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108 <br />Putting Smart Growth to Work in Rural Communities 19 <br />In 2006, Victor, Idaho -a city of about 1,200 residents, located in <br />Teton County, just west of Jackson, Wyoming -began to address <br />the pedestrian safety challenges of having its Main Street also <br />function as a state highway. A wide roadbed and high truck and <br />car traffic created an unpleasant experience for pedestrians <br />and a disincentive for quality future development in the down- <br />town area. Presented with ideas on how to create a boulevard <br />through the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Smart <br />Growth Implementation Assistance program, Victor's leaders <br />central New York state has highlighted its parks as <br />destinations, drawing visitors to local, state, and <br />National Parks to see scenic gorges and waterfalls and <br />helping to build the tourist economy, which supports <br />small bed - and - breakfasts, cafes, restaurants, and local <br />craft stores throughout the region. <br />Street and streetscape improvements <br />Street retrofits and streetscape improvements in busi- <br />ness districts can make downtowns more appealing <br />to residents and visitors and can help attract more <br />patrons to local businesses. Ensuring that streets <br />support multiple modes of transportation, includ- <br />ing walking, cycling, and transit, can enhance town <br />centers by making them more accessible to all popula- <br />tions while also limiting or slowing automobile traffic. <br />Streetscape improvements include street paving, side- <br />Parks and natural <br />resources areas <br />can be significant <br />community assets. <br />Taughannock Falls <br />State Parkin <br />Tompkins County, <br />New York, shown <br />here, provides <br />residents with a <br />scenic place to <br />swim and hike and <br />draws tourists to <br />the area. <br />worked with the Idaho Transportation Department to stripe its <br />Main Street in a way that reduced truck and automobile speeds, <br />created on-street parking to serve adjacent businesses, and set <br />the stage for additional streetscape improvements, including <br />the medians necessary to create a boulevard' <br />I Project Summaries. U.S. EPA Smart Growth Assistance program. Cities of <br />Victor and Drigs, Idaho. "Growing our own Communities." http: / /www.epa.gov/ <br />smartgrowth /sg ia_communities.htm #id <br />Streetscape improvements can help draw people to a <br />community's downtown area. In Idaho, Victor's Main Street, <br />shown here before and after improvements, was renovated <br />with assistance from the EPA's Smart Growth Implementation <br />Assistance program. The improvements have helped lower <br />traffic speeds and provided enough parking to serve local <br />businesses. <br />Photos courtesy of Charlier Associates, Inc., City of Victor <br />