Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, October 21, 2026 — The remodeled Avenida México beside Parque Hidalgo has been inaugurated, according to reports published Wednesday, while its long-term vehicle access remains under discussion.
Mayor Luis Ernesto Munguía González led the ceremony alongside municipal officials and local business operators. The street was reorganized to prioritize pedestrians and cyclists while accommodating vehicles near the northern end of the Malecón.
For people walking along the waterfront, visiting a business or arriving by car, the practical question is how those different uses will fit together each day.
Munguía is considering periods of vehicle access alternating with pedestrian-only periods. Some merchants attending the opening asked to keep the street free of cars, saying pedestrian circulation during the closure had benefited their establishments.
No definitive schedule or implementation date has been announced. That makes timed access a proposal, rather than an established operating arrangement.
Neither report provides a complete circulation map, merchandise-loading rules or an accessibility assessment. This article could not independently verify actual vehicle movements, delivery arrangements, or conditions for wheelchair users.
The differing business positions help explain why the ceremony has not settled the street’s future. Vallarta Daily previously covered the debate over reopening Avenida México to cars, as merchants pressed the municipality to restore access.
In September, Councilwoman Marcia Raquel Bañuelos Macías presented a proposal concerning the stretch between Venezuela and 31 de Octubre in the 5 de Diciembre neighborhood. She cited an October 14, 2025, agreement with merchant representatives to preserve two traffic lanes and restore circulation after construction.
Her proposal sought access exclusively for light vehicles, once safety, signage, infrastructure, and accessibility conditions were met.
Abel Ramírez Arellano, identified in that coverage as a Plaza Malecón merchant representative, questioned whether the finished design served businesses.
“We have been patient. Yes, the street turned out beautiful, but it doesn’t work,” he said in comments reported by Tribuna.
Ramírez specifically wanted federally plated passenger vehicles to reach 31 de Octubre, where arriving customers could get out and continue on foot. Munguía responded by proposing discussions with traffic and Civil Protection officials and a pilot lasting at least four weeks. The council referred the matter to committees for review.
The merchants seeking pedestrian-only operation at this week’s opening therefore represent another position within the commercial area. Their reported preference cannot be treated as agreement among all businesses.
The physical design also makes the operating rules consequential. In a September interview about the completed work, Munguía acknowledged that the roadway had been raised to the level of the sidewalk. He said reopening would require traffic officers, rules, and precautions because the usual height difference separating pedestrians from vehicles was gone. He also said illuminated bollards had been installed.
In practical terms, a level surface alone does not establish how someone using a wheelchair or walker will move between the park, crossings and business entrances. That depends on whether the route remains clear and where vehicles are permitted to travel or stop.
Any timed-access arrangement would also need to distinguish vehicles passing through from those stopping for passengers or unloading supplies. For businesses seeking restored access, the September request was specific: allow passenger vehicles to reach 31 de Octubre so customers could step out near their doors.
