About 85 percent of those responding to an Argus-Courier online poll thought that Water Street should be restricted to pedestrian use.
A little under 12 percent supported a recent propopsal to reopen the street to through traffic and add about 8 parking spaces in light of a road diet that will reduce the number of lanes on Petaluma Boulevard.
About 4 percent thought something else should be done with the street.
Here were some of the comments.
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“Don’t implement the road diet! And keep Water Street as is.”
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“Except for the birds, I prefer parking at the Keller Street garage when parking downtown.”
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“Water Street without cars will enhance downtown and bring morebusiness. We have invested thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours in converting it to a partial pedestrian area. Let’s not throw that away now.”
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“I didn’t know the “road diet” was to make it so there are less cars and less parking so that merchants get less customers and their ability to make a living goes on a further diet.
The progressive agenda is what is killing downtown.”
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“In San Francisco, if you had to walk three blocks from your parking spot to your destination, you would consider yourself lucky. Let us NOT convert this aesthetically pleasing little area of downtown into more parking. Instead let’s keep it a charming respite for pedestrians (and cyclists). More benches, more planters.”
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“Keep it as it is. Do not add anymore parking and keep it pedestrian friendly.”
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“Longtime resident casino misses the street the ‘way it was.’”
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“Please smooth out the bumpy cobblestones! It’s very difficult to maneuver a wheelchair or a baby stroller.”
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“The river is not attractive to look at while you eat.”
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“These “road diets” are frustrating. All it takes is one unsure driver or one going under the speed limit and a whole line of cars will suffer. They don’t work. Waste of money. Add more parking so someone can actually go downtown, find parking and not circle around the block numerous times while contending with the road diet.”
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“Water Street is a bigger asset now than it would ever be if reopened to traffic. Losing a couple parking spaces isn’t the end of the world. There is plenty of parking downtown . . . enjoy downtown more as you walk through more of it. Increased pedestrian traffic is better for business anyway.”