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Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams
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Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street
Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, the thousands of organizations, individuals, volunteers, and local leaders that make up Main Street America™ represent the broad diversity that makes this country so unique.
Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America
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Waterloo, Iowa © Main Street Waterloo
Your one-stop-shop for all the latest stories, news, events, and opportunities – including grants and funding programs – across Main Street.
Kendall Whittier — Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street
Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.
Streetscapes play an important role in the design and economy of your downtown. © sanfel
Main Streets are central transportation arteries, with over 75% of Main Street programs bisected by a state highway. Often, these streets can be messy to manage and unsafe for pedestrians. But they can also play a role in key strategies to reduce emissions, increase quality of life, and enhance economic outcomes. Together, we can work towards recognizing the value of our Main Streets and creating plans to improve them.
Recently, Main Street America CEO Erin Barnes spoke at the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Symposium on Transportation and Climate to share how Main Streets are essential to creating environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable communities. Erin joined USDOT’s Kristin White, Deputy Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, and a panel of rural and tribal experts to discuss the nexus of downtown revitalization, transportation, and emissions reduction
Main Street America is grateful to the USDOT, including our colleagues on the Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES) team. This month, Members of USDOT, joined by the MSA Government Relations team, offered a webinar highlighting two federal grant opportunities for Main Streets: The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program and The Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) grant program.
I think we have to listen to local concerns and meet folks — wherever they are, where they are. Rural thinking is not one homogeneous group — so what works in one rural place won’t work in another.
On July 11 and 12, USDOT hosted a Symposium on Transportation and Climate, gathering decisionmakers from the private and public sectors working across siloes towards transportation decarbonization, transformation, accessible communities, and mobility freedom for all. The event recognized climate champions and innovative decision makers from across the country.
The symposium included a panel entitled “Revitalizing Downtowns: Tribal and Rural Leadership,” where Main Street America CEO Erin Barnes joined panelists Julie Fitzpatrick, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Downtown Center, Mayor John McArdle, Independence, OR, and Levi Brown, Director of Tribal Affairs, MnDOT to discuss the overlap between downtown revitalization, transportation, and climate strategies.
Erin described three key criteria for revitalizing rural communities in the context of reducing emissions and combatting climate change: land use, adaptive reuse of buildings, and transportation. Reinvestment in Main Street corridors naturally mitigates greenhouse gas emissions by reducing sprawl, focusing on the existing energy and infrastructure grids, and pouring less concrete. Additionally, she noted the vital role of adaptive reuse of buildings, a key decarbonization strategy. Key to the conversation, Erin explained that slower traffic and safer streets means better economic impact for small businesses, and how street design coupled with green strategies can play a part in downtown redevelopment.
Describing the work of Pennsylvania Downtown Center (PDC), Julie explained the long-term partnership between PDC and several state agencies to create active transportation systems as part of the vitalization of Pennsylvania’s boroughs. Through PDC’s WalkWorks and Nature-Base Placemaking programs, they support collaborative approaches to improving transportation for both recreational users and everyday commuters and residents.
Noting the need for technical assistance to implement climate change strategies, Erin encouraged USDOT to expand capacity building programs, like the Thriving Communities Program, which positions communities to assess their unique needs and assets and determine where additional resources could address infrastructure gaps.
Erin Barnes, Main Street America, Julie Fitzpatrick, Pennsylvania Downtown Center, Mayor John McArdle, Independence, OR, and Levi Brown, MnDOT, speak at the DOT event. © Main Street America
Erin Barnes and Julie Fitzpatrick shared examples of ways that Main Streets can support transportation and reduce climate change. © Main Street America
Main Street America is excited to work with USDOT partners to broadcast federal resources to our network. Earlier this month, the Government Relations team invited representatives from USDOT along with a city planner and economic developer from Madison Heights, Michigan to discuss federal transportation resources for Main Streets.
Paul Teicher, Transportation Policy Analyst at USDOT, described the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program, which provides funding and technical assistance for communities to prevent roadway fatalities. Jeff Peele, Deployment Manager at Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, described the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) program, which provides funding for communities to build EV charging infrastructure.
