Court Street was a typical urban alley with narrow sidewalks, poor lighting, and poor pavement. These conditions made driving and walking an unpleasant experience, with pedestrians usually walking in the middle of the alley in conflict with vehicles. Unfortunately, this alley was within the City’s Art’s District and provided a direct shortcut link between several target destinations within the District.

RETTEW designed a complete reconstruction of the alley to improve pedestrian safety and enhance the area. The project included widening one sidewalk to provide an ADA accessible route; adding benches, trash receptacles, and landscaping to improve the streetscape; installing LED lighting to improve security and to “wash” the buildings with color; and installing an innovative asphalt-paver block overlay for the roadway. The project also constructed several ADA stairways for the fire exits from a historical orchestral hall, and installed a new pedestrian crosswalk with rapid rectangular flashing beacons across an adjacent street.