What Cities In Virginia And The U.S.....

"Gomez Addams" wrote in message ...
Are banning cars in their downtown areas? Here in Utah part of Main
Street in our capital is off limits to motor traffic.

Williamsburg. When I was there a week ago.

didier Meurgues

Gomez Addams wrote:
Are banning cars in their downtown areas? Here in Utah part of Main
Street in our capital is off limits to motor traffic.



Here in Central Illinois it has been tried, the major
street, the only convenient south-bound one, was blocked.
The result was a major disaster: the walk-in business in the whole
downtown area was destroyed. Eventually the blockages were removed
but it has taken years for the area to recover. An attempt has also
been made in another part of town to make traffic congestion much
worse and has had the expected effect: ruin business.

Doug McDonald

Gomez Addams wrote:
Are banning cars in their downtown areas? Here in Utah part of Main
Street in our capital is off limits to motor traffic.



Here in Central Illinois it has been tried, the major
street, the only convenient south-bound one, was blocked.
The result was a major disaster: the walk-in business in the whole
downtown area was destroyed. Eventually the blockages were removed
but it has taken years for the area to recover. An attempt has also
been made in another part of town to make traffic congestion much
worse and has had the expected effect: ruin business.

Doug McDonald

Doug McDonald extrapolated from data available...

Gomez Addams wrote:
Are banning cars in their downtown areas? Here in Utah part of Main
Street in our capital is off limits to motor traffic.



Here in Central Illinois it has been tried, the major
street, the only convenient south-bound one, was blocked.
The result was a major disaster: the walk-in business in the whole
downtown area was destroyed. Eventually the blockages were removed
but it has taken years for the area to recover. An attempt has also
been made in another part of town to make traffic congestion much
worse and has had the expected effect: ruin business.

The "pedestrian malls" became popular features in smaller US cities across
the land about 1970. Cities like Fresno and Waco sought to recover
plummeting downtown business by chaining off a main shopping street,
dumping a planter or two about and leaving the same old drab mercants to
curse their bad luck (and continue to fail to pay for "free customer
parking" which their suburban and mall competitors were paying for in their
rent.

The pedestrian malls didn't work well, mostly not at all and have only
survived in a handful of cases (expecially congested urban centers where
you could barely drive at all).

The "Great Malls" which abstracted so much of the downtown business....and
places such as Houston's Galleria were "Great" in scope and original
merchant mix, decidedly upscale....are now falling victim to cost analysts
for whom the "edge of the city" vast parking lots filled with a few "big
boxes" interspersed by parasites and niche marketeers are appealing.

Of course, the real "players" these days are the world's largest (by far)
retailer, WalMart, greatly vertically integrated since the company is the
single customer for many of its suppliers, and in the US, the home-oriented
bigger boxes, Home Depot and Lowes, and a new breed, the jumbo
supermarkets, 125,000 sq. ft. or so on one floor, packaging a WalMart type
merchandise mix with their traditional lines. Even "Tar-Jey" has dipped
its feet in the biger is better market, evidence that two factors, the low
price of land and the willingness, no anxiousness of 'Merkins to drive to
shop continues unabated.

TMO

But none of these places are closing all their streets or going ######## or
anything like that?
"Juliana L Holm" wrote in message
...
In rec.travel.europe Gomez Addams wrote:
Are banning cars in their downtown areas? Here in Utah part of Main
Street in our capital is off limits to motor traffic.

These are not necessarily "downtown" areas. They are mostly suburban
areas.
They're usually referred to as "Town Center" as in Reston Town Center,
Fairfax Town Center, etc. It's confusing because some of these "town
Centers"
are actually malls (STerling Town Center). But others have blocked off
streets. There are others, a lot of Colonial Williamsburg and the
commercial
area abutting it are closed to traffic, I think there is a neighborhood in
Richmond.

All are places to spend money. Many (Reston Town Center) are built around
a
single commercial development, but have many different things happening,
hotels,
outdoor concerts, movies, restaurants, nearby apartments in addition to
stores.

There used to be a walking zone in DC near the American Art Museum. I
think
not since they started refurbishing it.

Julie

Julie

--
Julie
**********
Check out my Travel Pages (non-commercial) at
http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm

But none of these places are closing all their streets or going ######## or
anything like that?
"Juliana L Holm" wrote in message
...
In rec.travel.europe Gomez Addams wrote:
Are banning cars in their downtown areas? Here in Utah part of Main
Street in our capital is off limits to motor traffic.

These are not necessarily "downtown" areas. They are mostly suburban
areas.
They're usually referred to as "Town Center" as in Reston Town Center,
Fairfax Town Center, etc. It's confusing because some of these "town
Centers"
are actually malls (STerling Town Center). But others have blocked off
streets. There are others, a lot of Colonial Williamsburg and the
commercial
area abutting it are closed to traffic, I think there is a neighborhood in
Richmond.

All are places to spend money. Many (Reston Town Center) are built around
a
single commercial development, but have many different things happening,
hotels,
outdoor concerts, movies, restaurants, nearby apartments in addition to
stores.

There used to be a walking zone in DC near the American Art Museum. I
think
not since they started refurbishing it.

