Fresno's mayor said she is in favor of opening Fulton Mall to traffic, sober drivers stopped at DUI checkpoints without licenses got some good news, and the Fresno City Council expressed its concerns about the high-speed rail project.

Here are the top stories of the past week, along with selected comments posted by readers at fresnobee.com.

Fulton Mall

What happened: Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin unveiled her idea for revitalizing the pedestrian-only Fulton Mall: open it to two-way traffic and retain most of the mall's artwork.

What it means: Costs are estimated at $12 million to $14 million. And the proposal must clear months of public and environmental review before the City Council weighs in. The transition likely wouldn't start until 2015.

What readers said:

"She's mostly right. Outdoor pedestrian malls in California have a very rocky history and by and large they just don't work. Businesses are reluctant to position themselves somewhere without easy vehicle access and the traffic and sales numbers for similar locations back up their concerns."

-- Nick D

"Stop this waste of taxpayer money! For more than the thirty five years that I have lived in Fresno, the tax payers have subsidized the downtown deadbeat property owners."

-- JL Johnson

Impound changes

What happened: A new law signed last weekend will give sober unlicensed drivers who are stopped at DUI checkpoints more time to get someone to drive their cars home. Currently, cars can be towed away in as little as 15 minutes after the driver is stopped.

What it means: Police say the law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, likely will result in fewer impounds at DUI checkpoints. They say fewer drivers will be checked because officers will be busy watching over parked cars and will have less time to stop other drivers.

What readers said:

"Everybody knows Fresno's DUI checkpoints are not only about preserving public safety, they are rather about generating revenue for city coffers. And I have said for a long time that it must stop. This new law won't affect police's ability to spot drunk drivers."

-- robertg559

"I get so tired of people whining about the consequences of their bad choices when they get 'caught' breaking a law. If you do the CRIME ... do the TIME ... or pay the FINE. Not so difficult, if you ask me."

-- Qwkwit65

Rail concerns

What happened: The Fresno City Council made public its concerns about the environmental studies of California's proposed high-speed rail system through the Valley. It identified 11 major areas of concern related to a five-year construction project.

What it means: City Hall just beat the deadline to identify its concerns in case the city must go to court to protect its interests.

What readers said:

"As with any major infrastructure project, it Will cause complications to neighboring business, plus displacing some. For them compensation can be worked out, and should be. Traffic problems just have to be lived with during the construction, some things just can't and shouldn't be a concern for development. Progress is NOT always convenient!"

-- Knowneck

"I'm worried that they will tear up neighborhoods and displace businesses then run out of money. They'll be left with a torn up city with nothing to show for it."

-- Fran