CDOT's 2016 Parkwood Avenue & The Plaza Corridor Study proved there is a dire need for multiple safety improvements on The Plaza. The City and CDOT admirably responded with a plan to address many of these safety issues on Parkwood.  However, the plan has never fully addressed necessary improvements on The Plaza from Parkwood to Matheson and beyond, so we MUST show community support.  

This stretch of The Plaza, all the way to Anderson Street, can be deadly.  There have been multiple fatalities in recent years.  In addition, at least six cross streets are not ADA compliant.  Significant stretches of the sidewalk are narrow and have no buffer zone.  There are portions where you must walk on the sidewalk single file.  Motorists run red lights so consistently that residents look both ways before starting to drive at a green light.  

CDOT's Bicyclist and Pedestrian Crash Map 2007-2016 above shows that the red rectangle part of The Plaza has more crashes than the other two sections COMBINED and THREE TIMES the number of fatalities.

Signing this petition will show CDOT that residents of Plaza Midwood, Noda, Villa Heights, Plaza Shamrock and Charlotte support, need, want and demand the same safety improvements for The Plaza between Parkwood and Anderson.   We need the same safety improvements that CDOT is implementing on Parkwood and on The Plaza between Parkwood and Central.

Request

The Plaza Midwood Neighborhood Association, the Noda Neighborhood and Business Association, Plaza Shamrock Neighborhood Association, Villa Heights Neighborhood Association and Sustain Charlotte urge the City Council to engage the Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) to extend the Road Diet on Parkwood and The Plaza through Anderson Street.  The Plaza Road Diet would CONTINUE through Anderson Street to be modified to have one lane of vehicular traffic in each direction, turn lanes, separate bike lanes and a center planting strip that would serve as a safe “island” for crossing pedestrians. 

Benefits of a Road Diet

Improves safety
o  Reduces both the number and severity of crashes
o  Allows Villa Heights Elementary School children that live in Plaza Midwood to walk or bike safely across The Plaza to school in Villa Heights
o  Provides a safe buffer for people waiting at bus stops
o  Allows Charlotte Family Housing families to walk safely to work and public transportation
o  Calms traffic in an area with a history of serious accidents to reduce the number of accidents/injuries
 
Increases connectivity
o  Ties into the Parkwood Blue Line Station and multi-use path
o  Extends the pedestrian and bicycle network created through the city’s investment in the Cross Charlotte Trail
o  Connects an under-served area to an affluent area to foster revitalization
 
Improves the economy
o  Complete Streets projects have been proven to increase small business revenue, create new businesses and increase property values, suggesting that the street improvements make the area more desirable for residents and business owners.  The increased tax income due to higher property values would help offset the city’s initial investment
 
Helps the environment
o  Serves neighborhoods where an active cycling and walking culture already exists and provides ability for that culture to expand as more people will feel comfortable
 
Reduce congestion and improve traffic flow
o  Providing streets that allow for all types of users will increase pedestrians and decrease number of cars, and a thoughtful design will allow cars to move more efficiently along with pedestrians

Thanks for signing!