05.21.2007 12:01 am
Will crowds stay away from downtown this summer?
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
In Monday’s story, Eads won’t close for festivals, we learn that St. Louis officials will keep traffic flowing this summer during its various events.
“We don’t want the public to perceive that we are uncaring as far as the traffic that is going to be caused by Highway 40 construction,” said Ann Chance, the city’s director of special events.
This summer, Live on the Levee events begin the first weekend of July and run through Aug. 4.
Vendors who in previous years set up on the bridge, will this year wind up on Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard along the riverfront or on the festival grounds.
But with much worse traffic jams expected as lanes are reduced along Highway 40 and overpasses closed, will crowds stay away from downtown this summer?
If they are smart they will. Masochists will still flock to stand around slowly.
Yes, the traffic jams. That’s why people shouldn’t venture into the nation’s most dangerous city.
I am from Southern Illinois. I will do my part by not adding my car to your traffic problem.
Why include the words “this summer” in your question?
BTW, there is no “other” selection in the online poll about this topic.
Why worry about just downtown? I will be interested in how the crowds play out at the attractions along Hwy 40, like the Zoo and the Science Center…not just this summer but for the next three years. Depending on where you live, even getting to the Botanical Garden is going to be problematic, especially with the construction mess on Kingshighway by the hospitals. Maybe we’ll just all stay home….
Since the more nightmarish elements of the 40/64 project don’t start until next year, my Reasonable Person-o-meter can’t seem to find any reason to predict that attendance at Downtown festivals will be harmed this summer. Besides, most people will probably have to experience their very own festival traffic debacle before eschewing attendance altogether (which, again, suggests that attendance won’t be affected ’til next year).
I take the metrolink downtown. I don’t know why anyone would deal with driving and parking, but to each his own. I doubt the construction issues are going to impact festival crowds much, but as someone else points out, we live in a region with many activities going on outside of downtown (Zoo, Science Center, Clayton, Loop, etc..) so people may flock to some of these areas to avoid downtown.
The wording of the question is a fitting tribute to Yogi Berra, who gave the commencement address at St. Louis U. Yogi, of course, said, “Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded.”
If everyone stays away from downtown, where will there be a crowd? How does a “crowd” stay away from a place if it does not assemble elsewhere?
I seem to remember there are a total of 4 interstates that come into downtown St. Louis, not just highway 40. Oh, and didn’t we build some public transportation thingy called the Metrolink? It sure sounds like downtown is the inconvenient place in St. Louis this summer…