Motorists in downtown Columbus, OH (est. pop.906,528), are being told to slow down. The Columbus City Council voted unanimously in February to reduce speed limits on all downtown streets to 25 mph, which reduced speed limits by 10 mph along many roadways. The move came after an increase in pedestrian fatalities and speed-related crashes. Matt…To read more — login/subscribe
Bike libraries — a concept that lets people check out bicycles like books or DVDs — are popping up across the country. A list of U.S. bike lending libraries curated by StreetsblogMASS includes nearly three dozen programs, located in states such as Massachusetts, Ohio, Texas, and Vermont. Some of the programs offer access to e-bikes,…To read more — login/subscribe
Louisville, KY (est. pop. 633,045), will use public art to improve pedestrian safety at four downtown intersections. Louisville’s new Community Crosswalks program was inspired by the Asphalt Art Safety Study. The study by Bloomberg Philanthropies found that after asphalt art was installed, intersections experienced a 50 percent drop in crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists and…To read more — login/subscribe
In Los Alamos, NM (est. pop. 13,270), a retail accelerator is helping bring new life to downtown storefronts. When downtown leaders launched the program in 2021, the business district had more than 50,000 square feet of vacant storefronts, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. The program, a venture of Los Alamos Main Street and the…To read more — login/subscribe
T-Mobile’s latest round of Hometown Grant winners will use the money for a variety of projects, ranging from park upgrades to building renovations. T-Mobile’s five-year initiative gives up to $50,000 to smaller cities investing in downtown improvements. In Payson, UT (est. pop. 21,093), the grant will be used to revitalize The Sideshow, a vacant downtown…To read more — login/subscribe
Wayfinding efforts stymied by out of date signs Placards hanging from posts direct pedestrians to local businesses and places of interest in downtown Healdsburg, CA. A January audit of the signage found that over 40 of the 100 placards listed businesses that had closed or moved. As the council looks to update the signage, it…To read more — login/subscribe
For years, downtown leaders in Tybee Island, GA (est. pop. 3,124), mostly guessed at visitor information. The bridge coming into town from Savannah was outfitted with vehicle-counting sensors, so Tybee’s leaders had a general idea of how many people were coming to the beachfront town. But the era of big data has allowed Tybee Island…To read more — login/subscribe
Many downtowns have experimented with gift card programs. But the initiative in Middletown, CT (est. pop. 47,164), is going strong after 18 years. The Middletown Downtown Business District launched its gift card program in 2005. After some fits and starts, downtown leaders overhauled it in 2010 with a new technology provider, says Sandra Russo-Driska, the…To read more — login/subscribe
Downtowns everywhere are trying to tap into the magic of creative placemaking. The goal is to foster a community where arts, culture, and entertainment (ACE) attract a cross-section of visitors. When the concept works, visitors have a great experience. Maybe it’s the downtown museum that keeps them coming back, or the live music scene, or…To read more — login/subscribe
