High Point Considers A "Street Diet" To Grow Commerce

It's one of several ideas in High Point's master revitalization plan to increase commerce in at least five parts of the city. North Main Street between Lexington and Montlieu Avenues would shift to three lanes. The two outer lanes will turn into parallel parking and the idea is that it will force motorists to slow down and see the city's offerings. 

 

Gary Simon, owner of Simon Jewelers, believes this change will make people feel safe and encourage them to walk on the sidewalk from shop to shop. 

 

“For two blocks all around my store, no one is walking on the sidewalk," says Simon. He thinks on-street parking will create a protective barrier. He says it's also a visual signal to people driving down the road that they're coming into a pedestrian friendly area and they'll start slowing down.

 

Simon says he recently expanded his 20-year-old business in anticipation of the Street Diet. 

 

“For people to park around where your business is, maybe they're going to the clothing shop but they have to walk past my building and they say, 'Oh there's a jewelry store. I'll stop in'. It's window shopping but that's something we don't have now,” says Simon.

 

But across the street at Kepley's BBQ, co-owner Susan Burleson says there are not many businesses on the street where people can walk. 

 

“A place may open and then another one closes and ones don't stay very long,” she explains. "The one (place) across the street, there's been two or three different places over there in about the last three to five years." 

 

They're also both concerned that narrowing this section of North Main will create massive traffic jams. North Main is Business 311 and according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, in 2011  an average of 20,000 cars, trucks and buses drive along this stretch of road every day.  

 

“Many people have told me they will not come to this area because they don't want to sit in traffic waiting to get somewhere. They will go around it,” says Burleson.

 

Burleson says they've started a petition against Street Dieting on North Main Street between Lexington and Montlieu Avenues and have collected hundreds of signatures from people who feel the same. 

 

An independent traffic study is being done to determine if reducing North Main Street is viable.