I think it's an idea worth looking
into.
One of the ways the Marquette City
Commission is considering to help small business owners downtown is
to close off several streets of downtown to vehicular traffic for the
summer. This would allow restaurants to put socially-distanced
seating out on the street, and to allow stores to move merchandise
out there so more people could peruse their good. It would basically
be like the Blueberry Festival, but each and every day of the summer.
I personally think it's a cool idea.
I've been in many European cities where streets are pedestrian only,
and it's a great way to just stroll around and see what there is to
see. Plus, in an environment like today's, it might allow local
small businesses (especially restaurants) to get more people to visit
and help them get back on their feet quicker. And then, the more
people who are walking and the fewer who are driving would help the
environment, as well.
And that would be a good thing.
Of course, Marquette—or any American
city—isn't Europe. Americans have a love affair with their cars,
and this plan would severely restrict or totally shut down several of
the main streets in downtown Marquette. I could see a whole bunch of
people complaining because they might have to drive a block out of
their way or take an extra 30 seconds to get where they're going.
Heaven forbid.
I have no idea if this plan will
actually become reality; for now, the Commission is just throwing it around. But the fact that they're
thinking this much outside the box shows a little creativity on their
part, and their willingness to consider just about anything to make
sure that downtown businesses get through this strange time with as
little damage as possible.
We'll see how it all turns out.
*****
Needless to say I was rather
disappointed when the Space X launch was scrubbed because of weather
yesterday. But there's always Saturday, right?
Right!
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