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City of Greensboro to test three-month Elm Street closures starting Aug. 7
Summary
Greensboro will begin a three-month pilot on Aug. 7 that will close parts of Elm Street to traffic to test pedestrian activations; city staff and a hired event firm say they will hold regular touch points with businesses and residents and monitor impacts.
Presenter Rosemary announced that "August 7 is the start of a 3 month pilot project, which will close parts of Elm Street to traffic." The city held a recent drop-in information session for business owners and neighbors to review plans and collect concerns.
An agency official said the pilot grew from a downtown strategic plan and community input: "One of those was to energize Elm Street," and a community committee has worked about nine months on the concept. A representative of Sharp Pursuits Incorporated, the firm contracted to help design the layout and look of the trial, described bringing event-production experience to the project and said the aim is a living-room atmosphere that coordinates with merchants and existing festivals.
City officials said the pilot will run as a short-term test with weekly or biweekly touch points so businesses and residents can report problems and the city can make adjustments. The agency official said the city will assess parking access along South Elm and other impacts before deciding any longer-term changes. A resident raised concerns about business impacts and media attention, warning it can take a year or more for a street project to "season out."
