Your response to this survey sends a clear message to City leadership that you value and support continued investment in streets that prioritize the safe and predictable movement of people in a variety of ways.

Survey Guidance

To help you provide useful input, AoB has created a survey guidance document to maximize support for the project. Please take the survey and share our guidance throughout your circles. Together, we can advance complete streets in Asheville. 

Questions 1 – 3

Answer these questions based on your experience in the corridor 

Question 4

Choose “I am interested but concerned.” This option acknowledges the potential for people to choose biking when safe and predictable facilities are installed. Consider how the Wilma Dykeman Greenway has made biking and walking in the River Arts District more popular. “Interested but concerned” is the “build it and they will come” option.

Question 5

Rank following option as the most important to you regarding the College/Patton corridor: 

1. Bicycle accommodations 
2. Pedestrian accommodations
3. Traffic calming to curb vehicular speeds

Question 6

Include “I visit shops, businesses, entertainment venues and/or dining establishments on or near this section of College St and/or Patton Ave,” in one of your three options. This is important because it shows that people on bikes want to connect with everything downtown Asheville has to offer. We’re not just riding through our City, we’re riding into it. 

Question 7

Include “Lack of dedicated bicycle facilities,” and “Hard to safely cross the street as a pedestrian,” in your selection because this project serves the needs of our pedestrians, too. It provides buffered bike lanes, improves pedestrian sight lines at crosswalks, and calms traffic.

Question 8

In this prompt for an explanation of your responses let the City of Asheville know that you appreciate ongoing investment in active transportation and complete streets.

Don’t leave it blank. Use the prompt as an opportunity to support multi-modal investments. A few ideas include: 

• I applaud the City of Asheville’s commitment to advancing safe and predictable conditions for all road users on our public rights of way. 
• My family and I use an e-cargo bike, this project welcomes us downtown and enables us to leave the car at home.
• Asheville’s Comprehensive and Close the GAP plans both outline the need to invest in multi-modal infrastructure. The College/Patton project is another step toward establishing a robust active transportation network. 

Questions 9 – 15

Answer these questions as they relate to you. 

Thank you for taking the survey and supporting this project. Please share our survey guidance within and throughout your circles.    

Take the survey →

Want to learn more?

Read AoB executive director’s open letter to the City of Asheville’s Downtown Commission in Support of the College Patton Project in our past blog. You can learn about the reasons we support this project and studies that show the economic impact of projects similar to College/Patton:

• https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01441647.2021.1912849
• https://www.peopleforbikes.org/statistics/economic
• https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-08/for-store-owners-bike-lanes-boost-the-bottom-line
• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200422151318.htm
• https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/biking-lanes-business-health-1.5165954
• https://www.ibigroup.com/ibi-insights/bike-lanes-good-small-business/

The post Call to Action: College/Patton Public Survey Responses Needed appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

You can review the latest design plans here.

We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to contribute to the future of Asheville’s bike infrastructure. Your input is valuable and needed, so save the date and spread the word to attend the Community Input event on April 19th! Find all the details in the press release below.

RSVP to the College / Patton via AoB’s facebook event.

Press Release:

College/Patton Multimodal Community Input event on April 19, 2023

The City of Asheville requests input from the community regarding the College Patton Bike Lane Project. The primary objective of this project is to increase multimodal connectivity, which includes expanding dedicated bicycle infrastructure throughout the city’s urban core. The City would like input from the community on the most recent draft design of the proposed project. 

The primary concerns heard throughout initial engagement events were related to loading and delivery access. The draft designs now include over 115 feet of additional loading zone area. City staff including Transportation, Planning and Urban Design, Fire, and Police will be present at the event to answer any questions the community may have regarding the development, safety, and implementation of the project. 

Event Details 

• Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2023
• Time: 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. for business owners along the project corridors; 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. general public 
• Location: The Collider, Overlook Lounge, 1 Haywood St, Asheville, NC 28801

Ready to join us?

RSVP to the College / Patton via AoB’s facebook event.

Want to learn more?

Read AoB executive director’s open letter to the City of Asheville’s Downtown Commission in Support of the College Patton Project in our past blog. You can learn about the reasons we support this project and studies that show the economic impact of projects similar to College/Patton:

• https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01441647.2021.1912849
• https://www.peopleforbikes.org/statistics/economic
• https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-08/for-store-owners-bike-lanes-boost-the-bottom-line
• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200422151318.htm
• https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/biking-lanes-business-health-1.5165954
• https://www.ibigroup.com/ibi-insights/bike-lanes-good-small-business/

Read more here.

