Haywood Road Repaving Project, History and Details

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is performing a regularly scheduled road resurfacing of Haywood Rd in West Asheville from Ridgelawn Rd to Patton Ave. The project is identified as Project # HL-0003 in the State Transportation Improvement Project and will be implemented in the summer of 2023. 

The French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization is providing additional funding for the resurfacing project in order to improve safety along the corridor.

This road once served as the only route west out of downtown Asheville and was also a leg in the Asheville trolley system, which had a line than ran up to Beachum’s curve. When the location of I-240 was decided in the 1960’s, that interstate demolished many homes and streets in low income and majority black parts of town, including through West Asheville. I-26 and I-240 divide the City today and the interstate divides West Asheville into two parts. Haywood Rd runs along the top of a ridge connecting those two parts and is often considered the heart of West Asheville. Read more history in this Mountain Xpress article or download this excellent pdf, “The Story of Haywood Road,” published by the West Asheville History Project.

Each repaving project presents an opportunity to change lane configurations, improve intersections, improve ADA compliance, and make other alterations in between the curbs, in the current right of way. Repaving projects do not typically alter the curb configuration of the road or change the size of the right of way.

How to leave a public comment on the project

NCDOT is accepting public comment for the Haywood Rd resurfacing project until Jan. 13, 2023. Asheville on Bikes encourages you to include our  recommendations in your comments and send a copy of your comments to us at ashevilleonbikes@gmail.com. 

To share your comments with NCDOT: 

Email:  Haywood-Maintenance-Buncombe@publicinput.com  

Phone: (984) 205-6615

Mail: Attn: Alecia Hardy, NCDOT EAU

                     1598 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1598

Our Summary of Haywood Rd Existing Conditions

This section of Haywood Rd is a vibrant commercial corridor connecting West Asheville neighborhoods. The road is in a 2 lane configuration except for the I-240 bridge and the junction with Patton Avenue, where it briefly extends to 4 lanes.

Existing conditions:

• Haywood Rd ranked 16 in the City of Asheville Close the GAP (p. 36 & 37) which indicates that the corridor’s existing conditions are unsafe and unnavigable for differently abled people.  
• Haywood Rd hosts the highest bicycle and pedestrian counts outside of downtown Asheville
• The vehicular average daily traffic volumes (ADT) range between 1300 – 15,000 / day 
• Pedestrian and bicycle needs have historically been ignored along the corridor. There are several American With Disabilities Act (ADA) violations along the corridor
• NCDOT representatives confirmed at the public engagement meeting on Dec. 6th 2022 that the proposed treatments were not informed by Haywood Rd crash data, speed analysis, or the Close the GAP plan.

Our Guidance for Haywood Rd Public Comment:

• All design changes to the corridor should be informed by vehicular speed and crash data with the goal of reducing excessive speeds and collisions. 
• A design speed of 20 mph throughout the entire corridor should be used if bicycle sharrow markings are to be incorporated into the project. The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) recommends sharrows on streets with a less than 25 mph design speed. 
• Bicycle May Use Full Lane signs should be incorporated wherever sharrow marks are incorporated.
• Where road widths allow incorporate bicycle lanes with special consideration of bike lanes that funnel into bicycle boxes at intersections so that people on bikes have priority movement through intersections. 
• All pedestrian facilities must comply with American with Disabilities standards. 
• The design should include midblock crosswalks with refuge islands and elevated crosswalks. 
• All crosswalks must be marked. Unmarked crosswalks are unacceptable. 
• Signalized crosswalks should be timed to allow for the greatest allowable crossing time as opposed to the minimum. 
• Curb extensions and vertical speed control elements like speed tables and speed cushions should be incorporated to ensure a 20mph design speed and to improve pedestrian crossings. 

I-26 bridge concerns

We have also written about the special concerns that surround the future I-26 project bridge replacement at Haywood Rd and I-26, as well as the need to better accommodate the future users of the new greenway that will join Haywood Rd across from B&B pharmacy. This future greenway will wrap around to the Patton bridge, resulting in a car-free path to the west side of downtown with no red lights and less elevation change than the current dip to the river on Haywood before the climb up.

We hope this future bridge design can be an example of the multi-modal changes this corridor needs, instead of forcing a car-centric design into the middle of this vibrant area.

You can read that earlier post here, which links to the I-26 project public documents.

