Main Street Moves in Ventura to Reopen to Traffic in November
Tracy Lehr
VENTURA, Calif. – The downtown street closure known as Main Street Moves in Ventura is set to end in November, following a vote by property owners that halted efforts to make the closure permanent.
Although Mayor Pro Tem Doug Halter supports the pedestrian-only model, which began in June 2020 to support outdoor business operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said the Pedestrian Mall Act was voted down by impacted property owners on July 8.
Those owners say they’ve lost millions of dollars in revenue since the closure began, citing reduced vehicle traffic and parking access as key concerns. With the vote, the city cannot reintroduce the proposal for at least a year under state law.
Halter said a proclamation to reopen Main Street to vehicle traffic on Nov. 2 will be considered during a Sept. 16 City Council meeting. Leaders are also expected to weigh the pros and cons of the closure and explore other alternatives.
The closure initially transformed five blocks of Main Street and a section of South California Street into a pedestrian promenade. Over the past four years, the city developed design guidelines, conducted environmental reviews, and gathered public input to make the change permanent.
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