performing as an Open Streets busker.
About The Author
Benjamin Wood
Lifelong Utahn Benjamin Wood has worn the mantle of City Weekly's news editor since 2021. He studied journalism at Utah State University and previously wrote for The Salt Lake Tribune, the Deseret News and Entertainment Weekly
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