Additionally, Giles Tucker, Community and Economic Development Director in Madison Heights, Michigan, and Matt Lonnerstater, City Planner in Madison Heights, Michigan, discussed their involvement in a SS4A planning grant, and the connection with their community’s roadway reconfiguration effort and long-term comprehensive planning. Matt and Giles explained the ways in which they collaborated with their neighbors to secure federal funding and coordinate on a regional approach to transportation planning.
Main Streets are vital community arteries connecting us to our neighbors and businesses. But the streets themselves are often too wide, uncontrolled, inaccessible, and move vehicles too fast. Many communities struggle to balance the movement of vehicles with pedestrians and bicyclists while navigating community input and economic impact.
In the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Congress recognized the need to help communities address dangerous streets and created the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program. Planning and Demonstration Grants – one of two types of assistance available under the SS4A program – are open for application until August 29, 2024.
How to Get Started
Review the SS4A website and Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to determine if your project is a good fit for the program. The Frequently Asked Questions page addresses common programmatic questions, and recorded webinars provide additional information to aid applicants.
Carefully follow the requirements described in Section D of the NOFO to prepare your application. If your application does not include the required components in the required format, it may not be considered.
We are here to help! Main Street America encourages communities interested in applying for SS4A to communicate with us at advocacy@mainstreet.org or our member community, the Point, to share questions and receive support.
Main Streets have carried all sorts of people and vehicles throughout U.S. history from horse and buggy to gas-powered automobile. The 21st century has seen the rise of electric vehicles (EVs), but Main Streets often lack the infrastructure and charging stations needed to ensure a robust and reliable EV network.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included funds to strategically deploy publicly accessible EV charging and alternative fueling infrastructure in the place people live and work. Grant applications to support this infrastructure are available through the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) until August 28, 2024.
How to Get Started
Review the CFI website and Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to determine if your project is a good fit for the program. Carefully follow the requirements described in the NOFO to prepare your application. Reach out to CFIGrants@dot.gov by July 29 with any questions about the application.
We are here to help! Main Street America encourages communities interested in applying for CFI to communicate with us at advocacy@mainstreet.org or our member community, the Point, to share questions and receive support.
Interested in other federal funding opportunities? Check out Main Street America’s new Federal Funding Guide to learn about programs and approaches to partnership.
This resource from Main Street America offers a list of over 25 grant programs that can be used on Main Streets, with key information like eligible entities and matching requirements.
Danville, Virginia © River District Association
Music has a unifying power to bring people of all generations, backgrounds, and cultures together for creative expression. Let’s explore how accessible, family-friendly music experiences can strengthen Main Streets across America to build stronger communities, one concert at a time!
Main Street America is pleased to announce the launch of a $1.8 million sub-grant program as part of our partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Thriving Communities Program.
Beloit, Kansas © Shane Hampton
Construction projects can put a lot of stress on your downtown. From preparation to completion, Brooke Prouty at Iowa Economic Development Authority shares best practices to help your Main Street thrive during construction.
Creating real change in business ownership starts with local communities leading the way, backed by strong partnerships and collaborations.
At the heart of thriving Main Streets are vibrant public spaces that unite people of all ages and backgrounds and enrich community life. And what better way to activate public spaces than through the power of free, live music?
Middlesboro, Kentucky © Levitt Foundation
Learn how Main Streets can tap into federal resources to improve transportation infrastructure, take down barriers, and improve access to key services.
Main Street America is proud to announce the release of a new resource to help Main Streets and commercial district organizations better prepare for and respond to more frequent and severe disasters.
Marion, IA © Uptown Marion
This Boston Main Street installed an innovative street mural to highlight crosswalks and improve pedestrian safety.
These seven Main Streets have implemented innovative, exciting, and fun programs to help welcome dogs to their downtowns.
MSA President and CEO Erin Barnes explores how a holiday market in a public park brought a new focus on growing humanitarian needs in downtown city centers.
The RAISE program funds surface transportation projects with local and regional impact by enhancing safety, mobility, sustainability, and economic growth.
Streetscape improvements can make a big difference for Main Streets. © Grant Harper
Learn how Main Street America's work with the DOT's Thriving Communities Program is supporting transformative efforts with community partners like the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe.
Apply for federal funding to remove, retrofit, or mitigate transportation infrastructure that creates barriers to community connectivity.
Art is a powerful tool for community change. Learn how the arts can improve community engagement, boost economic development, and connect with the Main Street Approach.
