State Street Pedestrian Mall Experiment
In June 2023, Metro Transit moved bus routes off the 400-600 blocks of State Street. This started a community conversation about the possibilities of that space. Community members discussed Pearl Street (Boulder, CO) or Church Street (Burlington, VT) as examples. The Downtown Coordinating Committee discussed ideas with City agencies, businesses, and neighborhood groups.
On September 5, 2023, the Common Council passed a resolution directing staff to create a temporary pedestrian mall for the summer of 2024. Staff created a design and presented it on December 4, 2023.
On May 8, 2024, a ribbon tying event closed the street to traffic and opened it to people. Over the summer, the street closed to vehicles after 3:00pm on weekdays and 10:00am on weekends. The pedestrian mall experiment, known as #FlocktoState, featured a flamingo theme. The plastic pink flamingo is the City's official bird, and they cover Bascom Hill every spring.
Pedestrian Mall Experiment Elements
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New Benches and Planters
The experiment added approximately six benches in the street per block, placed at the curb, parallel to the street. A planter was placed before each bench (in the direction of travel) to increase the comfort and safety of those sitting on the benches.
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Flamingo Sculptures
The flamingo sculptures were a relatively simple design, prepared in-house and fabricated locally out of powder coated half-inch steel. Initially planned to be mounted on planters and placed in the street, concerns about weight and tipping led to their placement on the sidewalk.
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Street Murals
Street murals were designed by local artists Jessica Gutierrez, Sharon Bjyrd, Rahul Kamath, and Taylor McAda.
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Stencils
Stencils were designed by local artist Maeve Makielski and painted by hundreds of community volunteers during an event on April 21, 2024. Between the street murals and stencils, more than 600 volunteers used 60 gallons of concrete paint to add vibrant color to the pedestrian mall area.
Staff Report
On March 25, 2025, the Common Council accepted a Planning Division report on the outcomes of the pedestrian mall experiment.
Key Findings
Some of the lessons learned during the experiment included:
- The pedestrian mall had greater activity in the summer, but less in the fall, compared to 2023
- Visitors liked the pedestrian mall, but business feedback was mixed
- Street painting added color and interest, but improved surface preparation is needed in the future
- The flamingo sculptures made a significant visual impact at a relatively low cost with little ongoing maintenance needed
- Benches were well-used, but placement led to vehicle strikes and damage
- Bike and pedestrian conflicts occurred, and additional discussion is needed to determine how to improve in the future
- The pedestrian mall did not interfere with Paratransit access
- Extra staff resources and staff are needed for pedestrian mall maintenance in the future
Download the Full Report (5.21 MB)
Next Steps
The Common Council only authorized the pedestrian mall experiment for 2024. They must approve extending the experiment or propose any permanent changes to State Street in a separate action.