Call to action: Send your feedback to the City of Asheville

It’s important for you to send a short letter of support about this project. Please send your feedback to Jessica Morriss, jmorriss@ashevillenc.gov, and cc: ashevilleonbikes@gmail.com so we can follow your feedback on this project. Link to project page from the City of Asheville.

Examples of situations this project is designed to improve

If you’ve ever biked south on Biltmore, rolling south past Posana in the heart of downtown, and struggled with drivers who straddle both lanes, or who made abrupt stops while looking for parking, this plan helps fix that – and more.

If you’ve wanted to invest in downtown Asheville by building or renovating a piece of real estate but struggled to make the numbers work because of some planned number of parking spaces and space for delivery vehicle access, these bike lanes are a win. By moving people, not cars, we can have increased density and new housing units downtown that are a win for all parties involved. Getting to that point means building a better transportation network so that we waste less space storing cars.

If you’ve ever climbed up Biltmore Ave on your bike from the baseball stadium and encountered a long line of backed up cars in the area of Mamacita’s or Barley’s, this proposal creates a bike lane beginning at the Orange Peel that would whisk you to the top of the hill. If you’re one of the 4000+ households in Southside or Kenilworth and you’ve ever stayed in to avoid the hassle of traffic and parking, even though you were ½ mile from downtown, this plan is part of the solution that will help reconnect you to your downtown. 

If you are a business owner frustrated with conditions that make loading and unloading of trucks dangerous or impossible, this project is designed to improve loading zone access.

This project connects our multimodal grid

In the first image of this post, you can see where we are missing bike and ebike connections downtown (the green lines are current bike lanes). Now consider what is coming in the near future:

1. College and Patton in downtown will be reconfigured with east – west bike lanes in the next 12 months. 
2. Biltmore Avenue and McDowell Avenue south of downtown will receive a different traffic pattern during their next repaving. The recently completed corridor study collected public feedback and has been approved by City Council; It calls for a redesign that will rebalance the lane configuration of both streets to handle smoother traffic flow and make room for bicycle lanes running north-south (as well as sidewalk and intersection improvements). Kenilworth, White Fawn, Southside, St. Dunstans, and Biltmore Village neighborhoods will be fully reconnected to downtown once those changes are complete.
3. RADTIP’s greenway will connect to the baseball stadium via an additional greenway segment, Nasty Branch, coming up Southside Avenue and connecting to a grid of bike lanes at McDowell, Coxe, and Biltmore. That additional connection will allow riders on the river to visit downtown from either the future Nasty Branch / Southside greenway or the current Haywood Rd bicycle climbing lane.
4. Asheville Unpaved proposes to create improved walking and biking trail networks at Mountainside Park, Asheville Middle School, and adjacent to the French Broad Greenway West, including sections of dedicated bike trail. 
5. A new ebike is being sold every 52 seconds or faster in the U.S. At the 2022 People for Bikes E-bike Summit, which was hosted in Asheville, the bike manufacturers in attendance stated that they expect 50% of U.S. bicycles sales to be e-bikes within 5 years. There are no hill problems or parking problems when you ride an ebike.  

The bike lanes along this section of Biltmore Avenue complete a key connection within downtown and they also connect to many other plans, allowing people to move to and from downtown more safely in the near future, some without needing a car.

Here is a quiz for you

We made it using statements we’ve heard during the meetings about this project. 

Please voice your support for this project and the valuable bike lanes it adds to our multimodal transportation grid in Asheville. Send your feedback to Jessica Morriss, jmorriss@ashevillenc.gov, and cc: ashevilleonbikes@gmail.com so we can follow your feedback on this project. 

The post Call for feedback on bike lanes and traffic pattern change for Biltmore Avenue south of Pack Plaza appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

AoB has advocated for these types of changes for years and we have provided direct feedback for each of these plans, which you may remember from our past calls to action. Each of these corridor studies is built on sound engineering, rounds of public feedback, hard lessons from our current roads, and advocacy for designs more in line with Vision Zero, Complete Streets, National Association of Transportation Officials  (NACTO) guidelines. 

As part of our advocacy, we wrote to City Council in support of these corridor studies. You can read our letter here.

Now is the time for the City Council to vote and adopt the corridor studies, which call for bike lanes, increased pedestrian features, safer intersections, and other changes that revolve around making these roads better for all users. 

In November, instead of bringing up these proposals for a vote, the City council delayed until the December meeting. With Asheville still ranked as one of the most dangerous cities to bike or walk in NC, we cannot afford to delay approving the plans contained in these corridor studies. You may remember the long running effort to “study” Charlotte Street, when, even twenty years ago, evidence was clear that a different traffic pattern on Charlotte Street would be safer for everyone. We don’t want that to happen here, where further delays are akin to voting in favor of injury, death, and roads clogged with cars.

