Catherine Street Back on the Radar

Historic Richmond just featured 4 Catherine St row houses in it’s Under the Radar Series.  The picture below come from a story published here in 2009.

These turn of the century houses were slated to be torn down as part of a planned widening of Catherine Street.  Well the houses are still there and Catherine Street is still barely one lane wide.  There was quite a discussion then of the merits of tearing down housing that is remarkable mostly for its age.  In years past,  alleys were sufficient access for all kinds of housing and businesses.  In the age of the automobile, they are most used as driveways and garage space.  I like the idea of a road suitable mostly for pedestrians, children and bicycles.  Here are pictures of what Catherine Street looks like today.

It’s not much to look at, at least these few blocks other parts are more intact and there is even a nice park, but few other place I know would make a better subject for a pedestrian/bicycle only street.  It would be a tough sell, but it’s something to think about.

There’s a lot more detail in the original article which I recommend reading.