The post Haywood Road Repaving Public Comment Guidance, NCDOT Project # HL-0003 appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

Asheville on Bikes encourages people to attend the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) public comment session. Please encourage design treatments that: 

• Calm vehicular traffic to 20mph
• Prioritize the safe and predictable movements of differently abled pedestrians
• A mix of bicycle facilities including bike lanes, bike boxes, sharrow marking, wayfinding, and bicycle corrals.

Meeting info here: https://www.asheville.com/news/2022/12/public-opinions-sought-for-haywood-road-improvements/

Project page and survey: https://publicinput.com/Haywood-Maintenance-Buncombe

Today’s meeting is a drop-in session from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at Trinity United Methodist Church, 587 Haywood Road in Asheville. Anyone can attend.

4 questions for the Haywood repaving public meeting

1. How are your 3 alternatives informed by the City of Asheville Close the GAP analysis?
   • The Close the Gap analysis by the City evaluates our pending transportation projects with important criteria not previously considered together. Among other items it analyzed: public comments; the predicted effects of projects on walking, biking, and transit of City plans; expected costs; known deficiencies in biking, walking, transit; housing and commuter patterns by income and race.
2. How does NCDOT’s Complete Streets Policy inform your designs?
   • NCDOT requires all projects to go through an evaluation process to determine the elements necessary to build a complete street. There is both an NCDOT Complete Streets policy and an implementation guide to consider. As per the guide, “All projects will be evaluated using the Complete Streets project evaluation methodology attached and referenced herein. The five-step evaluation methodology will assist project managers and engineers in identifying bicycle and pedestrian needs, selecting the appropriate facility type, and estimating added impacts to the project.”
   • We want a street design that meets those guidelines and also uses NACTO design criteria. We don’t want a complete street in name only, or a street that has elements in the design that are not practical improvements for each of the transportation modes in use on the corridor.
3. Are all of the facilities ADA compliant on all 3 alternatives presented?
   • All facilities should be ADA compliant as planned and as installed.
4. How has the Haywood bridge design in the I-26 project changed since it was last presented to the public? Please explain how the bike and pedestrian features of that proposed bridge design interact with your 3 alternatives presented for this road?
   • Links to I-26 public materials: I-26 video fly through of the entire project. Link to pdf of the bridge design: 2018 NCDOT Map of Haywood interchange. There may be a newer map featuring an updated design. If so, it should be made easier to find on the NCDOT I-26 project website.
   • The Haywood Rd repaving project bisects future I-26 the bridge replacement project. That bridge, ramps, and intersection project is planned as part of the I-26 connector and set to begin within 5 years. The design of that future bridge is critically important to the function of this corridor.
   • The last public design of the Haywood bridge showed a design that is inappropriate to the commercial nature of this corridor. The design, still published today, shows a 4 lane road in a divided highway configuration with center median, contained with a widened right of way, allowing for additional ramp space and other car-centric features.
   • Both the bridge design and the design changes made at repaving should work together to make it safer and easier to move on foot, by bike, by bus between the two sections of Haywood Rd, nearby business, and the greenway. It should not be designed with a primary focus on free-flowing auto traffic.
   • The I-26 bridge project also includes a major new greenway that connects West Asheville to downtown across the Patton bridge. One entrance to that greenway is near Haywood Rd and the Asheville City Schools property, across from B&B pharmacy, adjacent to an I-26 ramp. This will be a major source of bicycle, ebike, scooter, and pedestrian movements on the corridor.

We’ll see you at the meeting!

The post Questions to ask at the Haywood Road NCDOT meeting on 12-6-22 appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

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.

May 17, 2022
70 Court Plaza 
Asheville, NC 28801 

Dear Asheville City Council, 

On behalf of Asheville on Bikes’ Board of Directors and its members (over 800 strong), I’m writing to encourage you to vote in support of the Merrimon Ave road reconfiguration.

NCDOT, Division 13, City of Asheville staff, members of the Multimodal Transportation Commission have all worked in good faith to produce a public input process that clearly defines the benefits and tradeoffs of a 4 to 3 conversion on Merrimon. The final voice for a more complete Merrimon rests with you on May 24th. This is your opportunity to lead and advance safety and dignity of our public rights of way for all people traveling by a variety of modes.

For those of you concerned about the political repercussions of supporting a safer street configuration, I direct you to the outcome of the public process where 59% of more than 4,000 respondents supported a 4 to 3 conversion on Merrimon Ave. This 59% is a historic result in support of this conversion.  

