Reasons suggested by Susan Roy for the move were better parking, better safety and an easier venue for collecting the admission fee.
But this idea on its face is flawed. It makes no sense to gather 10,000 people at The Valley's largest annual event and then, after half of the event is over, ask them to move five miles up a mountain.
The logistics of that proposal alone are staggering. Getting that many people into Warren Village is a feat and getting them out really only works because people leave at different times, people park in dozens of places and there is off-site parking as well as public transportation.
Granted, buses could take revelers from Warren Village to Sugarbush, but then we're just creating an extra unneeded round of trips to get people back from the mountain to the parking diaspora. And with people increasingly conscious of their carbon footprint, do we really want to take what is already a compact, pedestrian-friendly, non-autocentric celebration and move half of it five miles away?
Given that people often celebrate the Fourth of July with adult beverages, although no longer openly on the street in Warren Village, is it really wise to encourage unnecessary driving?
In Warren, the Fourth of July celebration is compact, walkable, family friendly and user friendly. It's possible to attend the parade, the street dance and then Brooks Field without any transportation other than feet. Why add cars/buses back into that mix?
Pulling off the Fourth of July celebration is a Herculean effort and Roy, the chamber, and the organizers deserve credit for their efforts. If it's too hard for them to collect admission fees at Brooks Field, then a better collection effort is needed, not a new venue.
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