Better Block Wilmington Brings New Life to Union Street

For three days last month, the 600 block of Union Street in West Side Wilmington looked a bit different than usual. For these three days (August 11-13), one lane of traffic was closed to vehicles and converted into a lively, vibrant public space where residents could sit, eat, relax, listen to music, and enjoy the re-purposing of an otherwise abrasive environment. This temporary transformation was the doing of Better Block Wilmington, Delaware’s first incarnation of the Better Block Project.
The Better Block Project is a nationally-recognized demonstration tool in which residents temporarily modify the looks and functionality of a small part of their neighborhood. Better Block Projects aim to identify and offer solutions to community concerns of pedestrian safety, livability, and aesthetics. Exhibited over a short period of time and organized with a minimal budget, these projects show how small changes can yield large impacts for businesses, individuals and the community as a whole.

Better Block Wilmington was the brainchild of a partnership between West Side Grows Together and two University of Delaware students, Aaron King and Matt Rojas. With tremendous help from the community, this project gave a brief taste of Union Street’s potential. Better Block Wilmington aimed to be a pilot for the West Side Grows Together Revitalization Plan (an executive summary can be found here), which calls for the closing of one lane of traffic, the addition of diagonal parking and the addition of bicycle facilities.

For the three days of Better Block Wilmington, the left lane and left parking lane of Union Street were closed to vehicle traffic, affording 25 feet of space beyond the current sidewalk line. A protected bike lane was added alongside the street, buffered from traffic by two-foot traffic barrels. Diagonal back-in parking was added at two locations for a total of four parking spaces (in contrast to the six parallel parking spaces that currently take up the entire block). The majority of the space for this project acted as an outdoor seating area for local restaurants and a space for anyone passing by to gather or hang out.

The specifics of the Revitalization Plan for Union Street are not yet set in stone. Having an event like this allows proposed streetscape changes to be tested in place before they are made permanent. Balancing bicycle and pedestrian access with parking, emergency service, and delivery access all without disrupting the flow of traffic on Union Street is a very delicate proposition. All users of the street, as well as how they interact, must be considered. Through public engagement, creative planning and innovative engineering, the Revitalization Plan presents a real opportunity to make Union Street a safer and more pedestrian friendly place.

If you’d like more information on this project or the Revitalization Plan, contact Aimee Lala at alala@westendnh.org.

Pictures courtesy of Adele Meehan and DE Photo To Go.

  Paul Moser studies civil engineering at the University of Delaware.