Hi Deana,

    My town hasn't been by-passed but I have worked with a lot of smaller towns that have. To be honest, the best thing that they did was to become candidates for the Main Street Program put on by the NTHP (National Trust for Histroic Preservation). I don't know if your town is in need of any downtown revitalization but it made a HUGE difference in a lot of small towns throughout NC which had all but been forgotten because of major roads like I-85 and I-40. They've gotten a decent amount of traffic simply because of attention that the MSP generated, but because of the revitalization they have also implimented annual programs such as festivals, live after 5 programs, etc. that really drew people off of the highway and back into the heart of these small towns. Being a part of the program has also provided many of them with a lot of opportunities (such as to improve their historic district, be a part of other revitalization projects, more revenue to improve the town itself, etc.) that have helped the surrounding communities, as well as the state and independant travel agencies, become aware of their existance and even get involved in their growth. This might be a stretch for you and your community but just thought I'd share with you what I've found. A few of these places, if you're interested in looking further, are Shelby, NC and New Bern, NC. Hope this helps in some way!

Sincerely

Stacey Smith