I personally love the vibe of having Main Street closed for the weekend but after reading the article I can see where this is an issue for certain retailers, some of which I frequent. How about this as a solution...First Weekend. The name is a play on the First Wednesday name from back in the day. The first weekend of the month could be a closure of Main Street. This would allow residents to enjoy the openness of Main for one weekend a month while allowing those businesses who rely on customers who need to park close to do so. With Covid restrictions loosening and businesses (especially restaurants) making a comeback, this seems like a win win for the community.

Most of the problems mentioned by businesses in this article have to do with the lack of parking. THAT is a universal problem the City must address for all businesses downtown. It's time to seriously revisit the concept of City owned and operated free parking garages in key locations for ALL the businesses to thrive. We've said it before, check out our neighbors Livermore, Mountain View, Menlo Park, etc. It's not rocket science.
Maybe some creative thinking and schedule planning would help the bridal shop. Many people wouldn't even know that it exists except for the strolling foot traffic on Main Street during the weekend closures. I always thought it was an unusual location for such a shop long before the closures in 2020. If you are bringing a whole bridal party in at once, you need lots of parking. Something Main Street has never had. So its not really about the Main Street closures that are causing the problem but benefit the entire community. There is no parking for this type of business when the street is open!

We love the street closure.....we do far more dining, browsing through shops and shopping than any other time. Since a bride needs to make an appointment, maybe at that time she could be instructed to park in a certain area. Parking is a problem with or without the closure...WE DESPERATELY NEED A PARKING GARAGE. The closure is a happy time/place for families.

Maybe the stores with the concern of customers shlepping heavy items to their cars parked around the block due to main street closures could provide that service to their customers.
Get a shopping cart (with advertising of course) and hire a teen to help customers with their purchases to their car. They would not have to pay them much and people would give them tips for their efforts. win- win

Now that the state is opening up the restaurants can serve inside. It is ridiculous to close the entire street when it causes so many businesses to suffer, only to benefit the restaurants. The PDA is absolutely geared to support restaurants at the cost of other retail. Not to mention the horrid traffic on other downtown streets. First Street is an absolute parking lot for three days every week. Did anyone on the PDA or at the City even CONSIDER for one moment how that affects the people living there? Yeah, I didn't think so.