Taking a look at the East Main streetscaping project

Some big changes are in the works for E Main St. in Downtown Spartanburg, as a streetscaping project approved recently by City Council is set to get underway early next month. The project is part of a $2.3 million streetscaping plan passed by Council in 2013, and includes straightening the chicanes on E Main Street between Church and Liberty streets. The plan also will eliminate the existing alternating diagonal parking spaces, adding new larger tree islands between sections of parallel parking to improve pedestrian movement. Several new parking spaces are to be added with the new streetscaping. Coming on the heels of the streetscaping plan's first enhancement project on Wall St. the E Main St. plan is designed to improve the area's pedestrian experience, helping to drive more foot traffic to existing businesses as well as beautifying the area to encourage further development. Today on the podcast, we take a deeper look at the E Main project, and discuss future improvements in the works, including a plan to improve Magnolia St. and the long-awaited extension of the Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail to St John St.