Asheville council members oppose DOT Merrimon Ave. plan; Want more walker, bike safety

ASHEVILLE — City Council members Tuesday night criticized a state proposal to widen part of the municipality's main northern corridor, saying the Department of Transportation failed to reach out to city staff and ignored plans that call for walker and bicyclist safety.

The council wasn't scheduled to talk about DOT's proposed Merrimon Avenue widening but added it to the agenda of the regular twice-monthly council meeting.

"There was a really detailed plan put together with no input from city staff," Vice Mayor Gwen Wisler said of the DOT proposal presented at a Jan. 8 public meeting. "No marrying up with the city’s complete streets plan, (Asheville in Motion) plan, bicycle pedestrian plan ... pretty much any plan."

At Wisler's request, council members are set to vote on a resolution officially opposing the state proposal and requesting the DOT work with the city and that changes on Merrimon be "much more consistent with the city’s vision of what this corridor should be," the vice mayor said.

No DOT representative was present.

MORE: NCDOT proposes widening part of Merrimon Avenue in North Asheville

MORE: Merrimon Avenue widening plan too much for some, can't come soon enough for others

The vote could come as soon as the next scheduled council meeting, which is Feb. 13.

Merrimon, which is a section of U.S. 25, is a state-maintained road even though it cuts through the center of Asheville.

Councilwoman Julie Mayfield said while the state technically manages Merrimon and other state roads in Asheville, "these are our streets" and are part of the "fabric of the city."

"We have to get them right," Mayfield said.

DOT's current plan calls for adding a center turn lane to the four-lane avenue from W.T. Weaver Boulevard to about 600 feet north of Edgewood Road near the entrances to Autobell Car Wash and Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co.

There would be some sidewalks added and they would be built on a section of Merrimon's west side where none exist today. Clearview Terrace's access to Merrimon would be blocked off and a left turn lane would be added for northbound traffic at Weaver Boulevard.

Cole Hood, a DOT engineer coordinating planning for the project, said DOT will make a decision on a final plan in a few months.

DOT says it envisions having to relocate one business and at least one home if the plan is approved. Plans also suggest part of an apartment building would have to be torn down.

Construction would begin in 2019 at a cost of $2.8 million, DOT says. That price tag does not include engineering or right-of-way expenses.

To comment

DOT has extended the comment period on its Merrimon Avenue plans to Monday. Comments can be sent to Mike Clark, NCDOT Division 13, 55 Orange St., Asheville, 28801; 828-251-6171 or mgclark@ncdot.gov.

The state has worked closely with the council on recent plans for a massive Interstate 26 rerouting and some of the council members said this hurt the relationship of the two entities.

Mayor Esther Manheimer said state projects would go more smoothly if DOT went first to the council and residents.

"We have heard from a lot of folks who have emailed about this and are very eager to give their input," Manheimer said, urging members of the public to send comments to the DOT.

After the meeting Asheville on Bikes Executive Director Mike Sule said the local DOT division had a record of not making walker and bike safety a priority.

The state had put forward a "Complete Streets" policy nine years ago, he said.

"Of which since 2009 when that policy was passed, there's only been one complete streets project executed by N.C. DOT Division 13," Sule said.

At DOT's Jan. 8 public presentation 160 people came by and most appeared critical of the proposal, according to random interviews.

Much of the opposition came from North Asheville residents who questioned the need for major changes to Merrimon. Some said DOT's plan does not do enough to make Merrimon a neighborhood street that would be easier for residents on foot or bicycle to use.

Supporters said the plan would solve traffic problems on the street while requiring minimal destruction of buildings alongside it.

Staff writer Mark Barrett contributed to this report.

A plan for Merrimon

Key elements of the state Department of Transportation's proposal for part of Merrimon Avenue:

A center turn lane would be built on Merrimon from W.T. Weaver Boulevard north to a point about 600 feet north of Edgewood Road.

A left-turn lane would be built for traffic going north on Merrimon to turn onto W.T. Weaver.

Sidewalks would be added to the west side of Merrimon where they do not now exist and existing sidewalks would be replaced or retained.

Clearview Terrace's entrance onto Merrimon would be closed. A short section of new street would be built to connect it to Chatham Road.

Widening Merrimon between King Street and W.T. Weaver would mean encroaching on the wooded area to the west of Merrimon there. In the rest of the project area, the space between businesses and the street would be smaller.

How many cars?

DOT traffic counts taken just north of W.T. Weaver say the average number of vehicles a day on Merrimon rose during the middle of last decade then fell to about where it was in 2000. Here are the figures:

2000 21,000

2002 20,000

2004 23,000

2006 23,000

2008 21,000

2010 21,000

2012 21,000

2014 19,000

2016 21,000

Counts taken just north and south of Edgewood showed similar trends.