Keeping cars off State Street is only logical. When there are cars on State, the exhaust is trapped and tends to linger at face level. If there are cars, walking on State is unhealthy!
Since you can't park, you can only drive at a crawl. It's only right that it be an entertainment hub. A place to walk, listen to music, and grab a bite.
Maybe move the beach art walk, or some variant of it, to State, too!