Letter: Stop the Merrimon Avenue madness

Editor’s note: This letter was written prior to Tropical Storm Helene and originally scheduled to appear in the Oct. 2 issue, which was canceled because of the storm.

Thank you for running the cartoon about the Merrimon Avenue road diet [“Road Worriers,” Sept. 18, Xpress]. It is spot on. I read the report that was made about the results, and I can attest that whoever gathered that data doesn’t live in North Asheville and definitely doesn’t drive it regularly. I’ve seen the cyclist counters sitting at the corner of Weaver Boulevard and Merrimon Avenue. And it’s true that a lot of cyclists ride by that corner. I’ve seen them; I live off Merrimon farther up and pass by that corner at least twice a day — usually more.

But they do not continue onto Merrimon; instead, they cross over and ride behind Luella’s Bar-B-Que. No cyclist in their right mind rides the Merrimon Avenue bike lanes. I’ve talked to many. And the bicycle riders who do ride the busy state road don’t know — or don’t care — about traffic rules.

I’ve never had to check my right mirror to make a right turn before, but I do now, because these bicycle riders on Merrimon think that having their own lanes means they can pass on the right. They cut across multiple lanes at a time to make left turns, and they ride right through red lights if they don’t see any cars coming. They don’t wear helmets much of the time.

The left turn lane is the biggest hazard I face on a daily basis because I turn left off Merrimon to get home. Cars turning into and out of McDonald’s are also turning onto the road at that juncture. It’s worse than any speedway I’ve ever encountered. I hold my breath and pray. I guess that’s one good result of the “diet”: I pray a lot more than I used to. And I get ready to meet my maker if someone trying to beat the long lines to get a burger smashes into me waiting to turn left.

Stop the madness. I will never vote for another one of the current Council or mayoral positions who chose to kowtow to the cycle lobby, who now don’t even use the lanes because they, too, like the idea of living. I’ll vote for someone who just moved here yesterday before any sitting Council people get my endorsement.

— Linda Ray
North Asheville