Raising the Standard for Safety Downtown

How the 2025 GM on Main Street Grant helped Heart of Scottsville make the Square safer, more welcoming, and easier to enjoy.

In a good downtown, people should feel invited to slow down.

They should be able to park the car, cross the street, step into a shop, meet a friend for lunch, attend a community event, and move around the Square with confidence. That kind of welcome does not happen by accident. It is shaped by old buildings, local businesses, good planning, thoughtful design, and the steady work of people who believe downtown should serve everyone.

In 2025, Heart of Scottsville received a $60,000 Gm on Main Street Grantto support pedestrian safety and accessibility improvements in the heart of downtown Scottsville. The grant was awarded through the GM on Main Street Program, presented by General Motors and Main Street America, and Scottsville was one of only five communities nationwide selected to receive a $60,000 grant through the program.

For Heart, the project focused on a clear and practical goal: make it safer and easier for people to move around the Square.

The original vision included four raised crosswalks around the Square. During the project, unexpected infrastructure challenges changed the scope of what could be completed with the available funding. Heart was able to install one raised crosswalk at South Court Street / KY 100, with plans to pursue additional funding to complete the remaining three crossings in the future.

That is the nature of real downtown work. It takes vision, funding, patience, partnership, and the willingness to keep moving when a project does not unfold exactly as planned.

The completed raised crosswalk is an important first step.

Raised crosswalks help slow traffic, improve visibility, and give pedestrians a safer, more intentional place to cross. On the Square, that matters. Downtown Scottsville is not just a pass-through. It is where people come to enjoy First Friday, visit local merchants, attend public meetings, gather for holiday events, and experience the life of the town.

A safer crossing supports all of that.

This project also reflects something important about Main Street work. Downtown revitalization is often associated with the visible things people love: storefronts, lights, events, music, food trucks, and hospitality. Those things matter. But strong downtowns also depend on practical infrastructure - the kind of improvements that make a place safer, more accessible, and more useful every day.

Raised crosswalks are not just traffic features. They tell drivers to slow down. They tell pedestrians they are welcome here. They help connect shops, offices, restaurants, events, and public spaces. They make it easier for residents and visitors to experience downtown as a place to walk, gather, shop, and stay a little longer.

The GM on Main Street Grant Project was also a strong example of partnership. Heart of Scottsville worked with the City of Scottsville, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, General Motors, Main Street America, the Kentucky Heritage Council, and local contractors to move the project forward. Each partner played a role in helping turn a safety need into visible progress downtown.

For Heart, that kind of collaboration is the work.

Main Street progress rarely belongs to one organization alone. It comes from neighbors, public partners, private partners, funders, volunteers, board members, local businesses, and community leaders choosing to work in the same direction.

As Executive Director Hannah Brooks shared:

“This project is a reminder that downtown revitalization is both beautiful and practical. We love all of the creative aspects - but we also have to care about whether people can safely cross the street. The raised crosswalk on South Court Street is an important first step, and we are committed to continuing the work as we seek funding for the remaining crossings.”

For Heart of Scottsville, this project is part of a broader commitment to keeping downtown active, beautiful, hospitable, and accessible. It supports the merchants who depend on foot traffic. It supports families attending downtown events. It supports visitors exploring the Square. It supports older adults, children, and anyone who benefits from a safer crossing.

And it reminds us that preservation-based economic development is not only about saving what is old. It is about making sure historic places continue to work for modern life.

The GM on Main Street Grant Project gave Scottsville a chance to raise the standard - literally and figuratively - for how we welcome people downtown.

It is a project built from concrete, partnership, planning, and care.

And like the best Main Street work, it says something simple and lasting:

Downtown Scottsville is worth crossing the street for.