GREENSBORO, N.C. — Greensboro will shut down prominent roads in Greensboro on the weekends to allow restaurants to seat tables in the street. The extra space aims to help restaurants struggling to boost business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
South Elm Street, from Market Street to Lewis Street, will be closed from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., on Fridays and Saturdays for the next month, city officials said. The City Council will approve the issuing of special permits to allow restaurants to temporarily expand seating in the right-of-way, officials said.
The city experimented with the idea for a weekend as a part of the "Open Streets" initiative earlier in May. Now, the city is taking the closed streets a step further, implementing "Open Streets" every weekend until Sept. 5. It was important for the city to expand the seating in a way that allowed for pedestrians to maintain proper social distancing on the sidewalks, officials said in a release.
Greensboro is still encouraging downtown visitors to follow safety protocols like the "3 W's"-- wash your hands, wear a mask and wait at least six feet apart-- when they leave home.