Construction, fresh paint on the rise; illegal activities down.

Byline: Andy Mead And Marc Zarefsky

Jan. 16--Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard is less than a mile and a half long, but it crosses the heart of downtown Lexington, and holds a special place in the hearts of many residents.

When people of several ethnic groups join today for the hymn-singing Martin Luther King Jr. Day Freedom March down Main Street, they will pass beneath the boulevard sign that keeps the slain civil rights leader's name before the public year-round.

"It's important to be reminded on a daily basis of what Dr. King stood for -- judging people by the content of our character, not the color of our skin," said Lee Jackson, a leader of the successful effort 18 years ago to rename Harrison Avenue and Walnut Street for King.

Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard also is a street in transition, where new construction and fresh paint are on the rise, and drugs and prostitution on the wane.

It is part of a decentralized but nationwide effort that has produced more than 700 streets bearing King's name in towns and cities across America.

And finally, it has the longest name of any Lexington street, even without the "North," "South," or the "Jr.," which the city said was mistakenly left off the official name but appears on all the street signs.

Starts on campus

Lexington's Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard begins at Euclid Avenue, also known as the Avenue of…