It appears not everyone could agree with the one-way system and since then we have been waiting for something to happen.
Special events like the Jazz Festival are the only time us locals can experience the effect of a traffic-free Strand. Sad.
Without a doubt foot traffic and closed off pedestrian areas in a city make it a very vibrant place.
A couple of examples are the Auckland Waterfront, where they have established a lot of cafes, restaurants and a children's play area, along with a tram that circles the precinct. It's great.
On a sunny day there are hundreds of people out walking and enjoying the surroundings.
Another that comes to mind, but sadly has been wrecked by the earthquake, is what they called the strip in Christchurch. It ran along the banks of the Avon River in the heart of the city and had lots of lovely bars and cafes.
They are in the process of making it bigger and better. That area was also very popular.
We need to make our CBD pedestrian friendly, particularly The Strand. And if we can't agree to make it a permanent fixture how about this for an idea.
Close off the Strand on Friday and Saturday nights to traffic. Bollards that are buried in the road at either end of the Strand and adjacent side streets could rise up at a certain time to close the Street to traffic.
Let's face it, eating and drinking doesn't mix well with cars, particularly in the summer when the boy racers tend to cruise with their lowered RX7s or WRXs with oversized exhausts.
In fact just last Friday night I was enjoying a cold one outside at a bar on the Strand and a very noisy vehicle went by and killed all conversation. Quite honestly they are a bloody nuisance.
It is great to see work progressing on the improvements to the Strand reclamation.
When it's finished it will certainly give the inner city a park-like feeling and will no doubt attract more people.
I guess there are always going to be those who will grumble at the loss of car parks in the central city.
We so need to get out of that mindset that if you cannot get a car park outside your destination then you will move on.
Try walking just a little further. For one thing it is good exercise and might just do you good.
And while on the subject of car parks ... what's the story with the 10.30pm curfew on the Strand reclamation parking area? That's just totally ridiculous!
I know there are signs warning drivers not to leave their cars on the reclamation near Dive Crescent, or they will be locked in overnight.
But 10.30pm Friday and Saturday nights? - although Tauranga City transportation department is looking to extend that to 11.30pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from July 1. Wow, 11.30pm.
One of the reasons for locking the car park is concerns by the police at the anti-social behaviour that has been taking place in the car park at night.
Perhaps if we closed off the Strand to traffic that just might send the noise makers elsewhere.
Some people don't head out for a Saturday evening to a club of restaurant until 8 or 9pm. It's a bit much locking the cars up at 10.30 or even 11.30.
It appears to me its just another thing to stop people coming into our CBD to enjoy themselves.