The post Call To Action: Give your input on the College/Patton Bike Lane Project appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

Email the Commission:  AVLDowntownCommission@PublicInput.com Leave a voicemail: 855-925-2801, then entering code 9272

Call into the meeting tomorrow (12-9-22) at 9:35am to leave live public comment. Dial 855-925-2801, enter code 9272, then press * and select option 3

Support for the complete street treatment is wavering and your comment is critical in moving this project forward. Call or sent a quick email that states:

“I support the College / Patton Complete St project because it’s important that our City commits to expanding its mobility options to provide safer and greater access into and through downtown Asheville. This project aligns with the City’s of Asheville’s Comprehensive Plan and transportation planning, like the recently adopted Close the GAP. We cannot continue to lead NC in pedestrian and bicyclist injuries and death. Complete Streets are proven to be an economic driver and a component of affordability. The more mobility options into downtown the more parking is available for others.” 

Here is AoB’s letter to the Downtown Commission about this project:

Dear Downtown Commission, 

On behalf of Asheville on Bikes Board of Directors and our members (over 900 strong) I’m writing to you to encourage your support of the College / Patton Complete Street project. Asheville on Bikes and Connect Buncombe partnered to fund the design phase of this project for many good reasons.

Reasons Asheville on Bikes and Connect Buncombe support this project: 

• Asheville continues to lead in North Carolina in pedestrian and bicyclist collisions
• Active transportation is a component of housing affordability. Overwhelmingly lower income households rely on bicycle communing. 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.    
• Our community continues to support investment in active transportation facilities as evidenced by the Merrimon Rd reconfiguration (currently under construction) and the recent robust support for active transportation facilities included in the upcoming Haywood Rd resurfacing project. Each individual project serves to advance the whole. Each project is a necessary piece of our future active transportation network.  
• Active transportation investment is a critical component of urban density and downtown functionality. As the City continues to court developments like Aston St Project, 319 Biltmore Ave Project, 360 Hilliard Ave Apartment, the Maple Crest Apartments it must simultaneously invest in mobility options beyond automobiles so that people can connect to their home, their work, and places of recreation and enjoyment by a variety of modes.
• This project is more than just adding bike lanes as it serves to maximize the utility of the public right of way; it adds an additional 175’ of loading zones, improves pedestrian crosswalks, and provides a greater buffer between people and moving vehicles.

The City’s transportation staff also supports advancing a complete street treatment through the College and Patton corridor.

The College / Patton project page addresses a variety of potential concerns: 

• The Asheville Police Department and Asheville Fire Department have been consulted on the project design, including lane widths and configurations, to ensure that emergency vehicle access is not negatively impacted. 
• Current traffic volumes on College and Patton are between 4,000 and 6,000 vehicles per day. 
• These daily volumes are well within thresholds for single-lane streets.
• Business owners have also raised concerns about the bicycle facilities potentially impacting their business operations and revenue potential. Numerous studies have shown that adding bicycle facilities has no negative, and in many cases, a positive impact, on businesses. A sample of these are linked below.

Studies that show the economic impact of projects similar to College/Patton:

• https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01441647.2021.1912849
• https://www.peopleforbikes.org/statistics/economic
• https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-08/for-store-owners-bike-lanes-boost-the-bottom-line 
• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200422151318.htm
• https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/biking-lanes-business-health-1.5165954
• https://www.ibigroup.com/ibi-insights/bike-lanes-good-small-business/

On Dec. 5, Patti Glazer of Glazer Architecture, PA submitted an email to the Downtown Commission requesting that the commission oppose the College / Patton Complete Street project. The letter states: 

“Public outreach has been very obscure with no public forums. Until recently, the City’s Project Page on the City of Asheville website did not even present the Plan. The only information available on-line was the study/video analyzing whether the bike lane conversion should be the right lane or the left lane. There was no discussion or information as to whether College/Patton St. is an appropriate place to implement bike lanes at all.”

Respectfully, Glazer’s critique of the process does not match the facts and timeline of public input presented by staff and posted on the project page. Public outreach began in Feb. of 2020 and will continue through Jan. 2023. The project has been presented to the Downtown Commission several times before today’s meeting. Additionally, Glazer’s email included an attachment of 36 businesses operating on the corridor. Twenty-four of the businesses claimed they were “Not Notified,” of the project but a scan of the public process shows that 41% had either received an email from the City or responded directly to the City’s Stakeholder engagement tracking.

41% of the businesses that claimed they were not notified…were notified. The City has those tracked notifications and interactions.

