The Salem Downtown Streetscape project includes an update to the look and feel of our downtown, including the replacement of concrete sidewalks, regrading of curbs and parking areas to accommodate drainage, installation of pedestrian level lighting, installation of larger tree wells to promote tree health with additional plantings at the base of trees, and landscaping enhancements of alley entrances for improved visibility.

Background

Streetscape improvements were identified as one of the top urban renewal funding priorities within the Riverfront-Downtown Urban Renewal Area during a series of 12 focus group meetings in 2016. A community work group worked with the Urban Development, Public Works, and Community Development Departments to develop a scope of work for consulting efforts.

The Downtown Streetscape Plan was unanimously approved by the Urban Renewal Agency on April 22, 2019.

A month-long pilot project was installed May 4 through June 3, 2020 and residents provided project feedback via an online survey.

Future downtown streetscape projects include permanent mid-block landscape areas to visually narrow the roadway, to calm traffic and provide green landscape buffers between sidewalk users and traffic.

Project Documents