Changes coming to Gaslamp Promenade NBC 7 San Diego [Video]

For years, Fifth Avenue in the Gaslamp has been closed to cars during busy weekend hours, allowing people to walk through the streets. But as San Diego leaders try to make up a big budget gap, they have notified businesses that the city will no longer pay to have the street closed off.

The Gaslamp Quarter Promenade is popular among tourists and locals alike. Fifth Avenue from Broadway to K Street is a bustling area, filled with people walking into shops and enjoying the car-free atmosphere. That changed on Saturday.

“At this point, we’re going to be back to city streets and sidewalks,” said Michael Trimble, the executive director of the Gaslamp Quarter Association.

The change has been weeks in the making.

“Effectively on the 22nd of January, we were notified that the city no longer could financially support operations,” Trimble said.

The bollard program was implemented in 2023, and many businesses enjoyed the increased foot traffic.

“It’s …