More importantly, please take a moment and listen to this public comment from Gaia to the Multimodal Transportation Commission made on 3/24/2021. Gaia’s courageous statement helped catalyze the support that  brought this vote to you. Gaia was struck by a motorist while crossing legally on Merrimon Ave and, as a result of that collision, has suffered dearly. I invite each of you to draw upon Gaia’s courage and examine the opportunity before you. Your vote either advances safety and dignity or re-commits our community to the existing conditions of carnage.

Each vote in support of the Merrimon road reconfiguration is a vote to affirm our collective commitment to public safety on our rights of way. Help lead our City in a direction where these articles become untrue: 

1. Asheville continues to lead in North Carolina in pedestrian and bicyclist collisions
2. Asheville Citizen Times, A troubling trend: Asheville ranks first in the state for pedestrian deaths per capita). 

According to NCDOT and the City of Asheville, the Merrimon data shows that:

• “ …there is approximately a 150% higher rate of crashes on Merrimon compared to other similar roadways across the State (for every 10 crashes on other similar roads, Merrimon gets 15) (City of Asheville Merrimon Ave Story Map, Crashes)
• Approximately 23% of crashes on Merrimon involve an injury and property damage estimates total more than $7 million.
• Merrimon experiences about 13 crashes every month. The chart below summarizes the corridor’s crash statistics.

(City of Asheville / NCDOT Merrimon Story Map, Crashes)

If the current design results in nearly one crash every other day and produces nearly three injuries / month, how can we allow those conditions to continue for the next 10 to 15 years?  

Advancing public safety means designing for people moving by a variety of modes and prioritizing for our most vulnerable road users. 8.3% of City residents do not own a car; the City has the obligation to provide safe and accessible infrastructure for these residents as well as motorists.  

NCDOT and City of Asheville’s analysis states, 

“a potential 29% crash reduction factor, which, if realized, could lead to approximately 50 fewer crashes and 10 fewer injuries on Merrimon every year. If applied evenly across the board, these crash reductions could reduce property damage by about $300,000 every year.” 

Considering the existing conditions and the potential return on the investment resulting from a road reconfiguration, the Merrimon Ave re-stripping is a low cost, low hanging fruit, high yield investment in public safety. The current configuration isn’t working for anyone so it’s time to apply a new approach and a more complete design. The Merrimon road reconfiguration is an initial intervention which elevates safety and dignity on our streets. 

NCDOT and the MPO are currently studying whether to make similar improvements to Biltmore Ave, McDowell St, Tunnel Rd, and Asheland Ave.  Decisions on those recommendations should be coming to you within a year. These future opportunities to improve safety on our streets will be in jeopardy should you hesitate now to make this commitment on Merrimon Ave.  

There are lessons to be learned from the Charlotte Street road diet that apply to your vote. The Charlotte Street project was kicked around for 20 years before a road diet treatment was finally approved by council over the concerns and objections of some residents who loudly objected. Like Merrimon, sidewalk improvements were outside the scope of the project but the road diet and new bike lanes have increased pedestrian use.  As a result of the success and the calmer conditions, the City of Asheville and  NCDOT are expanding sidewalks on Charlotte Street to I-240. When the City leads, NCDOT follows. We need your leadership now. 

While the road diet is often framed as controversial, the public support is strong and well informed; citizens desire safer streets and more mobility options. Charlotte Street, Wilma Dykeman Greenway, Coxe Avenue all endured moments – often months or years of moments – of controversy before being supported by City Council. Each one of those projects has been a success, and Merrimon will be too.  On behalf of Asheville on Bikes, I urge you to vote in favor of safer streets and approve the Merrimon Ave road reconfiguration. 

Respectfully, 

Mike Sule

Executive Director, Asheville on Bikes 

enc: AoB Research Addendum For City Council

The post AoB Open Letter Urging City Council To Vote In Favor of 4-3 Conversion For Merrimon appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

Read our comment here!

The post Public Comment on FBRMPO 2020 TIP Amendment to delay projects after NCDOT budget shortfall appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

The Hendersonville Road Corridor Study will examine this roadway and propose strategies relating to congestion, pedestrian and cyclist safety, and connectivity along and across the road. To accomplish this, the project team will be collaborating closely with the City of Asheville, the French Broad River MPO, Buncombe County, NCDOT, as well as representatives of the communities and institutions along Hendersonville Road. In order to make this plan the biggest success it can be, we will call on the community, the residents, students, and workers who live near or travel on Hendersonville Road every day to participate in the planning process.