Email Asheville City Council and let them know that you support the adoption of the Hendersonville Road, Tunnel Road, and Biltmore Avenue/McDowell Street corridor studies.  Each study is a critical step in advancing Asheville’s active transportation network.

Taken together, these three plans point to a rejuvenated Tunnel Road that is bikeable and walkable; separated bike lanes for Biltmore/McDowell suitable for ebikes and scooters; and a multi-use path for Hendersonville Road. The proposals:

• Include National Association of Transportation Official (NACTO) treatments and design standards which the City’s Multi-Modal Transportation Commission endorsed in 2017.
• Embrace the change in land use from strictly commercial to dense mixed use redevelopment in response to our affordable housing crisis. 
• Serve to strengthen the integrity of Asheville transit system as pedestrian and bicycle facilities connect to transit hubs which increases mobility while it decreases cost of living.
• Include meaningful north – south connections for people traveling without a car

We need you to contact the city council and share that you support Asheville on Bikes’ position, as listed below, to adopt the corridor studies.

AoB’s Suggested Letter. You can copy and paste: 

Dear City Council,

Continued and robust investment in active transportation facilities is an important issue to me. It’s alarming that our city continues to rank as North Carolina’s worst city for pedestrian and bicyclist crashes. While many interventions are required to improve conditions in our rights of way, your vote to approve the  Hendersonville Road, Tunnel Road and the Biltmore Avenue/McDowell Street studies is the next action to take. Please do not delay this vote any further and vote to adopt these studies. 

I support Asheville on Bikes’ position on this matter.

Respectfully, 

(Your Name) 

Or draft your own letter of  support. Either way, AoB asks that you cc us on your letter to council using  ashevilleonbikes@gmail.com so that we can track support. 

City Council Members Email:

Mayor Esther Manheimer – esthermanheimer@avlcouncil.com

Vice Mayor Sheneika Smith – sheneikasmith@avlcouncil.com

Sandra Kilgore – sandrakilgore@avlcouncil.com

Antanette Mosley – antanettemosley@avlcouncil.com

Kim Roney – kimroney@avlcouncil.com

Sage Turner – sageturner@avlcouncil.com

Gwen Wisler – gwenwisler@avlcouncil.com

To share a message with all City Council members using one email that goes to each, send your email to: AshevilleNCCouncil@ashevillenc.gov.

Thank you! Please cc: ashevilleonbikes@gmail.com on your emails to council.

Read AoB’s letter to City Council, Nov 17, 2021, urging Council to adopt the findings from these corridor studies.

The post Call To Action: Ask Council to Vote Yes on Corridor Studies appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

It’s time to provide feedback on the City of Asheville’s implementation of shared streets and temporary parklets. The City is calling this new survey, “AVL Shares Space 2021 Survey.” It’s your chance to weigh in on the land use portion of the City’s COVID-19 pandemic response. Keep reading to see our list of suggested responses to their survey; you can take the survey by clicking this link. The survey is open through Sept. 20, 2021.

As background, AoB published a series of articles and letters to push the City to roll out a network of slow speed streets, commerce/pedestrian zones, and parklets. This call included a petition that circulated broadly, signed by 8 Organizations, 34 Businesses, and 220 Individuals. Of the three ideas, the City mostly delivered temporary parklets. Here are our background materials for your review:

• Interview: Explaining Commerce Zones and Low Speed Streets
• Low Speed Street Network and Circulator Map
• Petition: “Pledge of Support for Changes to our Streets”

AoB encourages you to respond to the survey and incorporate our suggestions into your response in order to further advance the prioritization of moving people safely throughout our city. AoB provides survey guidance for a limited number of questions as not all questions deal with issues of active transportation and user safety. 

Asheville on Bikes’ Recommended Responses

Below are screenshots of the questions and AoB’s recommended responses. Please complete the survey and share our guidance throughout your circles to intensify support for continued investment in active transportation facilities. 

Initiatives 1 & 2 ask for your input regarding “Shared Streets and/or Temporary Parklets”

The 3rd question of Initiatives 1 & 2  asks: “Have Shared Streets and/or Parklets impacted your experience of feeling safer and in alignment with public health guidelines during COVID-19?”

Answer: “Helped me feel much safer” The goal is to highlight that people oriented streets promote safety. 

The 4th question of Initiatives 1 & 2 asks: Have Shared Streets and/or Parklets influenced your decision(s) to access local goods and services during COVID-19?

Answer: “It very much encouraged me to access local goods/services,” because the goal is to highlight the connection between shared streets and business. 

The 5th and 6th question of Initiatives 1 & 2  asks “What do you like most about the temporary Shared Streets and/or Parklets?” and “What do you like least, what would you change.” 

