We, the undersigned business owners and residents of Ventura, call on the City Council to keep Main Street closed to vehicle traffic and preserve it as a safe, walkable, community-focused downtown corridor.

Main Street’s pedestrian closure has created something rare and valuable: a public space where residents, families, visitors, workers, and tourists can gather without the noise, danger, and congestion of through traffic. It has allowed restaurants, shops, artists, performers, and community events to spill into the street and create a downtown experience that feels distinctive, welcoming, and worth visiting.

Reopening Main Street to cars would not solve the challenges facing local businesses. Retail and restaurant struggles are affected by many factors: rents, changing shopping habits, inflation, staffing costs, online competition, parking policy, and broader economic conditions. Blaming the street closure alone oversimplifies the issue and risks destroying one of downtown Ventura’s strongest assets.

A car-free Main Street gives businesses something they cannot get from ordinary traffic: a destination. People do not build lasting downtowns by turning their most attractive public spaces back into pass-through roads. They build them by making places where people want to linger, explore, eat, shop, meet friends, bring children, attend events, and return regularly.

We recognize that weekday activity must improve, and we support practical changes to help businesses succeed. The City should focus on better signage, convenient nearby parking, loading and pickup zones, improved lighting, more shade and seating, cleaner public spaces, weekday programming, stronger marketing, and policies that make it easier for customers to access downtown. If paid parking is considered, it should be designed carefully so it does not punish short visits or local customers.

The answer is not to reverse course and bring cars back through the heart of Main Street. The answer is to improve the pedestrian model so it works better for more businesses, more days of the week, and more members of the community.

Main Street should remain a place for people, not just traffic. Keeping it closed to vehicles protects public safety, strengthens Ventura’s identity, supports outdoor dining and community events, and preserves a downtown experience that sets Ventura apart.

We urge the City Council to keep Main Street closed to vehicle traffic and commit to making the pedestrian corridor more accessible, active, beautiful, and economically successful for all.