The mention of “congestion” before “pedestrian and cyclist safety” catches our eye. When NCDOT  hears congestion, the solution has historically been a road widening as opposed to multi-modal investments. Asheville continues to rank as one of the most dangerous cities in North Carolina for pedestrians and cyclists.  If you value roads that prioritize the safe movement of all people moving by a variety of modes, you should respond.

Example of current biking and walking conditions on this corridor

Before reading further, consider this map made from NCDOT data that shows the study corridor, overlaid with bicycle and pedestrian crashes, along with fatal crashes of all types. People are biking and walking on this corridor, particularly in the Gerber Village area.

Other projects and key connectors in this area

NCDOT has previously published an extensive redesign of Sweeten Creek Road, project U-2801A, which parallels this section of Hendersonville Road. You can read our 2018 public comment on that not-yet-built project here. The Sweeten Creek Road corridor includes a multi-use path, separated from traffic, alongside Sweeten Creek Road, planned to run from the Blue Ridge Parkway to the intersection of Sweeten Creek Road and Hendersonville Road. Rather than supplanting the need for a more bikable, walkable Hendersonville Road, those changes will result in more people riding bikes and trying to connect over to and across the corridor being studied in this survey.

Additionally, several local road bike rides make use of this area, even though the area is ill-suited to the needs of most bicycle riders. You can easily see the bicycle use on Strava’s Global Heatmap. This portion of Hendersonville Road is part of the larger problem in south Asheville where we are missing safe north-south routes as well as safe east-west connections across this part of the City. At least four connections that are used by cyclists stand out today: the Blue Ridge Parkway, Mills Gap Road, Glen Bridge Road, and Christ School Road.

AoB Guidance for completing this survey

Go here to take the survey, “Hendersonville Road Corridor Study: Survey 1,” after considering:

Question 2 & 6: Identify yourself as a bicyclist. 

Question 8: Note that retail shops aren’t included as an option. Gas stations are but what about retail? Or offices?

Question 9: Select “providing for all modes of transportation” as the highest priority. 

Question 10: Identify “Hard to get around on foot and bike” as the biggest transportation concern. 

Question 11: Rank active transportation (bike, pedestrian, transit, greenway and trails as the as the most important considerations. 

Question 13: Identify all types of mixed use development as a priority. 

Question 15: State your dissatisfaction with existing active transportation facilities. 

Question 15 continued: State your satisfaction with motorist facilities. 

Additional comments. Respond to the need for NCDOT to design Hendersonville Rd in accordance with its Complete Street and Vision Zero policies. It’s always constructive to reference NACTO design standards.

Here’s the link again, to take the survey: Hendersonville Road Corridor Study

The post Action Item: Respond to Hendersonville Road Corridor Study appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

This Thursday, March 28, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) hosts public comment regarding the Amboy & Meadow Roads widening project, STIP Number U-4739. The public meeting is hosted at Double Tree by Hilton Asheville – Biltmore (115 Hendersonville Rd) from 4PM to 7PM.

The Amboy & Meadow Road project will have a large impact on the future of Asheville’s active transportation network. AoB encourages you to participate in the drop-in sessions and follow the project closely.

A few notable items affected by this project:

• Asheville and West Asheville’s connections (car/bike/ped) to Carrier Park and the Hominy Creek Greenway;
• The future Karen Cragnolin park design and other RiverLink work;
• The safety of bicyclists, pedestrians, and low speed vehicle users moving along or near Amboy Road and Meadow Road;
• The design of the on-bridge and intersection bicycle and pedestrian treatments where Amboy joins Lyman/Meadow, connecting the RADTIP greenway and on-street bike lane along Lyman to French Broad River Park;
• The design and routing of the greenway section that remains the missing link below RADTIP, the connecting greenway from Amboy Rd to Biltmore Avenue in Biltmore Village.

Here are some questions to ask at the meeting:

