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Charlotte leaders approve nearly $13 million to make popular NoDa road safer for cyclists and pedestrians

A popular photo spot in Charlotte’s NoDa community is making room for pedestrians and bikers. Charlotte city leaders approved nearly $13 million to reduce Matheson Avenue from four lanes to two from North Tryon Street to Jordan Place.

The Matheson Avenue Bridge streetscape project is the first of several projects planned to make Charlotte more cyclist- and pedestrian-friendly. The road has seen several deadly incidents involving pedestrians in recent years. Residents told WCNC Charlotte’s Lexi Wilson it’s been needed for years, calling the area difficult for walkers and bikers.

“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t say to myself how much I hate this road,” Eric Zaverl, an urban design specialist with Sustain Charlotte, said. “It didn’t have to be that way. If we spent the time to plan and invested in safer streets and other models decades ago, those folks would still be here today, and that’s what’s tragic about it all.”

Sustain Charlotte is collecting signatures for a petition that’s asking city leaders to increase funding for the bicycle program from $4 million to $10 million per fiscal year.

“We need more solutions about how we move in Charlotte, especially with how we are growing,” Zaverl said.

Watch the WCNC segment. The WCNC segment was also featured by CLTtoday.