***UPDATE*** - we have prevailed! Rather than sign this petition, if you live in Charlotte, NC please use this email form to thank city staff for removing the dedicated bus lanes, and to remind them that Central Ave needs to remain an all-access four lane road as future transit projects are implemented - https://freeroots.com/go/keep-central-ave-moving-forward. Thank you!

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A six-month pilot study, which began on September 29, 2020, is currently in place between Sharon Amity and Eastway, and the dedicated bus lanes on that stretch of Central Ave are already wreaking havoc on traffic and safety. Post pandemic, when traffic volumes return to normal, the effects will be far worse. 

A dozen reasons why dedicated bus lanes on Central Ave are an ill-conceived idea can be read below. 

If you care about this and will be impacted, the time to speak up is now. The petition text that will be delivered to the Charlotte policymakers involved is at the bottom of this page. THANK YOU for helping us to keep Central Ave a functional and safe thoroughfare for all our citizens!

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Dedicated Bus Lanes Only Work Well in The Right Locations:  A Dozen Reasons Why Bus Lanes on Central are a Bad Idea

1. No meaningful improvement to bus service. The Central Ave buses were already running on schedule, and with the highest frequency of anywhere in the city (every 10-15 minutes).  Seniors and other would-be bus riders say the bus stops are too far from their homes, and this is what prevents them from riding. They would prefer to see expanded routes, not dedicated bus lanes.

2. Adjustments to traffic signal timing will increase backups on cross streets. Any re-timing of traffic signals in an attempt to mitigate backups in Central Ave, as proposed by CATS Director John Lewis, will only shift the delays to cross streets, many of which already experience significant backups during peak travel times.

3. Adjacent neighborhoods will be negatively impacted and less safe. Drivers will seek out and use alternative routes through residential side streets to avoid congestion and delays.

4. Hindered access to and from Central Ave. The bus lanes make it more difficult to turn left off of Central Ave, or to turn on to Central Ave in either direction, making access to homes and businesses challenging and even hazardous. A number of accidents have already occurred since the pilot study began.

5. Increased environmental impact. A 50% reduction in driving space for cars will result in significantly longer commute times for these vehicles, resulting in increased pollution from emissions. (No additional buses are planned for Central Ave, so a negligible increase in ridership would not offset this.)

6. Traffic volumes on Central will continue to rise. In addition to the population growth we are seeing city-wide, redevelopment of the Eastland site will further increase traffic volumes on Central Ave. 

7. Bike lanes are independent. The bike lanes on Central Ave along the route of the bus pilot lanes have been in place for several years and are not dependent upon the existence of the bus lanes. 

8. Feasibility and cost. According to the Sustain Charlotte website, extending the bus lanes from Eastway to uptown would be, “technically challenging,” and require the city to, “bring in outside experts.”  

9. Independence Blvd already has dedicated express bus lanes. Now that the Hawthorne bridge is nearing completion those could be put back into service in a simply and timely manner, with no impact on car travel and at no cost to taxpayers.

10. Bus ridership versus car commuters (under normal, pre-pandemic conditions). Central Ave averaged 4,800 bus riders on weekdays. Meanwhile, 21,000-29,000 cars commuted each day on Central, many with multiple occupants. 

11. Comparison with the dedicated bus lane on 4th Street in uptown Charlotte.  That portion of 4th Street carries less than half the traffic volume of Central Ave, and is a 4-lane one-way road with only 25% of the driving space dedicated to buses for a stretch of a few blocks near the main transit hub. Central Ave would be reduced to a one lane road in each direction with 50% of the driving space dedicated to buses, and if fully implemented, for a stretch of 4 miles on a main artery into uptown.

12. Equitable roadways. Reliable and convenient public transportation options are a vital component to any vibrant and growing city such as ours, but must be implemented in ways that provide access for citizens who want or need to utilize public transportation, while also maintaining functional roadways for car commuters. Central Ave is a heavily travelled, main thoroughfare in Charlotte, and serves the community best by remaining an all-access two-lane road in both directions. 

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References:

https://charlottenc.gov/cats/bus/routes/Pages/default.aspx​ 

https://www.sustaincharlotte.org/lanes_just_for_buses_and_bikes_coming_to_central_avenue​ 

https://ncdot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=5f6fe58c1d90482ab9107ccc03026280 

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PETITION TEXT:

As a citizen of Charlotte, I am opposed to the creation of dedicated bus lanes on Central Ave. Reliable and convenient public transportation options are a vital component to any vibrant and growing city such as ours, but must be implemented in ways that provide access for citizens who want or need to utilize public transportation, while also maintaining functional roadways for car commuters. Central Ave is a heavily travelled, main thoroughfare in Charlotte, and serves the community best by remaining an all-access road, with two lanes in each direction.