1. How has NCDOT looked at population demographics related to income, race and disability status in the design of this project and linkages across it, especially with regard to access to the park and riverfront? What types of pedestrian and bicycling crossings will be incorporated into this project to provide safe crossing from West Asheville neighborhoods to adjacent parks? Are raised crosswalks or speed tables, curb extensions, and / or refuge islands being considered?
2. How will NCDOT incorporate a “target speed” approach as identified in the AASHTO Green Book? What is the proposed design speed for this project? How was the design speed determined? Is the design speed determined or is it still being evaluated? What is the projected posted speed limit?
3. What is the width of the vehicular travel lanes? Does the width exceed AASHTO guidance for a road of this classification?
4. Are protected bicycle facilities included to separate bicyclists from moving vehicles? How does the current plan align with current FHWA guidance? (esp page 23) Does the plan align with FHWA guidance allowing flexibility for choosing standards for bike/ped facilities, which permits NCDOT to implement designs like the ones listed here:  Designing for All Ages and Abilities (esp page 4), even without a formal adoption by NCDOT?
5. What is the width of the proposed bicycle and pedestrian facilities? Do the widths align with AASHTO guidance?
6. How has NCDOT’s Complete Street policy informed the design of this project?
7. Will traffic calming facilities be incorporated into the project to maintain safe travel speeds for people walking and biking?
8. How was pedestrian and bicyclist level of service (LOS) evaluated? What methodology was used? Is the evaluation published? (NCDOT Complete Streets Evaluation, p. 33)
9. How will the design aim to incorporate trees to provide additional buffer (real and perceived) from cars? (As well as to provide the many other benefits from urban tree canopy?)
10. How will the proposal connect to other city bike/ped infrastructure, especially where Meadow Road interacts with the proposed greenway as it approaches Biltmore Ave?  (RADTIP/Wilma Dykeman RiverWay Plan/Swannanoa Greenway, especially the section between Amboy and Biltmore Ave)?
11. How is NCDOT incorporating its Vision Zero policy into the engineering of this project?

See you on Thursday!

Print version.

The post List of Questions for Amboy & Meadow Road Widening STIP U-4739 appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

Download a printable pdf of this blog post.

When the time comes to email your comments to NCDOT, please be sure to cc AoB at ashevilleonbikes@gmail.com.

Asheville on Bikes has reviewed NCDOT’s I-26 Connector plan and has compiled a list of recommendations to advance bicycle and pedestrian facilities. AoB recognizes that this project will have major negative impacts on our community but we acknowledge that the project is inevitable and, therefore, seek to maximize active transportation facilities and connectivity.

Asheville on Bikes is informed by National Association of City Transportation Officials’ (NACTO) “Designing for All Ages and Abilities” report, and critiques NCDOT’s I-26 Connector project through the lens of creating active transportation facilities that are: safe, comfortable, and equitable.

Asheville on Bikes encourages our members and supporters to review our list of recommendations and consider them as they participate in NCDOT’s upcoming public hearing.

AoB’s General Recommendations:

1. Incorporate NACTO design standards and best practices to ensure safe intersection designs, especially at key intersections at proposed greenways and MUPs, and in busy pedestrian areas.
2. Incorporate standardized pavement markings on all greenways and MUPs throughout the project to assure safety and minimize user conflicts.
3. Incorporate NACTO standards in all contract terms for design and construction of the project. While NCDOT and the City of Asheville have not yet adopted NACTO design standards as official policy, NACTO standards do not conflict with the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) standards. Rather, they complement and inform AASHTO standards. Incorporating NACTO standards allows designers to create the safest and most reliable intersections in dense and busy urban settings like Asheville.
4. There is speculation throughout the community that some of the active transportation facilities indicated on the maps are intended as opportunities for future inclusion after the project is built. If true, this is unacceptable. The project area has some of the highest bicycle and pedestrian counts in the community, and the need for improved multimodal infrastructure is immediate and critical, especially in light of the vehicular traffic impact the project will cause. The proposed greenway and MUP facilities will immediately be some of the most heavily used in the community. Moreover, building these important facilities after initial construction will be significantly more difficult and expensive. It is imperative that all active transportation facilities be built in tandem with the I-26 connector project.

Questions we think you should ask at the 12/4 public hearing:

