Gotta agree, they're just too afraid of pissing off drivers when they don't realize drivers are going to be pissed off no matter what. Some places don't need cars, and you aren't going to have drivers happily not drive in a place because you say please. They need mechanical bollards that go up like you said at 9am every day. That's what London did with Battersea power station and its revival, it is what we should do here.