DOT will consider Asheville Merrimon Ave. narrowing idea

ASHEVILLE — A state transportation engineer has responded in more detail to city complaints about a Department of Transportation plan to widen part of Merrimon Avenue and a counter-proposal by city officials to instead narrow it for cars.

Department of Transportation Division 13 Project Development Engineer Cole Hood said in a letter that the city's idea meant to increase bicycle and pedestrian safety would be considered and that engineers "will continue listening and shaping new designs."

Those new designs would be presented to the public, Hood said. The current widening idea was presented to the public Jan. 8.

Hood's letter Friday came after a Feb. 13 vote by the City Council to oppose the state plan. That proposal calls for adding a center turn lane to the four-lane corridor from approximately W.T. Weaver Boulevard in the south to about 600 feet north of Edgewood Road in the north.

Instead, the council suggested a "road diet," removing two of the four lanes, adding a center turn lane and building bike lanes and possibly increasing sidewalks.

Asked by the Citizen Times Thursday about the narrowing proposal, Hood said he couldn't comment yet on the likelihood DOT would reverse course. The department's engineers would first have to read comments by the city and members of the public, he said.

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Asked about city officials' complaints that they were surprised by the state widening plan and that the plan ignored the state "Complete Streets" policy emphasizing pedestrian and bicycle safety, Hood declined to answer at the time. He asked that questions be emailed to him. Another question asked about city officials' request that DOT take measures to work more closely with them on future projects.

Late Friday afternoon, a DOT spokesman sent a letter signed by Hood, saying the state was "still very early in the process" of proposing changes to Merrimon and that DOT staff was going through more than 400 comments submitted by members of the public and the city.

"Those thoughts are a key component of the project development process and are applied much as possible when creating the next design plans."

The letter didn't address how the city was notified about the project or talk about working together on future projects. It didn't specifically address Complete Streets but did talk about non-motorized transportation.

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Hood said while going through the comments engineers will talk to DOT bicycle and pedestrian safety experts and congestion management engineers.

In the the coming weeks, he said, DOT plans to hold group meetings with the city and community leaders about the different ideas. Hood didn't give an exact time frame, but it's expected meetings could happen before engineers are completely finished reviewing comments. That should take at least a month, he had said.

"A challenge during the initial design phase, and a challenge that continues for engineers, is how to address the needs of this corridor without creating new problems and needs," he said.

"There is not a one-size-fits-all blueprint for any project. Here, engineers are challenged with striking a balance between improving transportation for all local modes — motorists, cyclists and pedestrians — with impacts on local businesses and adjacent properties."

"NCDOT will continue listening and shaping new designs and present the incorporated plans to community leaders and the general public once again."