Public Safety Committee Meeting · March 26, 2026 · 11:00 AM
Estes Elementary Koontz Intermediate Valley Springs Middle TC Roberson High

Our Kids
Deserve
Safe Roads.

Four schools. One dangerous corridor. No traffic officers. One crossing guard for four schools. No sidewalks in some stretches. On January 30, 2025, a school bus struck a parked car on Pinchot Drive and pushed it off the road. The city can fix this — but only if they hear from you.

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Days Until the Meeting
Public Safety Committee · March 26
Your comment goes on the record.
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📞 Call (855) 925-2801
Enter code 11543 · Press * then option 3 to speak live
Or leave a voicemail before 5 PM on March 25
spread the word
Help other parents take action
January 30, 2025 · Pinchot Drive
A Buncombe County school bus carrying students struck a parked car and pushed it off the road. Pinchot Drive is a City of Asheville road. The City can restrict parking to one side and enforce it — right now, without waiting for a study.
What It Looks Like Every Day
Cars parked along Pinchot Drive during school dismissal, with yellow no-parking zone visible at curb
School pickup queue along Pinchot Drive with cars parked on both sides
Cars backed up along Pinchot Drive toward the Overlook Road intersection
Pinchot Drive during school dismissal — license plates blurred · Photos taken February 2026
Everything Else
What We're Asking For
  • Traffic officers or crossing guards at key intersections during arrival & dismissal (approx. 7:15–8:15 AM and 2:30–4:00 PM)
  • Restrict parking to one side of Pinchot Drive and enforce it — the City can do this immediately, no NCDOT approval needed
  • A formal traffic calming study for the full corridor, coordinated across the City, Buncombe County, and NCDOT
  • Improved signage and crosswalks near school entrances
Traffic Calming Study

We are gathering neighbor signatures to formally request a Traffic Calming Study for this corridor — a required step before the City can move forward with permanent infrastructure improvements.

Signatures from residents along the affected corridor carry the most weight. If you live near these roads, contact Brad Preslar at brad.preslar@gmail.com to add yours.

Meeting Script (2–3 min)

Call in on March 26 at 11 AM: (855) 925-2801, code 11543, press * then option 3.

"Good morning. My name is [Your Name] and I am a parent at [school] in South Asheville.

I'm calling because the Public Safety Committee may not be aware of dangerous conditions near our schools on Overlook Road, Springside Road, Long Shoals Road, and Pinchot Drive. Four schools share this corridor — Estes Elementary, Koontz Intermediate, Valley Springs Middle, and TC Roberson. There are no traffic officers, just one crossing guard for the entire corridor, and no sidewalks in some stretches. Our principals and staff direct traffic from the parking lots because there is no other option.

On January 30, 2025, a school bus struck a parked car on Pinchot Drive and pushed it off the road. Pinchot is a City road. Restricting parking to one side is something the City can do right now.

[Optional: add one personal detail — "My child walks to school on a road with no sidewalk" / "I've watched near-misses at this intersection" / "My kids ride that bus route"]

I'm asking this committee to put this corridor on your radar formally and urgently. We need officer presence during school hours, restricted parking on Pinchot Drive, and a traffic calming study. This is a daily safety failure that already caused a collision. Thank you."
Email Script

To: [email protected]
Subject: School Traffic Safety on Overlook, Springside & Pinchot

Dear Asheville City Council Members,

I am a parent at [school] and I'm writing to ask for your help with unsafe traffic conditions near our schools on Overlook Road, Springside Road, Long Shoals Road, and Pinchot Drive. Four schools share this corridor. There are no traffic officers, just one crossing guard for the entire corridor, and no sidewalks in some areas. Our staff direct traffic from the parking lots.

On January 30, 2025, a school bus struck a parked car on Pinchot Drive. Pinchot is a City road — restricting parking to one side is something you can do immediately.

I'm asking Council to: station traffic officers during school hours; restrict and enforce parking on Pinchot Drive now; and commission a traffic calming study for this corridor.

[One personal sentence: "My child walks this road with no sidewalk." / "My kids ride the bus on this route every day."]

This is a documented safety hazard affecting thousands of students daily. Please act.

Sincerely,
[Name · Address · Phone]
School Hours
SchoolMorningAfternoon
Estes Elementary7:15–7:55 AM2:35–3:10 PM
Koontz Intermediate7:05–7:45 AM2:45 PM
Valley Springs Middle7:45 AM2:45 PM
TC Roberson High7:55–8:00 AM3:00 PM
City Council Contacts

Email all at once: ashevillenccouncil@ashevillenc.gov

NameRole
Esther ManheimerMayor
Antanette MosleyVice Mayor
Kim Roney ★Council Member
Bo Hess ★Council Member
Sheneika SmithCouncil Member
Sage TurnerCouncil Member
Maggie UllmanCouncil Member

★ Kim Roney and Bo Hess have previously supported neighborhood safety concerns in South Asheville.

Buncombe County Contacts

Springside and Pinchot are City roads. Overlook and Long Shoals are NCDOT. Schools are Buncombe County. No single agency owns the full problem — your job is to make sure none of them can point at the others.

BCS Transportation Director
Jeremy Stowe · (828) 232-4240
Ask: Was the January 30 incident formally documented? What's the process for flagging safety hazards on bus routes?

CommissionerDistrict
Amanda EdwardsChair
Al WhitesidesDistrict 1
Jennifer HortonDistrict 1
Martin MooreDistrict 2
Terri WellsDistrict 2
Drew BallDistrict 3
Parker SloanDistrict 3
Accident & Incident Data — updating soon
To Come

Formal accident and incident data for this corridor has been requested from multiple sources: the Asheville Police Department, through NCDOT's TEAAS system, and directly from NCDOT Traffic Engineering. This section will be updated with documented crash data once received.

Data requested: February 2026

FAQs

Is this a city or county issue?
Both — which is why it hasn't been fixed. Pinchot and Springside are City roads; Overlook and Long Shoals are NCDOT; schools are Buncombe County. The January 30 collision happened on a City road, so the City can act there immediately.

Will one email make a difference?
Yes. Council members track constituent contacts. A dozen emails from the same school is hard to ignore.

Can't make the meeting?
Pre-recorded voicemails and written emails are reviewed by the committee before the meeting and carry the same weight as live testimony.

What's a realistic timeline?
Officer presence and parking enforcement can happen in weeks. A formal traffic study takes 3–6 months. The goal right now is getting on the City's radar.