Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Getting around downtown Asheville is becoming a major headache as several major construction projects at busy intersections block road lanes. Look for complaints to grow, especially as we head into peak tourist season, when thousands comes to scope out Asheville and check out the mountains’ fall colors.
The newest site of snarled traffic is the intersection of Page Avenue and Battery Park Avenue. Demolition has started on the former Kosta’s clothing store there as crews begin work to clear the site and then begin building a new hotel. The downtown streets there around the Grove Arcade are already narrow. Pedestrians are also all over the place.
At the busy intersection of College and Broadway, traffic lanes have been reduced, and will be again, as construction crews work on a new hotel there. Here, too, pedestrian and car traffic already make the intersection a slow one to get through, and the construction will only make everything slower.
On Coxe Avenue, one traffic lane is reduced as construction crews work on a big new parking deck and Buncombe County office building. Just down the street, work has started on a new apartment complex.
At the busy intersection of College and Charlotte streets, the streets are wider and traffic flows a little more smoothly. But construction vehicles
Earlier this year, Haywood Street was either completely or partially blocked as construction crews work on a new hotel at Haywood’s intersection with Montford Avenue. Work there continues, and the new building presses right up on Haywood.
Construction sites can be dangerous places to work. Those injured in such a workplace may want to take a look at The House of Workers Compensation.
I’m not really sure any of these constitute a traffic issue in terms of vehicular traffic. None that I recall are taking up vehicular travel lanes. It appears they went to great lengths to keep from closing any vehicular travel lanes. For pedestrians, however, it’s a nightmare. Walk a half block, turn around (or “jaywalk” and risk being part of increased enforcement), go back, etc. I’d like to see a tally of how many total sidewalk blocks are closed off right now.
That’s actually a valid complaint that’s worth getting het up about, whereas “Oh noes! I have to take a detour and the city kept growing even after I moved here!” is not.
Note that response was for Elvis, who has apparently not yet left the building.
They are screwing over the artists and businesses who sweated out the winter, by not waiting a few weeks until after peak tourist season to cut off the flow of traffic and walking. Thanks a lot A$$holes
Walking a block or three is good for you
The boom is welcome by people who can afford the rising costs of living, and who love chain stores and restaurants more than small establishments, arts and crafts. We have to move out of our affordable rental and can’t find anything to accommodate our needs, so we’re leaving the area altogether. We’ll miss the mountains, but the town is quickly becoming less accessible and fun unless you have lots of disposable income.
I agree. If I had to pay rent or a mortgage I would be screwed. I don’t though, so I stay.
I would move. Over-paying just to live in Asheville isn’t worth it. The nature is all I really enjoy about the area.
If nature is all you like, why are you in Asheville? People tend to be drawn to Asheville because it’s a city with city amenities. If you just want trees and mountains, life’s a hell of a lot cheaper in Madison County, not to mention Yancey, Ashe, Clay, Graham…
Asheville is in a boom, the inconvenience is welcome. Exciting times!
Every where I turned in downtown this afternoon was a nightmare. Intersections blocked, cars running red lights, endless back-ups. And a whole new group of construction projects downtown was just approved. Do our leaders turn down any new development or consider the infrastructure before they say yes?
Josie, the short answer is “no.”
The longer answer is a bit more nuanced. Leaders do consider whether existing infrastructure can accommodate new development, and if it can they say yes to the development. The fact that you or anyone else might be inconvenienced while the development occurs is irrelevant, and is not a reason to tell someone they may not use their land for their own higher purpose. They consider the finished product, not your inconvenience in the interim.
In other words, no.
If you say so, but that would indicate poor reading comprehension on your part.
If your statement read “Leaders SHOULD consider whether existing infrastructure can accommodate new development”, I would agree with you.
The City staff is notorious for giving tacit approval to developments that satisfy UDO requirements, but typically give no thought to the day-to-day impacts of highly increased traffic, police and fire services, and other issues until after the fact.
If you need an example, see the Airport Road annexations a few years back. There is still no fire station at the Airport, and they utilized statistics from the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office to determine police staffing…..an agency that does not investigate traffic collisions or provide traffic enforcement.
“and is not a reason to tell someone they may not use their land for their own higher purpose”
Unless that purpose is for an Airbnb short term rental, then the leaders be like “screw you local… you don’t get a share of the tourism boom profits!”