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City launches three-month Elm Street pedestrian-plaza pilot starting Aug. 7
Summary
The City of Greensboro will start a three-month pilot closing parts of Elm Street to test a pedestrian plaza and street activations beginning Aug. 7; city staff and a hired consulting firm will monitor impacts and hold regular business/resident touch points.
The City of Greensboro will begin a three-month pilot to close portions of Elm Street to vehicle traffic and test a pedestrian plaza and street activations starting Aug. 7, a city information program announced.
A city staff member described the pilot as coming out of the downtown strategic plan and community input: “1 of those was to energize Elm Street,” the staff member said, explaining that community meetings and surveys led to the four downtown initiatives that include testing road closures and plaza-style activations. A representative from Chart Pursuits Incorporated, the consultant hired to design layout and aesthetics, said the firm is applying “over a decade” of event-production experience to what will be offered during the trial.
Local participants at a recent drop-in information session raised practical concerns. One resident asked that parking on South Elm remain accessible so people can still visit the Southside business area. Another participant cautioned that closures can depress customer traffic in the first year and said businesses worry about their ability to survive during an extended adjustment period.
City staff said officials will hold regular weekly or biweekly touch points with downtown businesses and residents during the 90-day pilot to collect feedback and identify changes before any longer-term decision. For more information and updates, the host directed listeners to the citys website at greensboro-nc.gov/meetmeonelm.
