Don’t Close West Pearl

Boulder thrives when we work together—not when policies are forced onto the community without input from the people most aff

BOULDER, Colo. (April 11, 2025) — Keep West Pearl Open, a broad coalition of small business owners, community leaders, civic advocates and concerned citizens, today shared a simple message with Boulder residents. The coalition has formally filed as a ballot committee with the City of Boulder with the singular mission of opposing a petition to create a ballot measure that would force the permanent closure of West Pearl Street over strong and widespread objections from across the community and downtown. 

Co-chaired by longtime downtown leader Peter Waters of T/aco and Rachel Friend, former Boulder City Council member, the committee represents the unified voice of over 140  downtown and West Pearl business leaders and hundreds of Boulder taxpayers who say the measure is not only unnecessary but also harmful to Boulder’s downtown economy, the city’s fiscal stability, and accessibility.

“The petition is a solution in search of a problem,” said Peter Waters, co-chair of Keep West Pearl Open and a fixture in Downtown Boulder. “West Pearl is thriving. The idea that we need to shut it down permanently to make it vibrant again completely ignores what’s actually happening downtown—and the painful lessons we learned during the pandemic.”

Ballot Petition Aims to Repeat a Failed Experiment

The ballot initiative seeks to recreate the pandemic-era street closures on West Pearl, which were implemented as a temporary public health solution—not a permanent planning or economic development strategy. A comprehensive and costly city-funded study conducted after the closure clearly recommended against making it permanent. Despite this, the petition to create a ballot measure resurrects the same failed experiment—without a fiscal plan or any meaningful community consensus.

“This is about more than one street—it’s about how we prioritize city dollars and preserve equitable access,” said Rachel Friend, co-chair of Keep West Pearl Open and former Boulder City Council member. “This ballot measure would force an expensive street closure without a funding plan, which means that other city priorities — including more urgently needed pedestrian and cycling infrastructure — would go unmet.”

Key Facts:

• The City of Boulder estimates the infrastructure costs of such a closure would cost millions – with no identified funding source.
• The closure would eliminate an estimated 60 on-street parking spaces – but the hundreds of daily parking events at those spaces would be pushed to adjacent residential neighborhoods to the west and north.
• Two-thirds of City Council vocally oppose the closure, and many have voiced concern about its cost and process.
• More than 130 downtown and local businesses oppose the forced closure. 

About Keep West Pearl Open

Boulder deserves thoughtful policy—not political theater. The Keep West Pearl Open committee urges residents to Decline to Sign the petition and stand with the downtown community. We are a formal Ballot Committee registered with the City Clerk, and exist for the sole purpose of opposing the Pearl for You ballot measure. Visit www.keepwestpearlopen.com to learn more.

ected. That’s why small business owners, neighborhood residents, and advocates for responsible governance are coming together to oppose the proposed forced closure of West Pearl.

This isn’t just about one street—it’s about how we shape the future of our downtown, our economy, and our sense of community.