The Downtown Enhancement Plan recommends that improvements be made which establish a quality image at the gateways into the downtown on West Washington Street, East Franklin Street, and North Potomac Street; and impose traffic calming measures on these same pedestrian priority streets. Presently, the City and the State Highway Administration are cooperating on a series of right-of-way improvements on Franklin Street and Washington Street: more urban traffic signals and light poles, narrowing of traffic lanes and widening of sidewalks at intersections, bricking of the sidewalks at certain important intersections, and replacement of the standard mast-arm street signs in the historic district with new "heritage brown" street signs.

The Comprehensive Plan recommends that a solid street wall be maintained or re-established where necessary, with passageways and alleys to the interior of the blocks. In urban design theory, the building faces are the "walls" which frame the pedestrian environment on the downtown streets. Large gaps in the street wall should be avoided since they weaken the impact of the urban environment, destroy historic buildings contributing to the unique character of Downtown Hagerstown, create unattractive pedestrian environments and remove spaces for future retail, office, service, residential or cultural establishments.

The City, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Hagerstown Committee are engaged in efforts to increase public parking in the interior blocks around the Public Square, thus, preserving the street frontages for business opportunities and window shopping.

The City Light Department and the City Public Works Department have annual programs to add special pedestrian lights and trees along the Downtown streets.

The City Public Works Deptartment place decorative banners and hanging baskets on the Downtown light poles.

It is a priority of the City to remove overhead wires from the Downtown streets. The City Light Department has been relocating the overhead wires to the alleys and undergrounding the wires where possible.

The City and the Washington County Arts Council have cooperated on three public mural projects in the Downtown to enhance blank walls along the streetscape: View to Wesel, Wall of Generations, and Rochester House.