Learn how the Safe Streets and Roads for All program is providing grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries.
Streetscape in Denison, Texas. © Mel Climer — Climer Design
REV Birmingham and Woodlawn United share how they work to reenergize spaces and places in Birmingham, Alabama, through civic infrastructure projects in the city’s historic commercial corridors.
Learn how this Louisiana town has used an accessibility-first approach to build a welcoming and inclusive community.
Downtown Ruston, Louisiana. Photo by Henry McCoy.
Learn how the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta uses this unique mural program to celebrate Valentine's Day and raise important funding for their work.
Learn how micromobility can increase access, equity, and inclusion in your Main Street with examples from local programs across the network.
This Washington Main Street is encouraging people to brave the rainy weather with their free umbrella share program.
Parking is a challenging problem for many Main Streets. We explored the arguments for and against free parking, and a method for conducting an inventory of parking in your downtown.
Miami, FL © Matt Alaniz
Learn how Bainbridge Island Downtown Association leverages their connection to the ferry to create a walkable and vibrant downtown.
Bainbridge Island, WA © Anna Carson
An innovative artistic project brings new life to the alleyways in Billings, Montana.
Billings, MT © Downtown Billings Alliance
In big cities and small towns, people face increasing danger when navigating communities on foot. As advocates for connected and walkable downtowns, Main Streets have a crucial role to play in increasing pedestrian safety.
Lansing, Michigan © Lansing 5:01
Learn how you can participate in the Thriving Communities program as a capacity builder or how you can receive support from the program.
To celebrate National Parks and Recreation Month, we explored three innovative and interesting parks-based projects and collaborations in Main Street communities.
Waterloo, Iowa, shares advice and lessons learned from their e-scooter program.
Learn how you can harness design principles and strategies to create a cooler, more welcoming downtown.
Main Street America was awarded $5.9 million to support 20 communities in the Main Streets Community of Practice through the Department of Transportation's Thriving Communities Program over the next two years.
The City of Leeds, AL welcomed a new downtown mural over the holidays that has brought a sense of excitement and anticipation for the continuing efforts to focus on the Leeds downtown district.
Leeds, AL © Jeremy Dove
What is more Iowan than turning grain bins into public art? Learn how Main Street Coon Rapids created these beautiful murals to celebrate their downtown.
Coon Rapids, IA © Main Street Coon Rapids
Pollinator gardens are fantastic ways to increase green space, promote sustainability, and educate your community on the local environment.
Crofton, MD © Kerry Kelly
The AARP Community Challenge program gives out quick-action grants to activate public spaces. Meet some of the Main Streets awarded grants through the program this year.
Learn how these outdoor microspaces can contribute to more vibrancy in our public spaces.
Chairman Emeritus Ed McMahon explores the power of place in creating spaces people love.
Boise, ID © christiannafzger
To support Georgia Main Streets throughout the recovery process and position them for long-term sustainability, Main Street America launched the Georgia Main Street Innovation Grant Program, made possible through generous support from The Williams Family Foundation of Georgia.
Thomasville, GA © Thomasville Main Street
Intentional placemaking has had many unexpected benefits for this Alabama town.
Wetumpka, AL © Jenny Sue Stubbs
We heard from organizations across the nation about the incredible impact their markets have had on community engagement, entrepreneur and small business support, and keeping their district vibrant.
Mount Airy Downtown, Inc., celebrated the return of their Market Street Arts and Entertainment District (MSA & ED) last weekend, as part of their pandemic recovery efforts.
Mount Airy, NC © Robbie Curlee
A vacant storefront is the perfect stage to creatively promote the available space or to showcase other businesses and events in the area.
Ripon, WI © RetailWorks, Inc
Interested in creating a StoryWalk in your downtown commercial district? Read on to learn more about installing a successful story walking trail.
In remembrance and in honor of Dr. Marin Luther King Jr., over 900 streets in the United States were named after him. Many are located predominantly in African American communities.
Milwaukee, WI © Historic King Drive BID
Dubbed the Blues Alley, the Ripley Main Street program plans to install murals of local pioneering Black blues artists, cutout guitars painted by local art students, and blues lyrics painted on the walls.
Ripley, MS © Ripley Main Street
Wayfinding guides people to places they seek but it also brings awareness to places they may have otherwise missed.
