The Loop Corridor Plan is a new vision for the future of the Business Loop, a street which serves as the entrance to Columbia yet has been neglected for decades. The Business Loop Community Improvement District saw the need to improve The Loop’s identity and position within the broader community. After year of public surveys, town halls, and lots of brainstorming, the board approved a concept plan for the street. The Loop Corridor Plan is multi-phase effort to create a welcoming, attractive, and economically vital street which can compete in the marketplace for investment and long-term viability.
Phase 1 was a concept plan which included several high visibility projects designed to make the street more welcoming and attractive for our visitors--the Community Pop-Up Park, a Bike Repair Station, and colorful banners along the length of the street.
Phase 2, scheduled to start late-2025, will be a detailed analysis of the street and the creation of engineering documents to make us shovel-ready for a capital improvement project that will upgrade the entire street. Features to be studied will include a complete streets design, storm water management, beautification elements, and design improvements to intersections, bike lanes, and pedestrian connections. We are working with MODOT and the City of Columbia with funding from both the city and the US Department of Transportation.
Phase 3 will be an overhaul of the street's infrastructure and other large-scale capital improvement projects. We will be seeking funding once we have Phase 2 partially completed.Â
Improve traffic flow, reduce speeding, and create new ways to access businesses blocked by medians. Relocate and consolidate driveways when possible to make sidewalks safer.
Add native plant landscaping and street trees to soften the corridor, make the area more visually appealing, and create welcoming gateways into Columbia.
Use landscaping, lighting, and public art to create a street where traveling along the corridor is more pleasant and people are encouraged to linger.
Take advantage of the utility undergrounding project to extend and improve sidewalks along the length of the corridor, adding more crosswalks so people can safely cross the street.
Expand and improve upon current bike lanes, taking advantage of the planned Bike Boulevard at Madison and Parkade.
Work with property owners to develop public gathering spaces on underutilized parcels. Use pop-up spaces to draw people to The Loop and provide proof-of-concept to developers.
Use graphics, banners, signage, and public art to enliven the corridor and better reflect the unique character of The Loop and the people on it.
Develop a corridor-wide stormwater plan to incentivize property upgrades and new development projects.
Make a visible investment in the public space to encourage property owners, business owners, and new developers to make investments of their own.
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