FAQs

Complete Streets are roads that create comfortable places for all ages, like young kids and senior citizens, all abilities such as your neighbor who runs marathons and you neighbor who uses a wheelchair, and all users, including bicyclists, pedestrians, motorists, and Greenway Public Transportation riders. Balancing the needs of all users can be challenging. In the coming months, we’ll ask you about your needs, how you use the street, and how you would like to Construct First Street East & West.

Since the goal of a complete street is to create a comfortable place for all types of people who use the street, we will work to improve conditions such as:

• Areas without sidewalks like the block between 3rd St NW and 4th St NW.

• Areas with sidewalks that are challenging for people with disabilities, such as those noted in Conover's ADA Transition Plan.

• The street does not have dedicated places, like bike lanes, for people who bike.

• Some places where people need to cross the street do not feel safe.

• There are places along the street where people who drive cars do not feel safe.

Most complete streets projects have similar goals, but they don’t all look alike. While we identified some broad goals for Conover’s project, the planning team, along with the Conover community, will refine the goals of the Construct First Street East & West project.

Broad goals of the project include:

• Provide a comfortable area for all roadway users, regardless of age and ability. This includes pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and Greenway Public Transportation users.

• Improve areas where crossing the street is uncomfortable.

• Create more access to local businesses for people who walk and bike.

• Improve the way motorized vehicles travel along the corridor.

• Reduce turning vehicle conflicts.

• Connect people to places.

• Create gateways at each end of First Street.

Future Schedule Milestones​

November 2021 - September 2022​​: Preliminary Design and Studies ​

December 2022: Submit 30% Design to NCDOT

Fall 2022-Winter 2023​: Final Design Scope and Contract ​

2023/2024​: Final Design​

2024/2025​: Construction Complete

2025 – Summer 2025: Construction Winter

September 2025: Final Grant Close Out by

Conover and other communities that are members of the Greater Hickory Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) - the agency that helps our City with transportation planning - are eligible to apply for Federal funds for roadway projects like First Street East & West.

The City received $2,954,000 in funds for the project from the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBG). STBG funds can be used by for a variety of projects, including pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure projects like Conover’s First Street East & West Project. The City’s local match is $590,800 (20% of the project).

Between October 2021 and November 2022, the team has been working with Conover to survey the area, collect traffic data, and talk with Conover staff, business owners and community members. Now that we understand what’s happening in the study area, we’ve been able to develop an initial design, which is called the 30% design plan (meaning design plans are 30% complete and still have time for additional input from the Conover community). We will host a public meeting in November 2022 to review the 30% plans.

Once 30% plans are complete and have received community input, we will move to Phase II of the project. During Phase II, we’ll develop plans to get us ready for project construction. There will be more opportunity for input during Phase II.

Because complete streets balance the needs of all users, one goal of the project is to make it easier for drivers to use the street, too. We will be able to give you more details after we collect data and talk with people in the community.

The consulting team hired by the City of Conover includes lead frim, Traffic Planning & Design out of Asheville and Charlotte; VHB out of Charlotte and Raleigh, and Vaughn & Melton, also out of Charlotte.