Pedestrianizing our downtown core was supposed to bring life back to local shops, but foot traffic is down 22% since the barriers went up last June. The city council spent $4.7 million on this project, and the only businesses thriving are the coffee chains that can survive on office workers alone. Independent retailers like the bookstore on Main Street are reporting their worst quarter in a decade. Is making streets car-free really the best way to revitalize a city, or are we just trading one set of problems for another?