July 15, 2026

Promoting Pedestrian Safety, Economic Vitality in Downtown Lenoir

As the City of Lenoir, North Carolina, continues to grow, so does the need for safer, more connected transportation options. After completing Lenoir’s new comprehensive plan — Freese and Nichols’ first in North Carolina — our firm was asked to continue the partnership to address these needs and develop a conceptual streetscape design for Harper Avenue.

The City engaged our urban design experts, transportation engineers, planners, and stormwater professionals to create a streetscape vision that improves mobility and safety, supports multimodal connectivity and creates a more inviting gateway to downtown. 

Community Input Informs Roadway Transformation 

As the primary connection between US Highway 321 and downtown Lenoir, Harper Avenue was identified as a key corridor to help achieve goals identified in the City’s new Comprehensive Plan and Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Residents consistently expressed a desire for improved downtown connectivity, enhanced sidewalks and expanded opportunities for walking and cycling. The roadway has seen an increase in pedestrian activity in recent years and serves neighborhoods, businesses, civic destinations and greenway access. 

“We heard overwhelmingly from the community about connectivity, sidewalk enhancement, wanting to improve downtown and wanting to increase multimodal opportunities,” Freese and Nichols Urban Planner Danny Wilson said. 

Proposed improvements include wider sidewalks, enhanced pedestrian crossings, upgraded traffic signals, streetscape features and stormwater improvements that together create a safer and more welcoming corridor. 

Incorporating Practical Improvements

Localized flooding along Harper Avenue has historically affected roadway operations and nearby businesses, creating safety and access concerns during significant rain events. Because of those challenges, stormwater improvements became an important part of the corridor vision. 

The team evaluated traffic operations, crash history, pedestrian infrastructure, drainage constraints and corridor access to develop practical, implementable concepts that support the City’s vision. Opportunities were identified to improve ADA accessibility, enhance multimodal connectivity and minimize future project costs by limiting utility conflicts where possible. 

One of the project’s most significant findings came through early traffic analysis. Rather than widening the corridor, the team demonstrated that Harper Avenue could operate effectively as a two-lane roadway instead of three lanes. That decision created room for wider sidewalks, pedestrian amenities and streetscape improvements within the existing corridor while minimizing additional right-of-way needs.

“These streetscape elements were attractive from an aesthetic standpoint, but also very functional for people to be able to walk and live along the corridor,” Freese and Nichols Transportation Engineer Edith Peters said. “The anticipation with the improvements is that you’ll see economic investment along the corridor.” 

By aligning community priorities with transportation planning, stormwater improvements and practical engineering, the project provides a roadmap for transforming Harper Avenue into a safer, more accessible gateway to downtown Lenoir. The conceptual plan also positions the City to pursue future funding and advance the vision into design and construction as opportunities become available.