Council narrows public-solicitation ordinance, adds several business corridors to high‑traffic zones after safety debate

Asheville City Council on Aug. 26 amended its public‑solicitation ordinance to add several business corridors to the city’s designated “high‑traffic zones,” a measure council members described as targeting pedestrian safety rather than criminalizing poverty.

What changed: The ordinance amendment extends the boundaries of zone 1 (the city’s downtown high‑traffic area) to include parts of Merrimon Avenue and the South Slope and creates new high‑traffic designations for commercial stretches of Patton Avenue and Haywood Road. In designated high‑traffic zones the city’s code prohibits verbal solicitation and aggressive or dangerous conduct that interferes with traffic; holding a sign remains permitted on sidewalks outside medians. The city’s statute framework treats violations as misdemeanors in line with state law; courts retain discretion and may dismiss charges when people demonstrate efforts to…