First Capitol Drive is one of the most important thoroughfares in St. Charles. Like many commercial corridors across the country, it was originally designed around moving vehicle traffic, leaving an environment dominated by cars and uninviting to pedestrians.

DG2 Design partnered with the civil engineering team to reimagine First Capitol Drive as a people-centered corridor that delivers lasting social and economic benefits to the City of St. Charles. Improvements included pedestrian accessibility enhancements, lighting, landscaping, green infrastructure, transit upgrades, and utility improvements; sidewalks were widened to 10 feet where feasible and designed to be fully ADA-compliant, with accessibility standards maintained wherever space allowed.

New lighting and lush landscaping create a safer, more welcoming environment for walkers and cyclists, with native plantings and bioinfiltration stormwater cells integrated alongside 6-foot seat walls that encourage rest, gathering, and biodiversity. St. Charles Area Transit stops were evaluated and relocated in collaboration with the City of St. Charles and SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital, and two new shelters were added to improve rider comfort and visibility. Overhead electric and phone lines were buried, improving the corridor's visual character and pedestrian and driver safety. The project was made possible through a public-private partnership among SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital, the City of St. Charles, and the Federal Transportation Alternatives Program.