Downtown/Center City Issue: Transportation

Clark Campbell Transportation Center

As the center of walkability and density for Forsyth County, the Center City should be at the core of an excellent public transit system. Transit, bikeways, greenways and sidewalks should link Downtown to the rest of the community, allowing citizens transportation choices and mobility beyond the automobile. A streetcar system will encourage new retail and residential development in the neighborhoods it passes through. However, this development must be designed to fit in the often historical context of Downtown and the Center City. The streetcar may put redevelopment pressure on historically significant properties. Standards should be in place to ensure the preservation where needed.

The improvements being made by the North Carolina Department of Transportation to Business 40 will have a significant impact on transportation in the Center City. This project will include removing and replacing pavement, replacing bridges and ramps onto and off of Business 40. The section of Business 40 being improved is located between Fourth Street on the west and Church Street on the east. The project is currently scheduled to start in 2018 and will require Business 40 to be closed for approximately two years. The road currently carries 70,000 vehicles per day. All of this traffic must be detoured during the period the road is closed. Many commuters and visitors will be required to find different routes when traveling into or around the Center City.

Public transit in the Center City should continue to emphasize the use of the Clark Campbell Transportation Center on Fifth Street as a multimodal transportation hub. WSTA and PART bus service as well as future streetcar service should be integrated here, and a direct connection should be provided to any future PART regional rail stations in the Downtown/Center City area.