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Sustain Charlotte supports changes to Charlotte’s streets map

Throughout 2019 we’ve been participating in the Charlotte Streets Map Stakeholder group, which developed updates to the Streets Map. Here is the letter we sent to Charlotte City Council in support of the changes.

Dear Mayor Lyles and Members of Council:

At the public hearing for the Streets Map, Eric Zaverl, who represented us on the Streets Map
stakeholders group, spoke in support of CDOT’s efforts to define future street space from
curb-to-curb. This first segment of work supports the new TOD districts. Given the pace at
which development is occurring in these districts, setting aside future space now is critical.

However, Sustain Charlotte and many neighborhood organizations we have spoken with
would like to see more details in the citywide streets map when it is created. A few items we
would like to see in the citywide map include:

  • More definitive design details for future facilities with key future projects reflected in the
    map.
  • The Bicycle Network and future transit facilities.
  • Specific design elements, including:
    • Lane width and number of lanes
    • Protected bike lanes over conventional striped lanes
    • Where and when on-street parking is located and used on a street

The Streets Map should be a tool that is both clear and detailed enough to match the specific Place Types found in the TOD ordinance and the future UDO. Our streets need to be SAFE for all modes of travel and meet the safe design standards that residents want and
deserve.

We encourage you to adopt the Streets Map for the Blue Line TOD zones. However, it
is crucial to understand that doing so will not be a short-term solution. It is a long-term plan
and very incremental. It will do very little in the near term to meet the City’s Vision Zero goals.

The design of our streets needs to change faster. Right now, they are designed for speed, not
safety. And this is why so many of our residents are being killed and seriously injured on our
streets. We can change this, but we must be bold.

Thanks for all you do, and please feel free to contact me to discuss further,

 

Shannon Binns

Executive Director
Sustain Charlotte

 

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