Julie

Julie

--
Julie
**********
Check out my Travel Pages (non-commercial) at
http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm

No. A part of the historic area has restrictions but not even all of
that area. I remember driving directly to the 16th century house where
my hotel room was.

meurgues wrote:

"Gomez Addams" wrote in message ...

Are banning cars in their downtown areas? Here in Utah part of Main
Street in our capital is off limits to motor traffic.

Williamsburg. When I was there a week ago. didier Meurgues

No. A part of the historic area has restrictions but not even all of
that area. I remember driving directly to the 16th century house where
my hotel room was.

meurgues wrote:

"Gomez Addams" wrote in message ...

Are banning cars in their downtown areas? Here in Utah part of Main
Street in our capital is off limits to motor traffic.

Williamsburg. When I was there a week ago. didier Meurgues

Olivers wrote:

Doug McDonald extrapolated from data available...

Gomez Addams wrote:

Are banning cars in their downtown areas? Here in Utah part of Main
Street in our capital is off limits to motor traffic.

Here in Central Illinois it has been tried, the major
street, the only convenient south-bound one, was blocked.
The result was a major disaster: the walk-in business in the whole
downtown area was destroyed. Eventually the blockages were removed
but it has taken years for the area to recover. An attempt has also
been made in another part of town to make traffic congestion much
worse and has had the expected effect: ruin business.

The "pedestrian malls" became popular features in smaller US cities across
the land about 1970. Cities like Fresno and Waco sought to recover
plummeting downtown business by chaining off a main shopping street,
dumping a planter or two about and leaving the same old drab mercants to
curse their bad luck (and continue to fail to pay for "free customer
parking" which their suburban and mall competitors were paying for in their
rent.

The pedestrian malls didn't work well, mostly not at all and have only
survived in a handful of cases (expecially congested urban centers where
you could barely drive at all).

The "Great Malls" which abstracted so much of the downtown business....and
places such as Houston's Galleria were "Great" in scope and original
merchant mix, decidedly upscale....are now falling victim to cost analysts
for whom the "edge of the city" vast parking lots filled with a few "big
boxes" interspersed by parasites and niche marketeers are appealing.

I didn't notice much change wandering thru today. What mix shift are
you detecting. They are in the process of losing a couple of department
stores but I doubt that there will be too much difference. There were a
couple of stores which moved in as a form of anti takeover move a while
ago. The place was over run with department stores. Certainly the
Mexico traffic has suffered but, in many ways, the Galleria was a form
of downtown -- except auto friendly.

Of course, the real "players" these days are the world's largest (by far)
retailer, WalMart, greatly vertically integrated since the company is the
single customer for many of its suppliers, and in the US, the home-oriented
bigger boxes, Home Depot and Lowes, and a new breed, the jumbo
supermarkets, 125,000 sq. ft. or so on one floor, packaging a WalMart type
merchandise mix with their traditional lines. Even "Tar-Jey" has dipped
its feet in the biger is better market, evidence that two factors, the low
price of land and the willingness, no anxiousness of 'Merkins to drive to
shop continues unabated.

TMO

Olivers wrote:

Doug McDonald extrapolated from data available...

Gomez Addams wrote:

Are banning cars in their downtown areas? Here in Utah part of Main
Street in our capital is off limits to motor traffic.

Here in Central Illinois it has been tried, the major
street, the only convenient south-bound one, was blocked.
The result was a major disaster: the walk-in business in the whole
downtown area was destroyed. Eventually the blockages were removed
but it has taken years for the area to recover. An attempt has also
been made in another part of town to make traffic congestion much
worse and has had the expected effect: ruin business.

The "pedestrian malls" became popular features in smaller US cities across
the land about 1970. Cities like Fresno and Waco sought to recover
plummeting downtown business by chaining off a main shopping street,
dumping a planter or two about and leaving the same old drab mercants to
curse their bad luck (and continue to fail to pay for "free customer
parking" which their suburban and mall competitors were paying for in their
rent.

The pedestrian malls didn't work well, mostly not at all and have only
survived in a handful of cases (expecially congested urban centers where
you could barely drive at all).

The "Great Malls" which abstracted so much of the downtown business....and
places such as Houston's Galleria were "Great" in scope and original
merchant mix, decidedly upscale....are now falling victim to cost analysts
for whom the "edge of the city" vast parking lots filled with a few "big
boxes" interspersed by parasites and niche marketeers are appealing.

I didn't notice much change wandering thru today. What mix shift are
you detecting. They are in the process of losing a couple of department
stores but I doubt that there will be too much difference. There were a
couple of stores which moved in as a form of anti takeover move a while
ago. The place was over run with department stores. Certainly the
Mexico traffic has suffered but, in many ways, the Galleria was a form
of downtown -- except auto friendly.

Of course, the real "players" these days are the world's largest (by far)
retailer, WalMart, greatly vertically integrated since the company is the
single customer for many of its suppliers, and in the US, the home-oriented
bigger boxes, Home Depot and Lowes, and a new breed, the jumbo
supermarkets, 125,000 sq. ft. or so on one floor, packaging a WalMart type
merchandise mix with their traditional lines. Even "Tar-Jey" has dipped
its feet in the biger is better market, evidence that two factors, the low
price of land and the willingness, no anxiousness of 'Merkins to drive to
shop continues unabated.

TMO