1. Will you walk me through, using your map, how I can ride my bike with my 3rd grader following me on her bike, along Haywood Road, headed west, across the redesigned intersections that span I-240. I’d like to travel from Beacham’s Curve (near Hall Fletcher Elementary) which is near my house, to the area near the top of State Street and Haywood (Sunny Point restaurant). Please explain the conflict points with other road users that I will encounter along this stretch, including car speeds, so that I can explain them to my daughter.
2. Because the state pays no property taxes as a private landowner would, and this project increases the acreage owned by the state within City limits, this project is reducing the tax base of the City of Asheville. If it were built today, how many acres would be removed from the property tax roll, in total, based on these designs, for all three sections of the project? What is the amount, in today’s dollars, of the property taxes that are owed each year on that acreage?
3. If the “caged” infrastructure remains on the northern section of the Jeff Bowen bridge, how does this project improve the mobility of the Hillcrest community? What’s the rationale for only building a multi-use path on the southern side of the Bowen bridge?
4. Smith Mill Creek & West Asheville greenways merge and then cross intersections near Hazel Mill Rd, west of the Wally Bowen bridge. These crossings have been identified as a high conflict area by Asheville on Bikes. Where have you seen this type of conflict on other projects and what measures has NCDOT taken to improve safety of bicyclists and pedestrians? What are some treatment options? (Refer to F)
5. As currently designed can you show me how a Burton Street resident would connect to Smith Mill Creek greenway? Does this connection seem adequate to you? Does this seem like an efficient connection? Might there be an alternative connection? (G)
6. This project includes many miles of multi-use paths and other necessary bike and pedestrian features. Will those be built at the same time as the changes to the roads? What needs to occur for those features to be built?
7. As currently designed, how would people living on Hubbard St access the French Broad greenway from their neighborhood? Does this connection seem adequate to you? Does this seem like an efficient connection? Might there be an alternative connection?
8. The “Schwartz Memorandum FIES Technical Addendum” was included in NCDOT’s EIS as an addendum. The report was carefully researched and it outlines many changes that make life better for Asheville citizens. What is NCDOT’s legal obligation to include the recommendations in the Schwartz report? What can I do to make it likely that you will incorporate those recommendations in the project?
9. NCDOT made many changes to the Brevard – Amboy design pdf compared to previous designs, including dead ending Virginia Avenue and adding a frontage road south of I-26, above the French Broad River Campground. Please walk me through this new design for this part of the project.

To view high resolution maps, visit the NCDOT project site to download the pdf files. By viewing the pdf, you can zoom in and move around each section of the project. Our excerpts are based on those pdf files as they exist on 12/1/2018.

Specific Design Comments (all referenced by letter in the map excerpts):

The current caged walkway connecting the Hillcrest neighborhood across Patton Avenue is not suitable for future use, especially given the presence of the new greenway. It is narrow, caged, with steep steps, and not functional for bicycle use. A new structure should be included that features ramps and not steps, is not caged, and is wide enough for bicycle users to pass each other (at least 8’). It should provide a bikeable merge onto the greenway.

Arlington Street should be designed for vehicular traffic @ 25 mph and should include traditional bicycle lanes of 5’ on each side of the travel lanes. This will be a heavily-used bicycle connector for the Hillcrest neighborhood and for all of the Montford neighborhoods via Hill St. and Courtland St.

A neighborhood connector path (8’ wide, simple asphalt) should be provided, connecting the greenway to Club St. This will ensure that cyclists and pedestrians are not forced to travel all the way to Clingman Ave. to access the Chicken Hill neighborhoods and the River Arts District. Many bike/ped users of the greenway travelling across the Bowen Bridges from the west will have the River Arts District as their destination.

The portion of the West Asheville Greenway that runs from its merge with Smith Mill Creek Greenway to Clingman Avenue, given number of people living along each greenway and their desire to travel to and from downtown, or to enjoy the view overlooking the river, could well be the most heavily used section of greenway anywhere in the community and perhaps in the state of North Carolina. AASHTO standards provide guidance for greenway width specifications based on use levels, and accordingly this section of greenway should be designed at 16’ wide. All greenways and MUPs throughout the project should include standardized pavement markings to assure safety and minimize user conflicts.

This facility will be subject to heavy usage from cyclists and pedestrians accessing Westgate Shopping Center. Instead of a 6’-wide standard sidewalk in this location, there should be a 10’-wide marked MUP to accommodate the mix of cyclists and pedestrians.

This will be a very busy intersection for vehicle travel. Because the intersection will not be signalized and will be very active, automobile traffic will typically be moving rapidly between Patton Ave. and Hazel Mill Rd. The greenway will be very busy here, and potential for safety problems will be very high, especially in the evenings and other times of low visibility. Traffic calming and other measures should be deployed to ensure safe crossing of Hazel Mill Rd. for greenway users. Additionally, Hazel Mill Rd. as it leaves Patton will be a very popular route for bicycles and pedestrians to access the River Arts District on the west side of the river. The section of Hazel Mill to be rebuilt here by DOT should incorporate sidewalk and bicycle design features.

A neighborhood connector MUP (8’ wide, simple asphalt) should be provided to connect the Burton Street neighborhood to the Smith Mill Creek Greenway. Otherwise, cyclists and pedestrians in those neighborhoods could be forced to travel much greater distances uphill and westward for access.

