Sometimes a project spans years before it comes to fruition, and that’s okay because good design takes time.
Three years ago Ironwood began working with a consultant team to redesign Lincoln Street in Exeter, New Hampshire. The streetscape improvement project involved enhancing pedestrian safety and calming traffic on a busy commercial street with an elementary school, train station, residences, and a church.
Conceptual design began with well-attended public outreach and collaboration amongst residents, property owners, and Town officials. Final design implementation was phased to accommodate the school year and budgetary requirements. The reimagined street now includes generously widened sidewalks, additional street trees, storm water infrastructure, light fixtures, bump outs and raised crosswalks, and a central plaza with user amenities (benches, litter receptacles, and bike rack). The project scope included reformulation of on-street parking without any loss of spaces.
In October, Exeter celebrated its first Annual Arbor Day event on a revitalized Lincoln Street beneath its historic trees as well as the forty new street trees that were planted as a part of the streetscape project. The program honoring Exeter’s public trees was facilitated by Exeter Tree City USA and attended by many dignitaries- most notably dozens of students from the Lincoln Street School.