The City of St. John's is currently considering the dates for the 2022 Pedestrian Mall, which as proposed would run June 30 - Sept. 5. We think a longer season makes sense: 

Whereas:

1. The Downtown Pedestrian Mall has proved hugely popular among residents and visitors alike, with 79% of survey respondents reporting 3 or more visits in 2021
2. The 2021 season saw satisfaction ratings of 4/5 (online) and 4.6/5 (on-street) despite struggles of the Duckworth Street pilot.
3. Calls for a longer season were very common in public engagements around the Pedestrian Mall
4. June and September weather is often as friendly to outdoor gathering as July and August
5. COVID-19 is still a major presence in the community and providing outdoor gathering opportunities will remain important
6. The peak tourist season in St. John’s typically runs from June through the end of September
7. This is a Come Home Year that is likely to attract even more visitors than normal
8. More than half of scheduled cruise ship arrivals fall *outside* the proposed June 30th to September 5th season.
9. Students arriving in fall will not be able to avail of the proposed season, but could if the season was extended.
10. Early Fall is a very busy season for local performing arts orgs, who could, with notice, potentially animate the Pedestrian Mall space
11. Permit fees have been re-implemented for businesses wishing to install “parklet” patios and a longer season would provide more opportunity to recoup these investments
12. No objections to an extension have been offered in any public or media setting

We call on St. John’s City Council to extend the season for the 2022 pedestrian mall from June 1st to September 30th.