Our City faces many challenges and opportunities and reasonable people can disagree on what’s best for our community, however, it’s integral to decision making that the best information is shared with decision makers. I trust this commission to deliberate with the facts when it considers the future potential of safe prosperous streets that serve the needs of our community. Thank you for your service to our City. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Mike Sule 

Asheville on Bikes

The post Urgent! Email or call the Downtown Commission in Support to the College / Patton Ave Complete Street Project appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

The City of Asheville is planning a public meeting and comment period to gather public feedback about a proposed 4-3 conversion (road diet) for Merrimon Avenue. This conversion would take place as part of an upcoming NCDOT repaving project, a project which had been delayed, until now, by the pandemic and by discussions between NCDOT and the City about the future of Merrimon Avenue. Repaving projects include re-striping between the curbs, and that re-striping can be designed to create a different traffic configuration, as is proposed for Merrimon.

This repaving and subsequent 4-3 conversion is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to make Merrimon Avenue better fit the needs of the community. Asheville on Bikes is excited about this project and we will be publishing more as the project moves forward. You should follow this project and discuss it with your neighbors. 

It takes courage to stand up and ask for a change, to prod a world full of uncertain outcomes. At the start of our campaign in favor of a road diet on Merrimon, we’d like to honor all the victims of collisions over the years and the many people who have spoken up in the past to ask for changes on Merrimon. We appreciate your courage and are humbled by your sacrifices.

If you or someone you know has been injured as the result of a collision on Merrimon, we’d love to talk to you more about it. Send us an email with our contact form and we will follow up. 

Here are four pieces of Merrimon information you can read or listen to today:

1. Yvonne Lewis, “Patsy,” is not forgotten. Nor are her neighbors, who protested the conditions that lead to her death in 2015 while attempting to cross Merrimon at Coleman. 
2. Injuries are continuing to occur on Merrimon. Listen to Gaia’s heartfelt account of the costs from just one of the recent collisions. This is a public comment recorded by the Multimodal Transportation Commission on March 24, 2021 and obtained by AoB after a public records request. 
3. Please re-read the past public comments about this street. Your comments helped defeat the 2018 Merrimon Road widening, and they deserve close examination. Read the many different voices that are crying out for change on Merrimon. 
4. Asheville, the tenth largest city in NC, continues to rank #1 in pedestrian and bicyclist death and injury. As the Citizen Times reported earlier in March, between 2010-18, Asheville ranked first in the state per capita in both total pedestrian crashes per year and in pedestrian crashes that result in injury or death. 

It is not necessary to be injured regularly in order to use a transportation network, to move about in a City. It is not necessary for a person to die trying to cross the street. We support a 4-3 conversion for Merrimon Avenue north of downtown for many reasons. And one of the best reasons is that it will make the road safer for all users. 

Here are related posts you may enjoy:

AoB: Merrimon Avenue: Road Diet proposed!
AoB: Resource page tracking this project on our site.
City of Asheville: Project page for this project
City of Asheville: Story map with data overlays for collisions, bike, ped, traffic volumes and more
Iowa DOT: Cute road diet explainer video, 6 minutes
FHWA: Road diet case studies
FHWA: Road diet myths

The post Merrimon Avenue: Road Diet Proposed! 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.

Read on to learn more about the West Wayne installation process and the amazing people who made this project a reality.

Video footage of the West Wayne project courtesy of Asheville on Bikes.

The Street Tweaks Team and tactical urbanism

This project would not have been possible without the Street Tweaks Team and their approach to creating more safe and vibrant cities. Asheville Street Tweaks is a coalition of local non-profit organizations including Asheville on Bikes; the AARP, North Carolina, Mountain Region; and the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club, whose goal is to make public spaces more accessible, safe, and functional for all users.

The Street Tweaks Team accomplishes this goal through tactical urbanism, an approach that allows a city to make widespread, lasting improvements by funding and implementing a variety of smaller, cheaper, quick-turnaround projects. City officials are often reluctant to approve large-scale infrastructure projects because they aren’t sold on their benefits or they’re overwhelmed by the required investment; tactical urbanism allows them to test a project before committing to a long timeframe or spending a lot of money. Larger cities like New York City and Seattle have had great success implementing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects, which has led smaller cities like Memphis and Asheville to embrace this approach.

Help from our Asheville community partners

There were many organizations outside of the Street Tweaks team who helped make the West Wayne project a reality. These include:

• Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions
• UNCA’s STEAM Studio
• Art of Belonging
• East West Asheville Neighborhood Association
• West Asheville Business Association
• People for Bikes
• The City of Asheville

This project would not have been possible without the generous support of these partners who invested their time and talent.

Why did Street Tweaks choose this intersection?

Simply put, it’s dangerous. Asheville has the most pedestrian deaths per capita in North Carolina, and the Westwood Place & Waynesville Avenue intersection is exceptionally dangerous due to its high volume of mixed-modal traffic and lack of crosswalks. 

Another reason Street Tweaks and the City chose this location is because it’s a very wide intersection, which makes it ideal for accommodating traffic fixtures and pedestrian flow.

What’s the inspiration behind the artwork?

