San Jose officials have approved the permanent restriction of vehicle traffic at a popular downtown street in an effort to increase fast-growing economic vibrancy in the business district.
The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to permanently close Post Street to cars, which began during the pandemic when the Al Fresco dining and shopping pilot programs were put in place. Mayor Matt Mahan said he wants to see the new pedestrian mall recreate the success of downtown gathering spaces like San Pedro Square and Paseo de San Antonio.
“I’m a big believer in this,” Mahan said Tuesday. “We should continue to look strategically for pockets in the downtown where we can expand the use of pedestrian and outdoor space, as well as create more walkability and shared public spaces for the community.”
He said he supports the pedestrian mall because entrepreneurs and small business owners have created one of downtown’s most dynamic destinations. It’s a small but vibrant area that sits between Market and First streets, about half-a-block wide within the downtown core.
The mall hosts eclectic businesses including the cocktail bar 55 South, boutique hair salon Pageboy and longtime storefront Acapulco Jewelers.
The area is home to the Qmunity District. Advocates and allies launched the district in 2020 to create a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ businesses, allies and residents.
Vanny Svoboda, representative for Qmunity at Post Street, said he’s happy to see spaces for the LGBTQ+ community continue to thrive and receive support from the city.
“We have been serving the community for over 10 years, and we have done many community activations throughout Santa Clara County, and most of them held at the heart of downtown San Jose in the Qmunity district,” he said Tuesday.
Although the street was closed during the pandemic, business owners expressed disappointment two years later when the street was reopened to drivers, sparking an extension of the pilot program and further discussion over a permanent pedestrian mall.
Contact Vicente Vera at vicente@sanjosespotlight.com or follow @VicenteJVera on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This story originally appeared in San José Spotlight.
The post Downtown SJ street becomes permanent pedestrian mall, boosting LGBTQ+ businesses appeared first on Local News Matters.