While I appreciate that the current plan will provide a much needed pedestrian sidewalk on the west side of the road, I also think that other interests for pedestrians, cyclists, and area residents should be taken into account. This project seems to fully ignore the city of Asheville’s years of planning for ways the Merrimon avenue corridor could better support the needs of local travelers. In particular, improvements to the safety of the greenway crossing at the W.T. Weaver intersection should be more thoughtfully incorporated into the plans.

I ask that NCDOT consult with the City staff who have invested in planning for this corridor to propose alternative options for infrastructure improvements to this stretch of road.

Thanks,

Susan Bean