Mackensy Lunsford|Asheville Citizen Times
ASHEVILLE - In the early morning darkness of Jan. 14, Frank Anthony D'erricoJr., 68, walked into Hendersonville Road and intothe path of a northbound vehicle.
His obituary said he loved daily walks.His cousin called him an excellent golfer.
Shortly after 6 a.m. on Jan. 17, a car traveling below the posted speed limit hit Frank James Goodson, 77, as he walked in the dark on Smokey Park Highway.
Goodson was a complex character with a lengthy legal record.
Shortly after 7 p.m. on Jan. 22,two vehicles struck Jamie Kumle, 29, as she attempted to cross Charlotte Highway.
She loved her dog Jack and had majored in criminal justice, according to her obituary.
"She almost made it across, but got hit by a truck in the very last lane, who shoved her into another car that ran her over," said her sisterAlyssa Kumleof Alpharetta, Georgia.
D'errico, Goodson and Jamie Kumle had one thing in common: They died after walking into traffic in a particularly deadly month for pedestrians in the Asheville area.
It's part of a troubling trend:Between 2010-18, Asheville ranked first in the state per capita in both total pedestrian crashes per year and in pedestrian crashes that result in injury or death.
Alyssa Kumle figures her sister misjudged the speed of the cars on the road that night, and that the drivers simply didn't see her sister, who was wearing black.
North Carolina Highway PatrolTrooper Rico Stephens said police found neither driver at fault.
Pedestrian deaths spiking nationwide
Three pedestrian fatalities in barely more than a week is alarming, said Brian K. Mayhew, state traffic safety engineer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
More on traffic deaths:
- Police ID pedestrian killed on Smokey Park Highway
- 2nd degree murder charge in fatal U.S. 70 crash. A GoFundMe hopes to help victim's family.
"If you're usually having one to five in a year, having three in a month is, statistically speaking, unusual," he said. "Whether it's one in a year or three in a week, from our perspective, it'sequally concerning."
A vehicle has killed at least one pedestrianin Asheville each year for the past 13 years. In 2012, five pedestrians died inthe city.
Compared to other North Carolina cities with populations greater than 75,000, Asheville ranks sixth in the total number of pedestrian crashes per year and eighth in the total number of fatal or injury-causing pedestrian crashes.
Heavily urbanized cities own the lion's share of accidents in North Carolina, with about 22% of the state's pedestrian-involved crashes in Charlotte over the past decade.
But when ranked per capita, the state's largest city is behind only Ashevillein pedestrian fatalities.
Asheville's brisk tourism business, which draws millions annually, has virtually no impact on the city's crash data, with 90% of crashes in Buncombe County involving people from Buncombe or nearby counties, according to Mayhew.
"Someone who might visit for a week or weekend might have a different travel pattern than someone who commutes every day," he explained. "Those people contribute more to the statistics because of the miles driven in the city."
Driver and pedestrian distraction is an increasing issue for all crashes, though the exactmagnitude of the impact is not known, Mayhew said.
Related: Asheville's $1.3M Charlotte St. 'road diet' work starts; narrowing meant to improve safety
What is known is that the world is a more dangerous place for pedestrians now than it was 10 or more years ago, with a nationwideincrease in pedestrian fatalities, motor vehicle crash data from theNational Center for Statistics and Analysis shows.
The percentage of crashes that killed pedestrians rose from 12% of all car wrecksin 2008 to 16% in 2017, according to theNCSA
Shocking speeds recorded downtown
Nearly 70% ofaccidents impacting pedestrians are in commercial districtswith posted speed limits of 35 mph or lower, where foot traffic is most concentrated, the NCSA data shows.
Crash severity climbs in relation to higher speeds, with 59% of pedestrians fatally or gravely injured in crashes on roads with speed limits of 40 mph or more.
All three Ashevillepedestrians killed in 2020 were on roads where the speed limit was 45 miles per hour. None of the cars involved were speeding, incident reports show.
Interactive map:Speed limits on 19 city streets lower as a proactive safety measure. See them on a map
But data recorded by Asheville's transportation department foundcars traveling at nearly 90 mph on pedestrian-dense Coxe Avenue in downtown Asheville.
The city recorded the speeds during a three-day study preceding a street project by the "Asheville Street Tweaks Team."
The team, made up of members from Asheville on Bikes, AARP and theBlue Ridge Bicycle Club, secured grant money to fund temporary traffic calming measures on city streets.
"Our work is really about active transportation and about diversifying public facilities to accommodate the most amount of people moving by a variety of modes," said Mike Sule of Asheville on Bikes. "It's about designing roads for all people."
City Council gave the Street Tweaks Team the go-ahead in 2018 to add more pedestrian-friendly features to Coxe Avenue. The city did not contribute funds, but offered in-kind support, such as the traffic count and speed analysis.
In return, the city gets to study the effect of temporary traffic calming measures on the road before making any permanent installations.
Report: NC forfeits $4M available for sidewalk, bike lane improvements
'Road diet' begins in Asheville: $1.3M Charlotte St. 'road diet' work starts; narrowing meant to improve safety
Answer Man: Are wheelchairs OK in a bike lane? YMCA news blackout?
The Street Tweaks Team gets for its time and grant money the chance to prove how vitally important such safety measures can be.
"The fact that we are the most dangerous city in the state for pedestrians is disgusting and inhumane, and it's a horrible way to treat pedestrians," Sulesaid.
For the three-day period before the installation, the city recorded troubling data: The majority of drivers sped down the 35 mph street, with the high speed for each day a shocking75.5, 85.5and 89.2 respectively.
Only 21.3% of drivers were clocked as speeding in the three days following the Coxe Avenue traffic calming effort, the data shows, with the highest recorded speeds at 40, 41, and 40.2 mph. That's even though the number of cars on the street was consistent both before and after the project.
