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Whit Johnson ReportingSnow's not the only thing that came to town tonight. Thousands of people are downtown as well. There's plenty of hustle and bustle as folks hit the roads for various events. Combine one of downtown's busiest weekends of the year with some possible rain and snow and you might want to re-assess your plans.
From the music of the Tabernacle Choir to the lights at Temple Square and the red hot court of the Utah Jazz, there's plenty to do in downtown Salt Lake City this weekend, but it's not all fun and games.
Susan: "It was horrible. 'Why is that?' We came from Lehi and it's taken us an hour a 45 minutes to get this far."
Martha: "Twenty minutes longer than normal probably."
Carolyn: "Really busy and the parking is really difficult once you get down here."
Traffic was bumper to bumper, the crosswalks shoulder to shoulder. An estimated 40-thousand people from the Christmas Concert and Jazz game combined. Then there's the Nutcracker, holiday shopping and more.
Joseph: "It's horrible. I wouldn't want to be in the middle of it. I hear cars honking, people yelling at each other. It's not too good right now."
The gridlock could very well continue through the weekend. There will be no more Jazz games, but everything else continues along with a storm to throw in the mix, likely to bring some rain and perhaps some valley snow.
Susan: "'Well you're here now.' We're here but my husband is still down the street trying to get where we're supposed to be."
So plan ahead this weekend. A little walking, carpooling and public transportation might not be a bad idea.
There's something else to think about as the big holiday season DUI and seatbelt emphasis kicks off tonight. About 60 extra officers will be on the roads so plan ahead and be careful.
