Downtown Ventura, Calif., has long been a social hub, filled with shops, restaurants and a walk away from picturesque beaches. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the city of Ventura took the initiative in May 2020 to temporarily close its historic Main Street to vehicular traffic. This decision aimed to provide an opportunity for people to dine outdoors and shop, as indoor dining and public gatherings were restricted during that time. By implementing this closure, the community sought to support local businesses in Ventura while allowing individuals to safely enjoy meals outside their homes.

Initially, the city of Ventura implemented a 30-day permit as a trial to test the closure’s viability. Despite different opinions on the closure, this measure has persisted over the past years. In October 2023, the Ventura City Council unanimously voted to extend the closure throughout 2024, affirming its positive impact on the community.

Extending the closure was partly to reconsider the design of the outdoor restaurant patios, also known as parklets. For a potential long-term Main Street design change, there’s a necessity for a greater focus and research dedicated to enhancing the parklets’ design. Kevin Clerici, Executive Director of Downtown Ventura Partners, explained how “they [Ventura] have hired a design firm to come up with what they call parklet design standards.” The design firm is “intended to kind of govern the look in the field,” Clerici said.

Downtown businesses carefully analyze profits as a key factor in determining the viability of the closure. While some businesses may have experienced an increase in profits since the closure, others may have seen a decline. The most straightforward approach to evaluating the financial impact of the closure is by comparing the average sales tax of the area before the COVID-19 pandemic to the present. With that, Clerici explained that the collective sales tax has indeed risen since the initiation of the street closure.

The closure, however, does create an obstacle for some. Summer Luna, manager of Paradise Pantry, has heard customers stating how, “they don’t go downtown anymore because there is nowhere to park.” In addition, Clerici shared that those who have mobility issues may find it a challenge to access the downtown businesses, especially those that are mid-block. It has also been shared that the lack of traffic has changed the overall feel of the downtown area. Keone Rasheed, manager of Iron and Resin, mentioned how she’s heard that “a lot of people miss how lively it felt with the cars parked on the street and people driving by.”

On the other hand, many have commented on the overall benefits of the Main Street closure.
The freedom to walk around without the congestion of vehicular traffic has been shared as a positive move for the downtown scene. According to Rasheed, “Some really like that it’s shut down because it gives them a chance to walk all around and see places they’ve never seen before.” Additionally, “people are discovering us more on foot,” Luna stated.

Both Rasheed and Luna mentioned how they would like to see a hybrid approach, also known as a flex model, in which the street would be open to traffic some days and closed other days. “I’m open to the hybrid idea. As a resident of Ventura, I think it might encourage tourism more on the weekends if they were able to drive through. I never got lucky with frontside business parking anyways so I’m not interested in that aspect, but for visitors it could be appealing,” Rasheed explained.

Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) student, Eliel Suarez ‘24 shared his thoughts on the street closure, saying, “I honestly feel like it should stay closed. I love how the businesses have these outside [patios] where everybody could sit.” Additionally, Suarez mentioned how he wouldn’t go downtown as often if the street opened back up to vehicular traffic, “I don’t think I would go. I feel like it would be too complicated.”

Hannah Bell ‘25 also agreed on the idea of keeping the street closed. She enjoys having easy access to restaurants and the feel of an open space where people can move from one side of the street to the other safely. Bell commented, “With the streets closed, downtown [Ventura] feels like such an active, lively, place. Adding cars and parking congestion back into the space would take away from what has made it special.”

Unlike the streets of downtown Ventura, this topic is far from closed. Although the Main Street closure will continue through 2024, the topic will be revisited mid-year to determine the next steps. The debate over parklets versus parking stalls would no doubt be a focus in this upcoming year as Ventura residents grapple with the decision over its beloved downtown space.