Asheville-based artist Leslie Rosenberg was commissioned to design and implement the street art based on her role as studio technician with UNC Asheville’s STEAM Studio and her experience as an artist. In order to develop the idea for the artwork, Rosenberg polled neighbors to find out what they’d like to see portrayed. Overwhelmingly, residents said they wanted to memorialize Christopher’s Garden, which was known for its goldfinch, blue bottles, and milkweed. 

If you’re wondering why the Street Tweaks Team includes street art in their projects, consider that street art has been shown to increase mental well-being and boost tourism revenue.

Where else has tactical urbanism been used in Asheville?

Before the West Wayne project was underway, the Street Tweaks Team spearheaded the Coxe Avenue project in 2018. Funded entirely by the Street Tweaks Partnership, the Coxe Ave project was Asheville’s first foray into tactical urbanism and, according to the project’s follow-up report, was a huge success. The installation, which featured new stop signs, crosswalks, widened pedestrian paths, a temporary street mural, and bike lane dividers, was able to reduce traffic speeds by over 28% and increase pedestrian & bike use. 

From the get go, the project was intended to be temporary (a main tenet of tactical urbanism projects). It was installed in November of 2018, with an understanding between the Street Tweaks Team and the City of Asheville that it would be removed after 2 years. But while the butterfly mural was removed in August of 2020 (it was beginning to fade from vehicle use), the City extended the project due to COVID-19 because it helps support social distancing.

Is the West Wayne project here to stay?

The West Wayne project is designed to remain in place for a year with the possibility of being extended if it receives direct support from the City, neighbors, and local businesses. The best way for you to show your support for this project is to use it, share your experiences about it, and write to Asheville City Council.

Check out photos & a video recap of the installation.

The post The West Wayne Project is Officially Complete! appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

Dear City Council,
Joel Burgess’s recent article in the Asheville Citizen Times, “Asheville, one of worst cities for crashes, looks for fixes,” coupled by the most recent hit-and-run incident which resulted in the death of Bradley Christopher Barnes, highlights our community’s ongoing struggle to provide safe transportation facilities.

Asheville on Bikes supports the establishment of “an equity based Vision Zero Task Force,” referenced in Burgess’s article, and encourages city council to approve the Street Tweaks Team tactical urbanism project slated for Coxe Ave., which is on the agenda for the Oct. 9,
2018, meeting.

AoB stands firm in its commitment to establishing a safe and robust active transportation network in the City of Asheville. Through the Street Tweaks partnership with AARP and Blue Ridge Bicycle Club, we’re demonstrating that our community is prepared and equipped to take innovative steps to improve access and mobility for all residents and visitors. As AoB continues to grow we are eager to partner with the City of Asheville, North Carolina Department of Transportation, and community stakeholders to improve our transportation network

Furthermore, AoB encourages city council to institute the following recommendations to advance the establishment of safe streets:

• Formally adopt National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) standards, which have already been endorsed by both the city’s Bicycle / Pedestrian Task Force and Multi-Modal Transportation Commission.
• Develop and adopt a tactical urbanism policy and permit process so that community members are empowered to build and test active transportation facilities.
• Make it City policy that all transportation-related requests for qualifications (RFQ) and requests for proposals (RFP) include a request for Complete Street and NACTO design experience.

Asheville on Bikes is a committed partner in improving our transportation systems. We look forward to working more closely with the city in addressing our transportation needs.

Respectfully,
Asheville on Bikes

Link to pdf version submitted to City Council members.

The post Letter to City Council RE: “Asheville, One of the Worst Cities for Crashes,” and Coxe Avenue Tactical Urbanism appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

Dear Ms. Bereis,

The post Amelia: Faster driving speeds will make Merrimon more dangerous and less pleasant for all users, whether they are walking, biking, or driving appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

Dear Kim Bereis, 

The post Initial Designs…have disregarded the opinions of business owners, our local government, and our community appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.

Dear Kim,

I am writing regarding the NCDOT Merrimon Avenue Widening Projects U-5781, U-5782 Initial Designs. The proposed designs must be re-evaluated given several issues with the initial designs. I urge NCDOT’s Division 13 to partner with the City of Asheville’s (COA) Transportation Department and incorporate existing COA plans into NCDOT planning. Several existing COA plans were not incorporated into NCDOT’s proposed Merrimon improvements (e.g. Asheville in Motion, Asheville CIty 2025 Plan, etc).

Additionally, the proposed design does not incorporate active transportation standards and best practices for safety. Please see the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) guidelines and standards pertaining to active transportation infrastructure. I urge you to work with active transportation content experts, such as Asheville on Bikes, to incorporate best practices and that prioritizes public safety.

Thank you,

April Brown

The post April: Proposed design does not incorporate active transportation standards and best practices for safety appeared first on Asheville On Bikes.