Palafox Street In Downtown Pensacola Will Be Pedestrian Only Every Sunday Through June

May 23, 2020

A section of Palafox Street in downtown Pensacola will be closed to vehicle traffic for “Sunday Strolls” every Sunday in May and June to promote safe outdoor retail and restaurant activities to support local businesses.
Palafox Street from Garden Street to Main Street will be closed to vehicle traffic from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every Sunday through June beginning Sunday, May 24.

Closing the street to vehicular traffic will provide additional space for downtown visitors to more easily practice social distancing while supporting local businesses.

The City of Pensacola hopes area residents will support local restaurants and businesses as they enter economic recovery. CDC social distancing guidelines should be followed.

Comments

6 Responses to “Palafox Street In Downtown Pensacola Will Be Pedestrian Only Every Sunday Through June”

  1. hela ragnar on August 14th, 2020 1:59 pm

    RE:

    “Why don’t we remove it all together from auto traffic and hand it over to the foot pounders. Then, we can remove the road from all gas tax funds and make all those businesses responsible for paying the upkeep on said road.”

    What ROAD is this comment referring to? And why would businesses have to pay for upkeep on a ‘road’ that is no longer even a street?

    Just want to emphasize a point that seems pretty obvious to me, which is that if a street is repurposed into something more like a ‘plaza.’ then it is no longer a ’street,’ and no longer in need of ‘gas tax dollars’ to repair the wear and tear of the motor traffic that has been discontinued.

    Also, the *obviously immense amount of revenue* (read sarcasm here) previously earmarked for maintenance of that *exceedingly major thoroughfare* (insert more sarcasm) could then be ‘liberated’ for other more pressing projects. Which ought to make the grumblers less grumbly if they give it a moment’s more thought.

    (Ha ha, don’t mind me,just having some fun!)

  2. hela ragnar on August 14th, 2020 1:25 pm

    I just now wandered into this article, many months after it was posted, because I’ve been thinking of Pensacola lately and really missing the place. I lived in North Hill back in the 70’s and many other decades off and on as well.

    The walkability of the area was a marvel to me back then, since in the earliest years I had no car, and depended on the city bus ‘hub’ just north of Church Street to get to work and school. I lived only blocks away from the library and all the downtown stores and saw no reason to spend time traveling to malls or whatever on my days off.

    I find the negative comments about closing off traffic on South Palafox for even short periods of time *completely hilarious*!

    That tiny stretch of street between Church and the former Municipal Auditorium can hardly be much of a contributor to ‘gas tax dollars,’ and in the best of times is better avoided by drivers. Those few blocks were MADE for foot traffic only! The only sane way to enjoy the businesses there (and on some intersecting streets) is via ’strolling.’

    Just my random opinion, which I’m aware no one will probably read at this point, and certainly not the grumblers I’m feeling argumentative toward, but for some reason I just needed to say it. Maybe this covid thing is starting to get to me. :D

  3. Sedition on May 27th, 2020 8:43 am

    @JOHN LEE BASS

    Not a bad idea. Why don’t we remove it all together from auto traffic and hand it over to the foot pounders.
    Then, we can remove the road from all gas tax funds and make all those businesses responsible for paying the upkeep on said road.

    That’s not a bad idea at all!

  4. JOHN LEE BASS on May 24th, 2020 5:02 am

    Long overdue! Car congestion is history! Good riddens! Plus, *MORE* need exercise, *MORE* foot traffic = more business!

  5. bob c on May 23rd, 2020 7:31 am

    We were riding around last Sunday and saw South Palafox was blocked off. This was around 1:00 and looked like not a whole lot of folks taking advantage of the opportunity. Of course it was Mother’s Day and guess lots were home.
    Was nice because the cross-streets on Palafox were open so we could get to our destination without having to go all around the downtown area.
    Very obvious that having the bars closed sure cut deep into the number of people downtown.
    Remember the Meaning of Memorial Day, Be Thankful for those who gave their lives in service to the USA. God Bless the USA and All of Us.

  6. Sedition on May 23rd, 2020 7:30 am

    Yea…let’s take a street paid for and maintained by gas tax dollars and prevent autos from using said street.
    Makes sense in an LSD induced reality.