If you know me, you’re likely to see me on foot. I’m lucky enough to live downtown, and I walk everywhere unless I’m cruising around on my electric tricycle. It’s an enviable lifestyle, though not without its problems. A couple of weeks ago, I went to get in my car, and it wouldn’t start. I literally couldn’t remember the last time I drove.
I share this vulnerable moment with you to underscore my commitment to a walkable lifestyle. With that in mind, you may think that I’d be in support of the Pearl For You petition circulating that is asking the city to put a ballot initiative to close West Pearl to private vehicular traffic. On the surface, this seems like a shiny, happy idea. To those who appreciated the novelty of pandemic-era emergency innovation, spending a sunny day walking and dining on streets normally used by cars sounds great.
But the current reality is much different, and this petition is not in the best interests of our community and the people who love spending time in our downtown and come here every day. Please join our growing coalition to Keep West Pearl Open.
In 2025, we are facing some truly existential issues, and we need to solve them together. We’re dealing with high office vacancies and inflationary costs that are driving up prices on everything from lattes to athletic socks. Macroeconomic conditions and customer behavior are changing constantly. Despite this, in 2024, of approximately 93 restaurants/cafes/bars downtown, approximately 91% are locally owned and operated. Of 152 retailers, 70% are locally owned-operated. These employees are our friends, family and neighbors who we all support and care for. The best way to support downtown is to come downtown for our plentiful festivals and events and support our local community.
The Pearl Street Mall is already the gem of our downtown. It has a global reputation as a perfectly-sized pedestrian mall, and it’s studied by urban planners around the nation. The mall’s “secret sauce” has endured for decades; we’ll be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2027. The magic is its size and scope: four blocks (no more; no less), conveniently surrounded by parking structures (which are free on the weekends — what a deal!), thoughtfully planted and activated with play features for children on every block. It’s iconic. It works. It’s for visitors; it’s for locals; it’s for… you.
As a champion of downtown businesses, public space and activation, I share the passion for downtown behind this initiative. But I’m left wondering, why this? Why now?
From 2020-2022, we had an opportunity to test a street closure beyond the mall’s current footprint. To the occasional visitor, this may have looked like a success, but the prolonged closure revealed significant challenges: logistical complications, accessibility issues and unintended economic consequences. The data from that period showed declining foot traffic, struggling businesses and a lack of long-term viability. Since then, the city of Boulder has studied and made data-driven decisions to plan for easier temporary closures and activation of our streets. And, they’re doing it in a way that honors the delicate balance of creating vibrant spaces without creating conditions that will shutter our small businesses.
Let’s support the existing efforts to bring our community together by enhancing programming, expanding outdoor dining, lifting up the Civic Area remodel and fostering unique community experiences. We can achieve the spirit of this initiative while preserving and celebrating what makes Pearl Street work so well today, without creating costly administrative burdens. The legal process is uncertain and could stall the project anyway. Moving forward without legal certainty could waste taxpayer dollars on a project that may ultimately face legal challenges or delays.
Pearl is already for you; come downtown any day of the week and support our restaurants, retailers, nonprofits and your neighbors who work and play downtown. Hope to see you there.
Learn more about the initiative to Keep West Pearl Open.
Bettina Swigger, CEO of Downtown Boulder Partnership, is deeply interested in public space and the intersection of creativity, commerce and community.
This article was originally published in the Daily Camera on Monday, February 10.