Breckenridge Town Council decided to begin reopening Main Street to vehicle traffic Sept. 28 at a special Town Council meeting Tuesday, Aug. 4.
Results from the business survey conducted by the Breckenridge Tourism Office showed support for extending Walkable Main into the fall. The survey was open for seven days and received 88 responses. Of those, 83% supported extending Walkable Main into September. The Tourism Office concluded that support for keeping the pedestrian Main Street open into September is strong across three business segments — lodging, restaurants and retail — but that support waivers for extending the date any further than that because of uncertainty around winter operations.
With varying plans for school start dates and online learning across the country, Mayor Eric Mamula said he thinks there will be more travelers this fall, which he cited as another reason to continue Walkable Main through September. He proposed reopening the street to vehicle traffic Sept. 28, and council members agreed. However, Town Manager Rick Holman said the reopening would have to be coordinated with the public works department and that while work to reopen the road could begin Sept. 28, it might not officially open until the next day.
Planning for winter
Also at the special meeting, council discussed plans for navigating winter during a pandemic.
Mamula asked council members whether they were in support of leaving the local emergency ordinances, including the mandatory mask zone, in place through the duration of the pandemic. Council was mostly in agreement; however, Carleton said the restaurant and bar curfew should be played “by ear.”
