As if Asheville has not been afflicted by terrible ideas and actions by its city leaders, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, now Asheville and N.C. Department of Transportation officials are proposing expensive changes for traffic-clogged Merrimon Avenue that likely will benefit a handful of elitists, most notably the club Asheville on Bikes (including many top city and Buncombe County officials) and others with lots of leisure-time on their hands, and the few crazed pedestrians willing to endure traffic whizzing past nearby. 

While we remain open to the possibilities for improvements to statistically dangerous Merrimon, our initial impression is that time, effort and money would be much better spent on something serious, such as improvements in some poor Asheville neighborhood with truly life-or-death needs.

Given that a major segment of Charlotte Street (North Asheville’s other major north-south traffic corridor) recently was narrowed to three lanes, Merrimon remains the only other serious north-south driving option — and we predict that, if it is narrowed, its current drivers will be speeding through the area’s neighborhood streets, endangering the residents and their pets, to reach their destinations. 

Leaving Merrimon as it is, even with its pitfalls, clearly remains the best option.

Conversely, NCDOT engineer Steve Cannon has said that under the Merrimon proposal, the narrowing from four to three lanes likely (and admittedly) will slow traffic, but it would improve safety and meet a call from the community.

The 2.3-mile lane-narrowing project would run from W.T. Weaver Boulevard (in front of Luella’s BBQ) south to Midland Drive at Beaver Lake. The conversion would change Merrimon from two moving lanes in each direction to only one moving lane in each direction, with a center lane for passing or turning— and a bicycle lane on each side.

The current roadway has no bike lanes, but under the plan, two paved shoulders will include 5-foot-wide bike lanes.

A City of Asheville report has noted that the daily traffic count on Merrimon is 21,500 vehicles a day.

Fortunately, a public engagement period now is being held, during which NCDOT and the city will determine whether to proceed with the proposal..

Given the arguments we have heard from both sides to this point, we adamantly oppose narrowing Merrimon Avenue — and urge the citizenry to seize this golden opportunity to wrest control that is being wielded by some well-connected elitists.