by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

I didn’t time it at all like this but exactly a year ago, I posted about the city’s plan to reimagine Commerce Place. After last week’s First Friday event, which I could not make, we can see the latest iteration of this plan in the photo above. It’s a bad photo because there are no people in it but you gotta get those pics when opportunity strikes, am I right?

As a reminder, the project page has the best summary:

What is Commerce Place? 

Commerce Place is a single, mid-block alley in the Warehouse District, between W. Martin and Davie streets. For decades, the street has mostly been used for loading and unregulated vehicle parking. The City is now reimagining the space as a place for people, making it more welcoming to pedestrians and creating a new potential home for community events downtown.

This streetscape project is being completed in two phases and will serve as both a pilot and a precedent for shared streets in Raleigh. Shared streets still allow for vehicle traffic but prioritize space for pedestrians and bicycles, creating a safer, more enjoyable environment. These kinds of streets add value to neighborhoods and are widely successful around the world.

Commerce Place is now a one-way street for vehicles, from Davie to Martin, and at most times of the day, the vehicle counts are so low that walking down the middle of the street feels natural, almost welcoming. I guess that’s the point in this new setup before it is made permanent.

Commerce place will be used for events so keep an eye out for the next one and make sure to check out the space in action if you can.

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