Answer: The city has prioritized the safe and predictable movement of pedestrians above all other modes through a tactical urbanism approach. I encourage the city to continue this program and expand on it by working with a variety of partners (like Asheville on Bikes) to design, build, and implement more space for the safe and predictable movement of people.  

Answer: So far, “AVL Shares Space” is limited to just the central business district and focused on supporting businesses. I encourage the city to intensify its shared streets approach and build a series of  shared street networks to connect  neighborhoods into downtown and to each other to encourage biking and walking throughout Asheville. Emphasize ADA and inclusive design. Embrace the need of people who are differently abled. Consider Asheville on Bike’s circulator concept and build a variety of quick build complete streets into Asheville so that people aren’t overly reliant on cars to get into town. 

Question 7 of Initiatives 1 & 2 asks: “Are you supportive of continuing the Shared Streets and/or Parklet program longer term?

Answer: ‘very supportive,’ because shared streets are something that should transcend the pandemic. Let city leaders know that pedestrian facilities and safety are a long term asset to our community. 

Question 8 of Initiatives 1 & 2 asks: “If you are supportive of continuing the Shared Streets and/or Parklet program longer term, how much of a factor is the COVID-19 pandemic?” 

Answer: “Not at all a factor,” because it’s critical to document that shared streets are valued beyond the pandemic. We want our streets to work for people for the long run and not just the short term pandemic restrictions. 

Question 9 of Initiatives 1 & 2 asks: “Would you like to see Shared Streets and/or Parklets other locations in Asheville? If so, where?” 

Answer: “Yes, I’d like to see shared streets expanded throughout the City to areas like West Asheville’s Haywood Rd, the River Arts District, and Biltmore Village. I’d like to see the City embrace Asheville on Bike’s Circulator concept which would allow for more walking and biking into the city as that concept creates pathways for active transportation. The current plan is inadequate because it does not include any slow streets or traffic calming to create safer transportation connections for me to go to and from my neighborhood to reach the places I need to go. Integrate AoB’s circulator concept to build a network of shared streets into town from surrounding communities.

Initiative 4 focuses on the use of sidewalks 

The 3rd question of Initiative 4 asks: “What do you like least, or what would you change about outdoor dining (or merchandise) on sidewalks?

Answer: When business extends onto the sidewalk, it often obstructs or limits pedestrian movements therefore as this initiative continues, greater emphasis should be placed on the pedestrian experience. Prioritize universal design principles so that shared streets work for those who are most vulnerable and differently abled. 

The post Call To Action: Respond to City of Asheville’s “AVL Shares Space 2021 Survey” appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

There will be two meetings discussing the plans and introducing how to provide feedback with our new online survey.  The two meetings will be the same, there is no need to attend both. The virtual meeting times are:

• Wednesday, August 25, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. (This meeting will be recorded and posted with the survey on the Close the GAP project page for anyone who wants to listen at their convenience) Meeting link

• Friday, August 27, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Meeting link 

Additionally, the Transportation Department would like to meet with neighborhood groups to discuss what the GAP Plans can do for you and hear your comments. Please contact Lucy Crown at lcrown@ashevillenc.gov to find out more information about the plans and to organize a time to meet with your neighborhood. 

“People ask me why it is so important to provide feedback for a plan that doesn’t directly lead to construction,” said Lucy Crown, the Greenway Planner for the City of Asheville, “Master Plans are guiding documents that help staff in the Transportation Department organize, prioritize and queue projects up for construction. If you would like better pedestrian facilities in your neighborhood, it is important to get it on the master plan now. If a project is not in the master plan, it is unlikely to be constructed. It is really important for staff to know what desires and concerns neighborhoods have regarding their transportation needs. YOU know more about your neighborhood streets and walking than anyone else, that is why it is so important we hear from you!”  

Find a copy of this press release on Asheville City Source.

Close the GAP Survey Now Open

The planning process, known as the Close the GAP, will identify a network of the pedestrian, greenway, and accessibility networks for our community as well as programs and policies to support it. The City of Asheville combined these plans because the pedestrian network will be a stronger one if the three aspects: Greenways, ADA transitions, and Pedestrian networks are planned at the same time.

Asheville residents are encouraged to take the Close the GAP survey to provide ideas and input for the street and greenway plan updates. The survey is now available to take online here.

The post Residents invited to virtual meetings on Asheville greenway and pedestrian master plans this week; survey to open too appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

Here are the relevant links to get up to speed on these two important City items:
Learn about Asheville Unpaved here: https://bit.ly/386TuAO
Take the Close the GAP Survey here: https://ashevillenc.gov/closethegap

So go take that survey – the City wants to hear from you!

The post Survey Alert! Growing trails and closing the GAP with Lucy Crown appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.