PARK CITY, Utah — For the first time when anyone can remember, Main Street will be shut to vehicle traffic during the Sundance Film Festival, meaning the busiest portion of Park City will be designated as pedestrians-only as a way to keep the public safe.
Park City Police announced Wednesday that the busy road through the heart of the city will be closed to vehicular traffic from Jan. 23 to Feb. 2.
The festival has movie premieres and other events in Park City and Salt Lake City, with the center of Park City attracting the main surge in pedestrians. Police said this change "prioritizes public safety."
Although it was not stated outright, this change may be partially in response to the New Year's Day incident in New Orleans, where a man drove into a crowd and killed 14 people. Park City Police Chief Wade Carpenter spoke with FOX 13 News the day after that incident, describing the safeguards already in place for the bustling tourist town.
In Wednesday's announcement, Carpenter addressed the public safety precautions balanced with the impact it may have on the city.
"We understand closing Main Street to vehicles improves public safety, but also may temporarily inconvenience locals and small businesses,” Carpenter said in the press release. "After careful consideration and consultation with several important federal, state, and local public safety agencies and event partners, it became clear that this was the necessary and correct decision."
The city and its police department will be in touch with the impacted "stakeholders" to provide information about Main Street access during the pedestrian-only period. They said updates will also be provided on the city's website HERE.
