The problem with the 'Road Closed' message, in general for any improvements of streets for people, but especially just now in the Covid era, is that people often (usually unwittingly, but in the case of some dogmatic representatives, knowingly) don't understand what it means 1/11

The assumption is that the street is completely closed. Nothing can even get into it. "What about deliveries and the disabled people!" is the cry. Some (representatives again) write about it in the media, stoking that misunderstanding, revelling in the fireworks. 2/11

So I drew this basic sketch to try and illustrate what this means for traffic (and I'll get to pedestrians). The first box is the street as it is. Open to all to drive through. Some may call it a rat run, but hey, the street is open to traffic - we can try to demonise, but.. 3/11

The image lower left is a truly 'Closed' street. Barriers erected, no-one can pass down it. I'm not saying in some locations this wouldn't be desirable, but it's a pretty small subset where this will be practical. And it is NOT what is suggested for streets with businesses. 4/11

Top right we get to the "What about...." questioners. The closing of the road doesn't have to be plum centre (I know how some people will grasp at any straws, and point to a street where that would be impossible because they are immune to nuance). 5/11

So the top right, it allows deliveries to get in, as well as, say, local residents, or disabled people. They can't drive 'through'. What this does is eliminates people who aren't going to stop there from accessing the street. 6/11

If everything is about helping the businesses on the street, then stopping 'through' traffic actually means whose who want to visit the street will find it easier to get to, easier to move around in, whether in cars or on foot. Noise is reduced. Fumes are reduced. 7/11

Tie this in with allowing deliveries at set times when the street is at its quietest and this means the people who are in the street at key times for businesses are people who 'want' to be in the street, i.e. a giant pool of potential customers. 8/11

The final box, bottom right, is the 'No Through Road' taken to an active travel supporting finale, where instead of blocking the road, planters or the like allow passage by bicycle. Remember, the road is not closed, so this isn't cycling in a pedestrian area. 9/11

But still, because of the lack of motorised through traffic, and large delivery vehicles being outwith core busy periods, you have, with a few flowers, created a welcoming street overnight, that can still function for business, with deliveries able to take place. 10/11

There is parking for disabled people, and access for local residents. The only thing, the ONLY thing you've eliminated, are people who simply drive through going from A to B. Rat runners don't stop on a whim (even less so if we're talking residential) 11/11