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Tonya Papanikolas Reporting If you drove into downtown Salt Lake this morning, you may have noticed just how many people were heading into the city. The American Legion conference wasn't the only big draw.
Around 12-thousand people attended the American Legion conference at the Salt Palace today. Down the street from that, more than 19-thousand people attended a motivational seminar with guests like former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani These conferences started during the morning commute, when others were just trying to get to work and school.
Traffic on I-15 was slow-going this morning as thousands headed to high-profile conventions downtown.
Bob Bell, Caught in Morning Traffic: "We drove in from Ogden, and it was backed up all the way. All the way from Layton to here."
Once drivers reached downtown, things weren't much better.
Krista Beard: "Getting on to the 6th south exit was a mess."
Around the Salt Palace, where US cabinet members spoke, officers helped direct traffic. And then there was parking. Closest lot to the Delta Center, where Rudy Giuliani was speaking, attendants say their usual 200 cars expanded to over 1,000.
Chris Eaton, The Parking Place Attendant: "When I got here, there was a line all the way to 3rd west."
Meg Kemp, Downtown for Motivational Seminar: "We drove around probably for 1/2 hour looking for a spot."
Brent Harwood, Attending Motivational Seminar Downtown: "We spent 45 minutes trying to find parking, and luckily we found a meter."
For those who regularly work downtown or students beginning classes at the new LDS business college campus, the extra traffic was a headache.
Louise Brown, LDS Business College Spokeswoman: "I saw students scurrying in, running to get to their classes cause they were late. We had a lot of students late today."
Krysta Beard, Student: "I was about 10 minutes late."
But the added crowds weren't an inconvenience to everyone. Downtown businesses like Crown Burger benefited from the conferences. Their lunchtime lines extended down the sidewalk outside; inside wasn't much better.
Kathy Kogianes, Manager, Crown Burger: "It's great. We enjoy it and we want it to keep happening every day."
UTA also had a great day; in fact, so many people took TRAX downtown, every one of the park 'n ride lots was full.
Meg Kemp: "Our general manager had to park about three blocks away from the TRAX station out in Sandy because that lot was full, too."
UTA told KSL that TRAX ridership today was reminiscent of the Olympics; but during that time, they actually brought in extra rail cars to accommodate all the people, so things were a little crowded today.
