Bidding for Spartanburg's West Main Trail Project Begin Soon
An improved streetscape and improved pedestrian infrastructure is on the way for West Main Street
The West Main Trail Project is one that I have been excited about since details first surfaced. West Main Street is a key gateway into the City of Spartanburg, yet it is not a great one for pedestrians or cyclists. While I was attending Spartanburg Methodist College, this was the main entrance to downtown I would use. I would both ride in friends’ cars and embark on the hour-ish walk from campus to Little River Coffee Bar. Now this project does not tackle that entire route from downtown to SMC, but it begins to reimagine what that part of our city should look like.
The newly released sealed solicitation for this project states that it will include “drainage installation, existing sidewalk demolition and installation of new protected bike lanes and multi-use trail system.” These proposed plans created by consulting firm Toole Design will transform the streetscape of West Main into one that is safer and more inviting to pedestrians. The four lane road will go down to two travel lanes in either direction, two parking lanes on either side, two curb protected bike lanes on either side, and a multi-use trail that will eventually be part of the greater Daniel Morgan Trail System.
Another exciting part of this project will be the addition of more ADA-accessible curbs and an increased amount of crosswalks. West Main’s wideness as you travel down it make sit harder and harder to cross. The addition of crosswalks and other infrastructure will help alleviate that. The lower amount of vehicle travel lanes will also likely reduce the number of speeding cars. Overall, this corridor into our city will be more safe and comfortable for a variety of users.
Alongside the redevelopment of the former Spartanburg Herald Journal site, the development of the baseball stadium, and the resurfacing of Daniel Morgan Avenue, this will create more connectivity through downtown for pedestrians.
I encourage you to read more of the documents I linked above for more in-depth information. I just wanted to get my initial thoughts out there now that we have more concrete details and drawings. This is a project that I will continue to cover here and on the Walking Spartan’s Instagram account.
Until next time,
Liv.