Slow down, Asheville. For safety, of course.
City residents have asked for lower speed limits on a number of our streets. In response to those requests the City performed traffic engineering studies to assess the feasibility of doing so.
N.C. General Statute 20-141 gives the City the authority to regulate speed limits within the City limits.
At their Jan. 14 meeting, City Council approved speed limit changes on 19 Asheville streets, as follows:
- West Haywood Street, from Park Avenue North to Roberts Street, will be changed to 20 miles per hour.
The following streets will be changed to 25 miles per hour:
- Asbury Road, from Wolfe Cove Road to Bassett Road
- Bassett Road, from Wolfe Cove Road to Spooks Branch Road
- Bearden Avenue, from Cumberland Avenue to Montford Avenue
- Briarcliff Drive, from SR 3503 (Overlook Road) to Stancliff Drive
- Buffalo Street, from Burton Street to a point 320 feet north of Ohio Street
- Cameron Street, from Arlington Street to NC 694 (Town Mountain Road)
- Creasman Place, from Selwyn Road to a point 550 feet north of Selwyn Road
- Elizabeth Street, from Broadway to Cumberland Avenue
- Fawn Drive, from Briarcliff Drive to Oakwilde Drive
- Forsythe Drive, from Woodrow Avenue to North Street
- Hampstead Road, from Manetta Road to Country Club Road
- Hilliard Avenue, from West Haywood Street to SR 3548 (Clingman Avenue)
- Oakwilde Drive, from Briarcliff Drive to a point 650 feet west of Stancliff Drive
- Selwyn Place, from Selwyn Road to a point 300 feet north of Selwyn Road
- Thompson Street, from US 25 (Hendersonville Road) to a point 750 feet north of Glendale Avenue
- West Haywood Street, from Hilliard Avenue to Park Avenue North
- West Street, from Forsythe Avenue to North Street
- Windswept Drive, from College Street to Alexander Drive
“We are glad the City has been able to respond favorably to citizen requests,” said Transportation Director Ken Putnam.
The Asheville Police Department concurs with the changes.
Look for new speed limit signs on these streets and, of course, obey them please.
The Transportation Department will bring speed limit changes to City Council quarterly in an effort to improve the efficiency of the approval process.
For a copy of the staff report to Council and the resolution visit this link.