Winston-Salem Seeks Public Input For Future Downtown Streetscape Project

City leaders in Winston-Salem are developing what they're calling a master streetscape plan, and they want the public's input. They're hoping to build on the economic development momentum downtown. 

“You have the new Central Library, restaurants, hotels and the possibilities that could open up once the improvements to Business 40 are complete, so we want to make sure we are keeping up with that growth,” says Amy Crum, a project manager with the city.

Winston-Salem's streetscape master plan is in the early stages, but some of the things city leaders are looking at right now include new sidewalks, lighting, additional bike lanes, and changing the traffic flow of some main roadways. Public art is also part of the discussion.

The goal is to increase safety and attract more people downtown.

“Certain streets have lighting that look one way and then you look down another block and it's a completely different set of lighting and there's no rhyme or reason as to why the lighting changed. Certain streets have brick pavers for sidewalks and certain ones are stained concrete...nobody really knows why. It creates a disjointed look, so that's what we are trying to address.”

Two meetings will take place on Tuesday, December 4 to gather ideas from the public. The first one will be held from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at Footnotes on W. Fourth Street. The second one will start at 6 p.m. at the Winston-Salem Urban League located on W. Fifth Street.

Crum says an online survey is also available for those individuals who can't attend the meetings. Public comment will be accepted through December 15.

“It's really [that] what we are trying to understand is what sort of amenities do people want, and what do they want them to look like? What issues or challenges now do they want addressed, so we can include those in the plan.”

The final streetscape master plan is expected to be complete at the end of June.

*Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news