Business owners in Downtown Ventura have mixed reactions to a Ventura County Superior Court judge’s tentative decision rejecting demands by some downtown Ventura property owners to reopen portions of Main and California streets to vehicular traffic.
The area became pedestrian-friendly during 2020 as a way to help struggling businesses following pandemic-era lockdowns and restrictions on indoor gathering. While those restrictions have long since been lifted, the street closures have continued, prompting a group of property owners calling themselves “Open Main Street” to file a lawsuit against the city and city council last year.
Ventura city officials endorsed the closure after seeing how many residents and visitors enjoyed the lack of traffic and embarked on a path towards making the closures permanent through California’s Pedestrian Mall Law. While some business owners have reported significantly higher sales, others fared worse and bemoaned the loss of parking spaces in front of their stores. The lawsuit against the city alleges Main Street Moves caused a myriad of problems…