Our Shared Vision

We support a 15th Street design that aligns with Complete Streets principles - one that prioritizes safety, accessibility and thoughtful traffic calming, rather than road and lane widening, increased speed, and significant property loss. We believe there is a better, community-centered path forward than what NCDOT has proposed.

Why we oppose the NCDOT design:

Significant Property Loss

The NCDOT proposed design widens the road from 60' to nearly 95', taking property from dozens of homeowners and businesses. This will fundamentally change the character and function of the corridor - not for the better.

Focus on Vehicle Throughput

NCDOT has noted multiple times this is a project to address safety and accessibility, NOT traffic congestion. Yet their design will increase speed by including 11' travel lanes - highway level lane width in a neighborhood corridor.

Loss of Access for Businesses and Residents

The inclusion of a 17' concrete median in the design eliminates the ability to make a left turn in or out of the businesses along the corridor, the adjacent neighborhoods and side streets.

Our efforts are about preserving what makes our community great while improving it in a way that works for us. If we do nothing, the design will move forward - the business and residential impacts will be severe.

In an effort to ensure our members are informed and equipped with facts, the 15th Street Coalition held numerous meetings before launching our petition. Our goal has always been to understand the full scope of the project and its impact—then take action grounded in research, community values, and transparency.

The list below reflects many—but not all—of the individuals and organizations we’ve met with to date:

NCDOT Engineers and Planning Staff
Local Business Owners and residents
A Member of the Washington City Council
The City of Washington City Manager
The City of Washington Planning Director
The Mid East RPO Coordinator
Members of the MERPO
Stantec Engineers
DOT Engineers in other states
City of Asheville Transportation Planning Division Manager
Asheville on Bikes Executive Director
UNC School of Government
Local boards including Tourism Authority, Washington Harbor District Alliance and Chamber of Commerce
NC Realtors®
Elected Officials in other communities impacted by NCDOT widenings
Urban planning and infrastructure design experts
National advocacy organizations

These meetings have informed our position and helped shape a more community-centered vision for the future of 15th Street.

SIGN THE PETITION