'Stop killing pedestrians'
On Feb. 16, the team dismantled some traffic calming measures by request of the South Slope Neighborhood Association. Some of the planters and bike lane delineators were broken, and some residents were concerned about diminished parking and access to local businesses.
Next, the Street Tweaks Team plans to add traffic calming measures to Westwood Place and Waynesville Avenue in West Asheville.
"I think the city should do everything it can, particularly in the downtown corridor, to make conditions safe for all people moving in a variety of modes," Sule said.
Jessica Morriss, assistant transportation director for Asheville, said the city’s primary goal with Coxe Avenue is the corridor's safety.
"But also making sure that whatever is in place is appropriately maintained and adds to the pedestrian environment, not detracts from it," she added.
"Both the South Slope Neighborhood Association and Asheville on Bikes have been cooperative in working together as the project evolves."
Morriss said the citywill embarkon a roadway design process for Coxe Avenue this year, thoughconstruction funds have not yet been secured.
"Therefore, it is necessary for the parties to determine what takes place from now until we are able to move forward with construction, which could be several years away."
Meanwhile, Sule said said he's urged city officials to get behind National Association of City Transportation Officials design standards to take a proactive approach to street design.
Those standards help make streets safe for cyclists and pedestrians with all levels of ability, including those in wheelchairs, he said.
"We need to be designing inclusively," he said. "We need to bring the policy to the pavement."
Sule says it's a life or death matter. "Our No. 1 priority should be tostop killing pedestrians."
City, NCDOTplan safety measures
Asheville Police Department spokeswomanChristina Hallingse said police are also working to stem the tide of deadly crashes throughout the city.
The APD's Traffic Safety Unit identifies crash reduction zones annually, using the previous year's crash, injury and damage data, targeting trouble spots with patrols, traffic stops and other tactics.
Hallingse said the efforts have made an impact.
"In each of the areas identified for 2019, there was a substantial decrease in overall collisions and total property damage, to include a 69% reduction in fatalities and a 45% reduction in crashes causing disabling bodily injuries," Hallingse said.
Identified crash-reduction zones
In 2019:
- NC 63 (New Leicester Highway) at and including the intersection of Oak Hill Drive, extending north to and including the intersection of Guinevere Court.
- US 70 (Tunnel Road) from Chunns Cove Road to White Pine Drive.
- Patton Avenue (downtown) from Coxe Avenue to Clingman Avenue.
In 2020:
- NC 63 (New Leicester Highway)from Oak Hill Drive to GuinevereCourt.
- NC 81 (Swannanoa River Road) from Bleachery Boulevard to US70.
- US 25 (Merrimon Avenue) from Gracelyn Road to Elkwood Avenue.
- Patton Avenue (downtown) from Coxe Avenue to Clingman Avenue.
- US 25A (Sweeten Creek Road) from Medical Park Drive to Rock Hill Road.
The city of Asheville for the past several years has also participated in the Watch For Me program to reduce pedestrian and bicycle injuries and deaths. As a part of the program, the APD's Traffic Safety Unit works with the city's transportation planner, Barb Mee, to focus on safety.
"Transportation staff review crash reports and usually do field visits when there is a pedestrian fatality, to see if there are changes that can be made to improve the environment for pedestrians," Mee said.
NCDOT then investigates in a more formal way, she added.
"And with this most recent group of fatal crashes, they have asked that city staff join them," she said.
Transportation director Ken Putnam said staff review Asheville streets on an as-requested basis for traffic calming.
"Staff works and meets with the NCDOT on a regular basis to discuss pedestrian and bicycle concerns and to implement various projects as limited funds allow," he said.
NCDOT and city staff created a Pedestrian Work Group in 2017, meeting monthly to review potential safety improvements.
Asheville has projects to promote safety, accessibility
Some recent or upcoming projects:
- The city, in partnership with NCDOT and Public Works Street Division will soon install both a crosswalk and a “Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon" near the newer Smoky Mountain Adventure Center on Amboy Road. Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority funding is paying for the project.
- The Streets Division has just completed a concrete sidewalk and ADA accessible ramp for the crosswalk on Amboy Road.
- The city has repainted some downtown crosswalks.
- The city is in the process of lowering speeds on nearly 20 Asheville streets.
- The Asheville Transportation Department will install a new all-way stop and crosswalks at the intersection of Depot and Bartlett streets.
NCDOT staff review every fatality, including pedestrian and bicycle fatalities, on the State Highway system," according to Division 13 project development engineer Steve Cannon.
"Every fatality is a tragedy, particularly pedestrian fatalities," Cannon said."Therefore, we have several programs in place to try and reduce the likelihood of vehicular crashes, thereby reducing injuries and fatalities."
A number of particularly troubling city intersections are slated for upgradesincluding pedestrian signaling, crosswalks and ADA-compliant ramps.
NCDOT’s revised Complete Streets policy also requires multimodal facilities on all new projects.
"We also have several future projects planned that comprehensively address multimodal facilities — pedestrian, bike, transit, etc — on an entire corridor," Cannon said.
Local NCDOT tweaks
- Sweeten Creek Road between Rock Hill Road and U.S. 25 will include a sidewalk and a separate multi-use path.
- I-26 connector project between Broadway Street and the I-26/I-40 interchange will include multi-use paths and other pedestrian improvements
- Prior to resurfacing, NCDOT in conjunction with the City of Asheville will be reviewing Haywood Road to determine if any crosswalk, curb cut, or parking changes are needed.
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Mackensy Lunsford is an award-winning staff writer for the Asheville Citizen Times,.
Reach me: mlunsford@citizentimes.com.
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