GOVERNMENT
Santa Fe votes to close Plaza streets to motorists for half the year in 2027
East San Francisco Street will close to motorists, mounted cyclists from late May through October
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SANTA FE 鈥� After contentious public comment and an intricate amendment process, the Santa Fe City Council voted Wednesday night to close the streets surrounding the Plaza to motorists from late spring to early fall starting in 2027.
The resolution will effectively make the historic square pedestrian-only from Memorial Day through Halloween or D铆a de los Muertos, whichever comes first, but contains an amendment requiring the council to vote on the law鈥檚 renewal in 2028.
City Councilors Lee Garcia and Pilar Faulkner cast the two nay votes in the 6-2 decision to close East San Francisco Street to motorists on the Plaza鈥檚 south side.
The roadway was the last to remain open to cars, trucks, motorcycles and bicycles for most of the year outside of special events.
Plaza sections of Old Santa Fe Trail to the east, West Palace Avenue to the north and Lincoln Avenue to the west were already closed to vehicles under most circumstances following years of policymaking meant to improve walkability and safety in the 400-year-old square.
Six amendments were added to the resolution before Wednesday night鈥檚 vote, leading to a dizzying, hourlong debate about the final shape of the law before it was passed.
鈥淚鈥檒l be having nightmares about amendments, for like, forever,鈥� Faulkner said.
Three amendments were added during Monday鈥檚 finance committee meeting, and Mayor Michael Garcia sponsored three more on Wednesday before councilors reconvened.
The eight-person council voted to nix a mayoral revision that would have kept one lane of East San Francisco Street open as a concession to motorists and bicyclists, whom Garcia said will technically have to dismount their bikes on the road when the new law goes into effect in 2027.
Mayor Garcia said he would not support the resolution without the inclusion of the one-lane amendment in the event of a tie vote, but councilors ultimately passed the proposal with a majority.
The final resolution did include a mayor鈥檚 amendment that allows the new law to be revisited after a one-year period ending Dec. 31, 2027. The mayor and council agreed that a sunset clause was important to allow the city to review public feedback on a resolution addressing an enduringly sensitive topic for the City Different.
At least a dozen Santa Fe residents voiced strong opinions for and against the resolution Wednesday night, evoking longstanding philosophical divides about the needs of locals versus those of tourists, preserving cultural tradition versus adapting to the city鈥檚 rapid growth since the 2010s.
Supporters of closing Plaza roadways to traffic argued doing so enhances safety for the thousands of visitors and locals the square draws each year. Meanwhile, opponents said the law would unfairly exclude Hispanic cruiser culture and could thwart first responders in the event of an emergency.
While proponents noted that many Plazas in Europe, for example, have been closed to vehicle traffic, others countered that other famous squares in northern New Mexico, such as in Taos and Las Vegas, remain open to motorists mostly year-round.
Ramon Martinez, a homeowner in Santa Fe, said he was in "full support" of councilors Alma Castro and Patricia Feghali, who sponsored the resolution.
鈥淪ome of our best memories are being downtown when San Francisco (Street) is closed, looking down the end of the street and seeing the sunset,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing like it.鈥�
Leonardo Razatos, owner of Plaza Caf茅, a downtown staple for 80 years, said a decision to close Lincoln Avenue to motorists during the pandemic improved walkability and reduced noise within the entirety of the city square.
鈥淚 respect Santa Fe鈥檚 cruising tradition, but in recent years, cruising has become something very different,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 mostly loud engines revving, very loud stereos. The behavior can be disruptive for residents, visitors and businesses.鈥�
Councilors said they intend to designate 鈥渃ruise nights,鈥� which would allow the time-honored tradition of driving classic cars around New Mexico鈥檚 town and city centers to take place during the closure period.
But roughly equal numbers of critics have said the resolution unfairly impinges on this important aspect of the state鈥檚 Hispanic heritage, favoring groups who don鈥檛 necessarily share their culture.
Former City Councilor Ron Trujillo said the resolution would deepen divisions within the Santa Fe community. He also said the proposal lacked evidence to support the safety concerns upon which it was partly based.
鈥淚f public safety is truly the reason for this proposal, then the public deserves to see objective data and statistics proving that keeping this street open creates a significant safety hazard,鈥� he said. 鈥淧olicy decisions that permanently change access to our historic plaza should be based on evidence, not assumption or personal preference.
鈥淭he plaza is the heart of Santa Fe,鈥� Trujillo added. 鈥淚t should remain welcoming and accessible to everyone, regardless of how they arrive.鈥�
John Miller is the Journal鈥檚 northern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at jmiller@abqjournal.com.
