The same thing has happened in my smallish English city. The merchants bleated, so did the conservatives, but the council went ahead with pedestrianisation and now we’re all better off. And all the concern-trolling about people with mobility problems losing access has been conclusively proven to have been bullshit. Buses, taxis and mobility services can still drop them off right in front of the shops. The only difference now is that they can cross the road with almost no risk of being hit by a car.