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Bell Street
Bell Street corridor and Park
Bell Street corridor and Bell Street Park
Long a popular transportation corridor, Bell Street began to be transformed in 2009 with the creation of Bell Street Park. The four-block corridor would become a shared community space via the addition of plantings and traffic bulbs. Somewhat successful, the new design led to a desire for a more innovative, safer, and greener corridor oriented more toward pedestrians and not vehicles. Construction began in 2013, based primarily on community input. It included planting strips and street trees that could absorb storm-water runoff, recycled granite curbing for seats, better lighting, and site-specific street art by local artist Sheila Klein. She called the four pieces a “physical love letter to the neighborhood.” In order to reduce the emphasis on cars, the roadway was slightly raised, textured, and colored, with a shifting lane of traffic. Because the initial plan did not drastically reduce traffic, the city then decided to restrict car use on Bell Street. Subsequent community involvement has to led to the establishment of summer music and food events.
Walk east two blocks to 3rd Avenue and stop on the west side of the intersection.
