SALT LAKE CITY — One of the very, very few silver linings of the recent pandemic was the opportunity to experiment with making downtown Salt Lake City a pedestrian plaza with restaurants and bars expanding out to the sidewalk.
However, after three years, that experiment won't return this summer, thought city officials hope to bring it back in the fall months.
For the past three summers, "Open Streets" has shut down Main Street to cars during the summer season, and open it up to shoppers, pedestrians and others to roam freely by foot. But the COVID-era emergency orders that made the event possible have expired.
Mayor Erin Mendenhall says the city is taking steps to identify permit changes and coordinate public safety measures to make it a permanent experience in Salt Lake.
“The city council put a half-million dollars aside to try to activate it again as an 'Open Streets' temporary project this summer and we’re working with the Downtown Alliance to see if we can make that happen,” said Mendenhall.
Mendenhall added that while the program may not return as early this summer, the city is hoping to get people walking the street again by September or October.
