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Residents and APD press for action on congested South Asheville school corridor
Summary
A Biltmore Park HOA leader urged city action after two school‑bus crashes on the Overlook/Long Shoals corridor; APD and City Traffic Engineering cited NCDOT studies and drone mapping, and the committee agreed to continue interagency work with Buncombe County Schools and the MPO.
A resident and homeowners‑association leader urged the Public Safety Committee March 26 to press for immediate measures to improve traffic and pedestrian safety on the South Asheville school corridor serving Estes Elementary, Koontz Intermediate and other schools.
Brad Pressler, chair of the Biltmore Park HOA Neighborhood Safety Committee, told the panel two school buses had crashed on the corridor in under a year and cited NCDOT crash data showing Overlook Road at roughly 3.2 times the statewide average for roads of its type. He asked the city to adopt immediate steps the city can control — for example, restricting parking on the north side of Pinewood Drive during school hours and installing a crosswalk beacon at Pinewood and Red Oak Circle — and to ensure the city participates in the NCDOT/MPO review of the corridor.
APD and Traffic Engineering staff described speed studies and aerial mapping showing long afternoon queues on Overlook Road near Estes Elementary. City Traffic Engineering noted the NCDOT Municipal and School Transportation Assistance (MSTA) corridor study offered options that include site circulation changes, intersection tweaks and, for a regional approach, a possible signal at Miami Circle and Long Shoals. Staff cautioned that many infrastructure fixes require Buncombe County Schools cooperation and funding and that enforcement alone will not solve the problem.
Sheriff Miller and Buncombe County partners said they will convene another meeting with city police, school facilities and transportation staff to identify steps, timing and sequencing. City staff said some parking‑restriction or signage changes near intersections could be implemented quickly; larger infrastructure actions would follow school/county budgeting cycles.
Next steps: interagency follow‑up meeting and staff monitoring of implemented measures to evaluate effectiveness.
