Chestnut Hill Residents Fed Up With Traffic

Dealing with traffic gridlock, motorists are looking for shortcuts and alternate routes.

In the historic Chestnut Hill community, between Charlotte Street and Merrimon Avenue just north of downtown, residents are upset with all the traffic and hoping to see a quick resolve.

“During the weekdays between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m. and 2:45 to 6:30 p.m, motorists play ‘chicken’ with each other, and pedestrians too, looking for alternate routes. This is one hellish nightmare!” said a Chestnut Hill resident.

Over the past twenty years, scores of new businesses have opened in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood. The area is fast becoming a major draw for tourists with its unique historic flavor, trendy bed-and-breakfast retreats, and other commercial businesses. Coupled with the fact that Charlotte Street is also the “front door” for the Omni Grove Park Inn, one of the largest tourist destinations in western North Carolina, such growth creates a traffic nightmare at certain times of the day.

“I live in this community,” said Tricia Ockinga. “The traffic situation on Chestnut is downright terrible. I have seen cars backed up from the light at Merrimon past Central Avenue. No matter the direction you are going, there is always someone turning in the direction that holds up traffic. You sit there for what seems like days, and one car gets to go either at their [green-light] turn, or at yellow. Not only is this irritating but it’s terrible for the environment!”

Is there a solution?

Ironically the NC-DOT regional office sits on Orange Street in this same north Asheville community, and residents want someone there, or anyone with the City of Asheville, to take the initiative in finding a solution to easing the traffic gridlock in this area.