GREENSBORO, N.C. — Drivers will keep using South Elm Street through the rest of 2026. Greensboro has set aside plans for a car-free pedestrian plaza downtown until next year, and city leaders say no major news on the project is expected as winter approaches.
A city spokesman said there is no chance at this point that the plaza will open before the year ends. City Manager Trey Davis said staff have been studying how other cities run pedestrian streets and will keep weighing options with the public.
The idea was a three-month pilot that would have turned stretches of the downtown corridor into a gathering space without cars, starting in early August. Under the plan, cars would have been barred each weekend from Friday at 5 p.m. through Sunday at 5 p.m., while side streets that cross the corridor kept their traffic.
The city called off the August 3 start just days ahead of time, putting every piece of the pilot on hold, including weekend closures that were due to begin August 7. Business owners, property owners and residents had told the city they wanted more time and a bigger say in how the program would work. Their worries centered on deliveries, parking access and safety.
The city lined up the downtown business group, the visitors bureau and the chamber of commerce to help plan a new round of outreach, and residents can still send comments through the MeetMeOnElm.com project site.
The goals behind the plaza have not gone away. City leaders have cited cruising, engine noise, walkers’ safety and a push for more foot traffic for downtown shops as reasons to keep pursuing a more walkable city center.
Filed under: Greensboro NC Neighborhood News
