Should Main Street be closed off for pedestrians?

We’ve had several readers ask us to talk about this as parts of Main Street had been temporarily closed to allow outdoor dining, and many of you seem to be in favor of this idea.

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The idea of a pedestrian-only street is not unheard of – think Lincoln Road in Miami or Third Street Promenade in Los Angeles, plus other popular pedestrian streets around the world. Main Street has now reopened to vehicle traffic after the temporary closures, but could Main Street work as a pedestrian-only street somewhere in the future?

We want to hear your thoughts. We’ll be sure to share your answers in a future newsletter.

Question

#Answered:

Now we want to share some of what you said:

“Absolutely not. Think of the older generation and those that have difficulty getting around. Thank you.”

“Yes. It would be beautiful. However that begs some questions: where would the added cars that would have parked on Main Street go? More parking away from Main Street would be needed. How to address the needs of disabled or other-abled visitors. How could they have fair accessibility? What about emergency vehicles that might need to attend to someone having a problem in one of the stores or on the street?”

“Ask Spartanburg about that. They tried that idea decades ago. It killed the businesses.”

“No. I like the free parking on Main and closure of Main for events.”

“YES! Absolutely! At least on the weekends if not every day. It would cut down on the loud engine noise, as well as exhaust, which is off putting while outdoor dining especially. And there would be more room for outdoor dining and a broader sense of community, like during the market, etc. Not to mention just safer for walking around and crossing streets. LOVE the idea!”

“No. Main street is also used for commercial purposes. Closing Main St. will increase complexities for our downtown businesses.”

“Yes!! But downtown would need additional parking.”

“Yes! There are plenty of supporting side roads to carry traffic (no one rides up and down Main Street for efficiency of travel anyways). During the recent closure, it was beautiful to see families/groups having the space to walk and talk side by side. Kids felt comfortable and had the space to ride their bikes! And it seems restaurants can have more space for outdoor seating. (And there are plenty of parking garages downtown for those afraid of losing on street parking.)”

“No! When Tulsa, OK closed the Main Street to cars, it just about killed the area as a destination. They eventually 'rethought' the change and opened up the streets again to vehicular traffic.”

“Yes, it increases the outside dining space and gives it a different flair. In Europe you see this ‘car’ free main street very often. Only commercial cars/trucks for business delivery should be allowed and maybe bicycles.”

“Yes it would be wonderful! I would like to see more cafés with outdoor seating, small micro stages for live performance, and maybe a big area designated for dancing. Our main street has huge potential with the right goals and vision. It could be something really special.”