From: Sarah Neumann Haske
Date: Mon, Jan 29, 2018 at 9:42 AM
Subject: Merrimon Ave Project, Asheville NC
To: kbereis@hntb.com
I whole heartedly disagree with your plan for Merrimon Avenue in Asheville, NC.
Merrimon avenue is already an extremely dangerous road for pedestrians and cyclists. This project prioritizes speeding cars and not multi-modal transportation.
Have you ever walked down the sidewalk along Merrimon avenue? I suggest you try it out for yourself and see. There is NO buffer between the sidewalk and the already speeding cars that whizz by within inches of your body (not to mention you want to support a design that allows for faster speeds). It is terrifying. Please, take a walk down Merrimon so you fully understand for yourself.
Any updated plans for Merrimon Avenue should be prioritizing the safety of it’s citizens. Allowing speeding cars down Merrimon does not do that. Go back to your drawing board and come up with a plan that incorporates bike lanes, larger buffers for sidewalks, and prioritizes local neighborhoods and their connectivity. Everyone is a pedestrian at one point or another, let’s put a priority on our own safety. We don’t want to see another Hendersonville road in our city.
Sincerely,
—
Sarah Neumann Haske MS, RDN, CLT
Women’s Health Functional Registered Dietitian