Church outlines more of its transportations plans for Salt Lake Temple open house

SALT LAKE CITY — Over a million tickets have already been reserved for the Salt Lake Temple open house, and millions more are expected ahead of next year's event.

It's expected to bring 22,000 visitors every day from April 5, 2027, through Oct. 1, 2027, which is also why detailed transportation planning is well underway to pull everything off.

"There's been a great deal of worry about the traffic and the problems getting around Salt Lake City," said Juan Becerra, government and community relations manager for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

However, he said the church has secured additional downtown and west side parking to get people in and out of the massive event. Becerra attended a Fairpark Community Council meeting Thursday evening to update residents on the church's transportation plans and other key logistics, especially since the church plans to use North Temple on the west side as a key corridor in getting people to the event.

The church secured a parking lot at the corner of North Temple and Redwood Road, on land the Larry H. Miller Company recently acquired as part of its Power District vision in Fairpark. The lot will hold over 1,700 stalls, as well as a loading area for people to transfer onto a coach bus, where they can be taken to Temple Square on the day of their visit.

"It will be a secure parking lot. It will be illuminated at night, secured during the day, with security officers," Becerra said, adding that the shuttle service is about an eight-minute ride to a drop-off point along 200 West, located between North Temple and South Temple.

Activity will be spread out throughout the day, with secured entry running from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Shuttle service will operate from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, and from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Sundays throughout the open house.

Meanwhile, a bicycle valet lot is planned for the corner of West Temple and South Temple, per a map that the church shared with residents. It's near the site of the old Salt Lake Plaza Hotel, which was torn down this year to make way for event infastructure.

Other parts of the lot will be used for commercial tour bus parking, while a rideshare drop-off point is planned for the corner of 200 West and South Temple, per the map. Volunteers and scheduled performers can park at Lot 85, the parking lot located at 200 W. South Temple.

More than 20,000 volunteers have already signed up, with 35,000 anticipated next year, Becerra said. Some additional bus hubs and parking for people with disabilities are planned near Temple Square.

The church is still working with Utah Transit Authority over additional transportation options. UTA may adjust schedules to accommodate crowds, and there have been conversations about having entry tickets count as fare, he added.

Salt Lake City leaders agreed in March to close some of its downtown streets for the event for safety. North Temple, West Temple and South Temple directly around the temple will be closed off entirely with fencing, while North Temple from West Temple to 200 West and West Temple from North Temple to 200 North will also be closed off to traffic.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints agreed to pay the city approximately $2.3 million for the temporary lease of the closed roadways, city officials said at the time. The deal sets up an 11-entry point security perimeter, which will be set up around Temple Square and nearby facilities throughout the duration of the open house.

Those who attended Thursday's meeting left cautiously optimistic about the traffic impacts.

"I think we are kind of bracing for it, and I think we all know it's going to happen, so we just all work together as best we can to make it through those six months," said Anthony Washburn, of the Fairpark neighborhood.

Washburn said he also hopes that the event can highlight many local businesses in the downtown and on the west side, as people visit the city.

Efforts are also underway to keep people in the downtown area longer. Various events, like open-air concerts, are planned within Temple Square throughout the six-month run, Becerra said. Many of the other Temple Square properties will have new features and exhibits for visitors to explore.

The Salt Lake City Downtown Alliance has also been exploring ways to draw people to other parts of the downtown core. Some of the unique downtown plans include "joyful" new decorative lampposts to support lighting safety and appeal of Main Street, most of which is supported by business donations.

The church, Becerra said, plans to continue to work with the city and other neighbors who he said have "bent over backwards" to work with the church over opening house logistics. The ultimate goal is to make sure the massive event is a win for everyone.

"We know that it's our party. We want you to come to our party, but we don't want it to be an expense for people," he said. "We want to cooperate with the city as best as we can and be the best neighbors that we can so that this is a success for everyone, not just for us."

Power District update

The open house wasn't the only major topic discussed during Thursday's community meeting. An update was provided on the long-term plans for the Power District, which is now in its construction phase.

Crews recently topped off the high point of the new Rocky Mountain Power headquarters, nearly a year after ground broke on the project, said Carl Duke, executive vice president of Larry H. Miller Real Estate.

Funding has now been secured for the area's second project, a 7-story residential building, he added. Ground is expected to break in December on the new luxury housing project, which is designed for families, with two- and three-bedroom units.

There was notably no talk about a future new ballpark until an audience member had a question about traffic flow. It's a topic many are thinking about, along with what kind of businesses would come into the area.

Community members said they're excited about the prospect of a ballpark, but they worry about too much development happening too fast. Duke said construction in the district will continue to move constantly.

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