Inner Loop North Transformation

Built in the 1950s and 60s, Rochester’s Inner Loop Expressway demolished entire city blocks, displacing residents from disadvantaged neighborhoods and disrupting communities. The area still faces significant economic challenges. However, the City of Rochester has been working for more than two decades to help address these challenges, first with the Inner Loop East Transformation Project and now with a project to transform the remaining northern section. Based on our successful work on Inner Loop East, the City once again reached out to us to help.

We are currently leading the preliminary design phase, developing plans for the project corridor that focus on restoring the urban grid, adding sidewalks, and installing accessible signals, curb extensions, and on-street parking. The design will also include an innovative facility for bikes—a raised two-way cycle track separated from traffic by parking and a buffer, with brightly colored, permeable pavement to manage stormwater. We are also preparing a Project Scoping Report, developing alternatives, conducting traffic and environmental analysis, and organizing community involvement.

This project supports the US Government’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot Grant Program (RCP), focusing on equity, access, and economic opportunity. The planned removal of the northern section of the Inner Loop Expressway aims to reconnect Downtown Rochester with nearby disadvantaged neighborhoods, restore the street grid, and enhance pedestrian and bike access. It will also create green spaces and promote equitable development.