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Council vote fails to overturn mayoral veto on Kirkwood car-free ordinance after extended debate
Summary
Sponsors sought to codify a seasonal, car-free schedule for blocks of Kirkwood Avenue; the motion to move forward with the ordinance (and effectively override the mayoral veto) failed in a roll-call vote after lengthy council discussion and public comment about accessibility, funding and stakeholder buy-in.
Council sponsors introduced Ordinance 2026-12 to codify a seasonal car-free schedule for specific blocks of Kirkwood Avenue and to provide legal and budgetary certainty for parking, ADA improvements and permanent activation. The ordinance was co-sponsored by Council members Daley and Rosenbarger.
Council member Rosenbarger, a sponsor, framed the measure as a response to years of public input and recommended activation: "Car free Kirkwood... was unanimously recommended by the Bloomington Commission on Sustainability and Resilience and positively recommended by the Transportation Commission," Rosenbarger said, noting pop-up survey results and local creating-places crowdfunding options. She described potential activation costs in the $30,000–$40,000 range for five blocks and pointed to state matching programs that can help fund activation.
Opponents and some council members urged a more collaborative approach with the mayor's administration and city departments, citing concerns about accessibility, business impacts, trash and ongoing operational costs. "I don't see an adversarial act of overriding a veto as helpful in moving this forward," said Council member Rallo, arguing for deliberation sessions and broader stakeholder engagement. Council member Flaherty noted that pedestrian zones "when designed properly with accessibility in mind, provide far greater autonomy [for disabled non-drivers] than traditional vehicle-only spaces." Several council members proposed continuing collaboration and smaller pilots rather than an immediate override.
After extended debate and public comment—several members of the public and commission representatives spoke both for and against—the clerk called the roll on the sponsors' motion to proceed. The motion failed when multiple council members voted "no." Rosenbarger said sponsors will continue working on design, funding and community outreach; council members who voted against the motion urged deliberation sessions and stronger cross-branch collaboration before a future vote.
