Newmarket planned a trial to close a portion of Main Street to cars this summer. That's not happening. Now what?

Yorkregion.com
May 16, 2022

Weary of pandemic restrictions and longing to return to the days of community gatherings, resident Dave Wynn threw the idea of closing Main Street to vehicular traffic this summer on the Newmarket: What’s Happening Facebook page.

“We’re missing our human contact and I love being around people and people-watching and taking in community kinds of events,” he said.

“This area is so set up for it too. There’s Riverwalk Commons. My wife and I have gone to Joia (restaurant) before and you’re out on the back deck, there’s all these people, there’s an ABBA (cover) band up on stage and they’ve got the outfits and they’ve got the harmony and everything and it’s just great to be a part of that and look around and see people from the community.”

His Facebook post garnered more than 150 responses, split between people who love the idea and those with concerns such as seniors and people with disabilities not having easy access to stores, business deliveries being hampered, emergency vehicles having difficulty getting through, and raucous patrons disrupting residents.

Newmarket had planned a pilot project to close a couple or few blocks of Main Street north of Water Street to vehicles this summer, but shelved the idea because businesses are still bouncing back from the pandemic, Mayor John Taylor said.

But he’s hoping to have a 10-day trial next summer, stressing the town will consult extensively with the BIA and merchants before any decisions are made.

While opponents of the idea raise valid concerns, Taylor believes there are creative solutions.

After decades of talking about the idea, Taylor feels it’s time next summer to have a pilot project to see if the concept is viable long term.

“Am I certain I’m correct? No. That’s why you do a pilot and you do it with an open mind and then you look at it after and you decide,” he said.

“But I believe we are at an amazing location for something. I think we could have people coming from all over to see what is going on on Main Street Newmarket. They’re already starting to do that. A closure with a lot of activity and try to picture Muskoka chairs and a fire pit and some lighting and musicians; I just think it could take Main Street to another level. We just keep improving and improving and I think this has amazing potential.”

Coun. Bob Kwapis, whose ward includes downtown, supports a process to explore pedestrianization of Main Street in consultation with the BIA.

BIA chair Tom Hempen stressed the need for consultation with the BIA and merchants, whose livelihoods depend on commerce on the street, before a pilot project is approved.

But he feels pedestrianization of a portion of Main could benefit the street if done properly with attractions to draw people.

“I’m interested in seeing what that looks like, for sure I am. Anything that can benefit the street, I’m interested in seeing what that looks like. But we don’t know what that looks like now,” he said.

If Newmarket wants an example of a nearby community that has put the brakes on vehicular traffic, it can look to Barrie, where, for the last two years, the city has closed three blocks of downtown Dunlop Street on Saturdays from June to September and at Thanksgiving, Halloween and Christmas tree-lighting time.

While the initiative was a way to drum up business and allow for physical distancing during the pandemic, this year Open Air Dunlop will see the introduction of attractions, with plans to add more activities in future years, according to downtown BIA project manager Stacey Zubczyk, who leads the program.

Any concerns about the street closure have been addressed and the experience has been “amazing,” Zubczyk said.

“We didn’t get any pushback (on pedestrianizing the street),” she said. “Our businesses wanted this right from the get-go.”