Residential areas branching from the Hazel Mill Rd. corridor are very populous and growing. Hazel Mill Rd. will be a busy and popular route for those seeking access to Smith Mill Creek Greenway and points beyond. The Hazel Mill / Patton intersection here should be connected to the Regent Park/Patton intersection by a 10’ wide properly marked MUP to provide adequate safe connection. A simple 6’ sidewalk here is not suitable for cyclists and pedestrians to mix, especially at the edge of Patton Ave.

Neighborhood MUP connectors (8’ wide, simple asphalt) should be provided to allow the extensive neighborhoods of East West Asheville to connect to the West Asheville greenway via Dellwood, Vandalia, and Richland Streets. This will significantly reduce the number of cyclists that would otherwise mix in at the Haywood Rd. and Hazel Mill Rd. access sites.

The West Asheville Greenway between Haywood Rd. and the merge with the Smith Mill Creek Greenway is a primary connection between downtown and the River Arts District for a large population and will be very busy. Accordingly, per AASHTO guidance, it should be sufficiently wide (14’) and properly marked.

The Haywood Rd. bridge over I-26 and the intersection with the West Asheville Greenway will be a very busy area for cyclists given the populous neighborhoods and popular commercial areas that radiate from here and public school adjacent to the intersection. As currently depicted, the bridge and the approaches do not incorporate bicycle features or safe pedestrian facilities. The current design allows for increased automobile speeds compared to the immediately adjoining sections of Haywood Rd. Traffic calming features, narrower travel lanes, and traditional 5’ bike lanes should be incorporated on Haywood, as should NACTO-standard intersection treatments.

A neighborhood connector MUP (8’ wide, simple asphalt) should be provided to connect Argyle Lane to the West Asheville Greenway.

In the proposed design, Hubbard Avenue in West Asheville would be significantly isolated and unconnected to Virginia Ave. and other possible connections to the Amboy Rd. MUP due largely to topography. An additional section of neighborhood connector MUP (8’ wide, simple asphalt) should be included. This will allow for neighborhoods beyond Hubbard to also connect efficiently to Hominy Creek, Carrier Park, and other areas.

There should be a neighborhood connector MUP (8’ wide, simple asphalt) from Virginia Ave. to the Amboy Rd. MUP.

There should be a neighborhood connector MUP (8’ wide, simple asphalt) connecting Fairfax Ave. to the Amboy Rd. MUP

A section of standard MUP (10’ wide, marked), should be provided to extend the Amboy Rd. MUP to the trailhead of the City’s current Hominy Creek Greenway. Without this connection, cyclists and pedestrians would be forced out into this busy part of Shelburne Rd. due to the steep bank that exists there now between the roadways and the DOT-owned paved parking area.

The Riverside Drive MUP will provide a critical commuter route to connect with Broadway, UNC Asheville, and Woodfin areas where additional greenways and bike lanes are planned. A parallel greenway is planned by the City of Asheville to be located largely at the edge of the river. Because the greenway will accommodate a portion of the heavy use demand in the corridor, a 10’-wide MUP facility should suffice. Note that this MUP will be popular for faster-traveling bicycle commuters while the river-edge greenway will be popular for other slower-paced uses. Given the anticipated heavy-use in the corridor, both facilities are critically needed.

Download a printable pdf of this blog post.

The post NCDOT I-26 Connector Plan: What to know and what to ask at tonight’s meeting appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

https://ashevilleonbikes.com/merrimon-widening-ncdot-comments-tip-u-5781-u-5782

Our tally: 140 comments received, 139 against the initial designs, 1 for, and 95 commentors who gave us specific permission to publish their comment. You can search our database by name, by tag, or read the comments in bulk by downloading the pdf.

Your comments are inspiring and we’re impressed by the clear voice you used to communicate with NCDOT. Here are some of our favorites quotes:

Bridget: Last summer, my children were almost hit by a car turning from Weaver onto Merrimon (heading north)…Beyond the issue of safety, I can guarantee that many of the errands I run on Merrimon Ave would be done on foot or bike if I felt safe to do so. We do not need another Hendersonville Rd, or New Leicester Hwy. We need a neighborhood road where the thousands of residents in this area can safely walk or ride their bikes.

So many of your comments were not about bikes – instead they were about people and about safely moving around our City. Asheville on Bikes knows where you are coming from! Does NCDOT?

Martha: Your proposal also ignores the recommendations of hard work by the people of this community who have proposed visions that do take into consideration all of the modes of movement that make a city inhabitable and safe… Walking to nearby businesses is a scary and difficult task but I attempt it. We need a renovation that addresses that problem not make it worse.

