On July 8, 2025, the Ventura City Council decided to reconsider their previous ruling to maintain a car-free Main Street. This followed a 56 percent property owner objection rate of the Pedestrian Mall Law (PML), a legal reinforcement of a downtown area closed to cars. Now, on Sept. 16, the council will make another ruling to decide on the future of Main Street.
The PML is not necessary for the downtown area to legally be closed to cars. However, if passed, it would make car-free Main Street more permanent. In other words, the PML is designed to secure the continuance of a pedestrian-only area, but not essential for it to exist.
At the Jan. 28, 2025 council meeting, the council voted to continue their support of Main Street Moves (MSM) and the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The council has also supported the removal of street signs from Main Street and many other projects aimed at building place and culture around a pedestrian-centered downtown.
Hours before the council meeting in July, the council was given a 56 percent objection to the PML from the property owners in the downtown area. This exceeded the 50 percent needed to halt the law’s progress.

District One City Council member Liz Campos said that the PML objection “was not on the agenda … we didn’t see the amount of money from each property owner’s objection,” meaning that the objection did not show how much each property owner’s objection was worth.
Campos then went on to say, “We also received an email from one property owner who is about five percent [of the objection] … telling us that they did not have a meeting and did not vote to object, and that many of them disagreed with the objection, but one board member filed an objection.” She explained that if this five percent, along with a few other questionable submissions, were deemed invalid, the report may be ruled inconsequential.
Jim Duran, councilmember of District Six, said that the PML objections were mostly based on the permanence of a pedestrian Main Street and accessibility to the downtown area. Some business and property owners have expressed concern over the inability to adapt to changes once the PML is enacted. Some also worry that a pedestrian-focused downtown will restrict parking and delivery access.
Campos believes that “part of [the property owners’] objection is because they want to be able to charge more rent. They want to be able to charge for … the street that’s being used.” She also highlighted the difference between a business and property owner, explaining that “the majority of business owners are making money, they enjoy this type of street opening.” However, business owners are not included in the objection vote—only property owners are.
Now, as Sept. 16 approaches, both sides are mobilizing. The organization known as Venturans for People Oriented Places (Ventura POP) has made its voice heard, appearing along Main Street and actively petitioning to secure a car-free downtown. They can be found at the Saturday farmers market or on various weekdays.
Ventura Forward, led by Spencer Noren, is a local online community calling for beautification, environmental activism and, above all, action from our municipal government. Conversely, they lead the pack in advocating for the reopening of Main Street to cars. Spencer and his supporters can be found on Instagram.
The Sept. 16 council meeting will be an important date for our city, as the fate of one of Ventura’s most frequented public spaces is being considered. Even for those who don’t personally utilize Main Street, it is important to keep in mind that whatever the decision may be, it could alter the way our local economy and society operates.