Since 2013, Try This West Virginia has sought to improve health environments in local communities as a collaboration of organizations working together to combat the health challenges facing West Virginians.
Main Street America partnered with OneMain Financial to create Made on Main Street.
Creating a historic or art walking tour is much more than simply a collection of pictures and descriptions.
Over 300 attendees enjoyed a family-friendly block party that celebrated the community and showcased Prosser's upcoming streetscape improvement project.
Cambridge was the first Main Street community in Maryland to install public chargers.
The Downtown Newton Development Association (North Carolina) partnered with the City of Newton on a temporary tactical urbanism project to demonstrate how their permanent streetscape improvements will benefit downtown.
Over 500 people braved the misty rain this past weekend to come and celebrate Painesville and its Made on Main Street community transformation project.
Wilson Artsy Alleys is an initiative of the Wilson Downtown Development Corporation which takes the arts to new locations in forgotten places.
In October 2017, Main Street Ottumwa collaborated with local partners, Main Street Iowa, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Better Block Foundation to stop planning, talking, and wishing, and start doing.
Kelly Tompkins of Main Street Enid shares more about the Maker Trail project and how it inspired creativity and helped people discover downtown.
The Metuchen Downtown Alliance created a cool, family-friendly public gathering space in “the worst looking spot in town” with the help of just $2,500 in Edward Jones Placemaking on Main Challenge matching grant funds,
A collaborative effort launched between Laramie Main Street Alliance (LMSA) and vertical farming company, Plenty, looked to blank downtown walls as a canvas for growing food, creating conversation, and activating overlooked spaces.
From walkability and transportation connectivity, to access to nature and availability of fresh food, place is inextricably linked to achieving positive health outcomes in rural America.
Beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower fountain through Main Street Paris's new Love Lock Fence.
Kasey Drummond, Glenrock Main Street Director, explains how they brought the acclaimed graffiti artist ARCY to their Main Street and explores the work he produced in three additional Wyoming communities on his summer tour.
Karen Dye, Newkirk Main Street's program manager, was inspired to “make downtown more fun and festive” with painted water meter covers after learning about the practice at a recent Main Street Now conference.
Appealing to mobility-challenged shoppers yields benefits beyond the store.
In contrast, the Main Street Program in Laramie, Wyoming, is thriving, having successfully cultivated millions of dollars to help fill these vacant, blighted spaces with permanent structures.
In this article we’ll explore the process of planning, funding, installing, operating, and enjoying music on your Main Street.
In 2016, the North Carolina Main Street & Rural Planning Center partnered with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Department of Interior Architecture (UNCG) to provide design assistance to Main Street communities.
Placemaking is a strategy that Six Corners Association has enthusiastically applied to our community development efforts because of its seamless integration with the Main Street Approach.
How one Wyoming Main Street implemented a free bike share program.
In 2015, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) partnered with the University of Wisconsin–Madison to engage Wisconsin Main Street organizations and farmers markets in the Metrics and Indicators for Impact – Farmers Markets (MIFI-FM) toolkit.
The local Main Street organization, Downtown Milford Inc., is trying to address these shifting demographics by creating a more inclusive sense of community.
This is the story of how a National Endowment for the Arts gathering in DC inspired the leaders of a small town in Appalachia to connect with those in Milwaukee to transform a neglected park.
Main Street communities across the country are no stranger to seeking creative strategies to solve their most nagging issues – vacant buildings, marketing downtown, bolstering retail to name a few.
This article is the second in a series on corridors and the important role they play in Main Street revitalization. The previous article focused on the historic origins of corridors, corridor types, and functions that they serve in our communities.
Façade appearance is a critical aspect of the overall aesthetic appeal and unique character of downtown.
While the Main Street program may not take the lead in corridor enhancements, it can be a vital partner and advocate for improvements in overall community appearance.
Street pole banners preserve the historic character of main streets while fostering community awareness and engagement.
With strong community support, the Library Foundation was able to raise over $1.2 million dollars in private donations.
A lot of signs are necessary to make a downtown work well, but not every community knows what a good sign system looks like, or how instrumental it can be to the creation of a successful downtown.
A key goal of the Atlanta Streetcar is to attract investment to and revitalize the neighborhoods along the streetcar alignment.