There are so many more comments, many of which call for both a different design and different behavior from NCDOT.

Dan: I am appalled at the complete disregard shown to the residents of Asheville by NCDOT… the current course of action actively ignores existing policies, standards and proposals concerning urban transportation, both locally and State wide. The current NCDOT plan is a huge step backwards in transportation thinking.

Thank you for sharing your comments with us so that we can work together for a better future!

Read them all, and learn what your neighbors, your local organizations, and business sent to NCDOT: https://ashevilleonbikes.com/merrimon-widening-ncdot-comments-tip-u-5781-u-5782 

You may also enjoy reading:

• Public comment database: Read what your neighbors wrote to NCDOT; full text of 95 comments.
• Asheville on Bikes Merrimon Widening comment writing guide
• Asheville on Bikes Merrimon Widening list of questions for NCDOT

The post Asheville on Bikes has published the full text of the NCDOT Merrimon comments we received appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) wants to hear from you regarding its plans to widen Merrimon Ave from King Street to a little past Edgewood Road. NCDOT’s proposed design can be found here. The NCDOT announcement can be found here. The primary intent is to add a center turn lane to accommodate automobile traffic.

NCDOT’s public comment meeting was held Monday January 8th from 4-7pm at North Asheville Recreation Center, 37 E. Larchmont Rd. This was a drop in session and the general public was invited to attend anytime between the hours of 4pm – 7pm.

Asheville on Bikes position is that it is critical that redesigned streets advance safety and active transportation. Please attended public meetings and asked questions about this project. We published this post a few days before the Jan 8th meeting and we encourage people print out our list of questions for their own use.

Click the image below to see the NCDOT full resolution pdf:

Questions for the January 8th public meeting:

City of Asheville Partnership

• Did NCDOT consult with the City of Asheville before these current plans were released to the public? When was the City consulted? What was the City’s feedback?
• What steps did NCDOT take to incorporate existing city plans into the Merrimon widening project? For instance, the City of Asheville’s Bicycle Comprehensive plan, which was funded by NCDOT, calls for the inclusion of climbing lanes in this project area but climbing lanes are not included in the proposed design. Why not?

NCDOT Policy

• How will the proposed widening of Merrimon Avenue improve safety for all users and help to meet NCDOT’s safety performance measures?
• The NCDOT Complete Street Policy instructs NCDOT to incorporate all modes of transportation when constructing new projects or making improvements. Why does this project not incorporate bicycle infrastructure?
• What is the required public notice period and how was it met for this proposal?
• What is the purpose of the 13-ft wide outside lane?

Pedestrian & Bicyclist Level of Service (LOS)

• How was pedestrian and bicyclist LOS evaluated? What methodology was used? Where is the evaluation published? Will you send me a copy?
• Will refuge islands be included at signalized intersections to provide pedestrian safety?

Glen Creek Greenway & WT Weaver Intersection

• How does the proposed design improve the greenway connection crossing Merrimon Avenue and does the design comply with federal transportation standards? Please provide the standard that is being applied.

Traffic Signals

• Are flashing yellow turn lights planned for this project?
• How will the proposed intersection signal timing for pedestrians promote safe crossings?

Crash History

• What is the crash history along this section of Merrimon Avenue?
• Why was a design speed of 40 MPH selected for this proposal?
• How will the proposed design improve safety for all users?
• What elements in the proposed design will support safer streets that align with NCDOT’s commitment to Vision Zero?
• Understanding that a recent pedestrian fatality occurred less than 200 feet south of the project area, how do the proposed improvements address pedestrian safety?

Read our other posts about this project:

• AoB Comment Guide; reasons we oppose this project
• AoB Official Comment for NCDOT RE: Merrimon Widening Initial Designs

Read more about the topics we covered in our question list:

• http://www.completestreetsnc.org/
• https://ncvisionzero.org/
• https://bookstore.transportation.org/collection_detail.aspx?ID=116
• http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/pdf/Webinar_PBIC_LC_081012_AASHTO_1.pdf
• https://www.ncdot.gov/bikeped/
• https://www.ncdot.gov/bikeped/download/bikeped_laws_Bicycle_Policy.pdf
• https://nacto.org/publication/urban-bikeway-design-guide/
• http://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/crime/2015/01/09/asheville-residents-voiced-safety-concerns-pedestrian-fatality/21508561/

The post Talking Points for the NCDOT Proposed Merrimon Avenue Widening appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.