In the no surprises category, the Greene Street project has been delayed again.
Changing the absurd traffic pattern on Greene Street, which is currently a two-way-one-way-two-way street into a far safer and more normal two-way street has been on the backburner at city hall for over 20 years.
Many of the babies who were born in 2007 – when then Mayor Keith Holliday said one of the goals of his last year in office was to get the traffic pattern on Greene Street fixed – are now driving themselves.
Feb. 1, in an email, director of the Greensboro Department of Transportation (GDOT) Hanna Cockburn stated, “Based on the schedule provided by Yates, we expect work on Greene to begin in mid-April.”
An email sent by City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba to city councilmembers on March 9 states, “Greene Street Streetscape: Begin August 2023, Complete Late 2024.”
City Councilmember Zack Matheny, who is president of Downtown Greensboro Inc. (DGI), responded by email, “It is very disappointing the Greene Street project continues to be delayed.”
Matheny added, “If the work is delayed until August, and knowing this is project that the downtown has great interest, why is there a delay and why hasn’t there been any further communication.”
In one month, the start date for the Greene Street project has been delayed four months. Considering how many times the Greene Street project has been delayed over the past decade and a half, it would not be at all surprising to have an announcement in April – the month construction was supposed to begin – that the start date has been pushed back a couple more months.
Those who travel on Greene Street regularly have become accustomed to seeing vehicles traveling north on the section of Greene Street that is one way going south. Since the traffic lights face north, this creates a serious safety issue for those confused drivers.
The City Council often discusses making streets safer, but this appears to be a safety issue that doesn’t concern the majority of the City Council.
There is not enough traffic on it to matter. Don’t waste money on it.
Exactly!
I work downtown and you can usually count the cars moving along this short stretch on your fingers. People who are afraid to navigate it should simply go around it. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, just go around the block to the bumper to bumper Elm St. or the Daytona 500 bumper cars exhibit on Eugene. I meet more wrong way drivers on Edgeworth than anywhere else. Sometimes more than once in the same day. If we’re looking at CF traffic patterns, Sycamore has been a two way street while Samet was working on that county project, just wait until they suddenly re-open it as a one way street again in the next few weeks. Just one more bit of unnecessary drama the county has created.