Greater Belhaven Safer Streets
Engagement with residents and business owners in Greater Belhaven revealed a common concern: a general lack of safety attributed in some capacity to inadequate traffic management. Many residents expressed concerns that ease of entry/egress to the neighborhood and lack of proper traffic management within the neighborhood makes traffic more dangerous and crimes easier to commit without apprehension. Additionally, as an urban neighborhood, Greater Belhaven has public-facing zones, such as the commercial district of Belhaven Town Center. These public zones then fade into mixed-use transitional zones before becoming private zones in the primarily residential areas of the neighborhood. This private-to-public transition necessitates a physical transition in order to smooth traffic in commercial areas and to reduce and calm traffic in residential areas. With that in mind, this STC proposed a method to filter traffic into Greater Belhaven using a system of gateways and nodes. As an addition to the traffic filtration plan, the STC also provided the Greater Belhaven Foundation (GBF) with four different gateway design concepts, each one drawing from different architectural styles within the neighborhood. The traffic filtration plan plus gateway design concepts has given the GBF a place to start increasing street safety and adding to the neighborhood's unique character with the proposed street improvements.
