Aug. 2026: 95 school zone violations in three days in the TC Roberson district · Overlook Road is still on no funding list · Your legislators need to hear from you.
Estes Elementary Koontz Intermediate Valley Springs Middle TC Roberson High

Our Kids Deserve
Safe Roads.

Four schools. One dangerous corridor. Three school bus crashes in just over a year. NCDOT crash data shows Overlook Road at 3.2 times the statewide average for roads of its type.

Every agency is at the table, and the corridor still has no fix. The wall is in state law: North Carolina has no funding pathway for traffic safety at existing schools. Your state legislators are the ones who can change that.

NCDOT Crash Data — Overlook Road (2022–2025)
58
Crashes
34
Injuries
3.2×
State Average

Three school bus crashes in just over a year. Over half of all crashes occur during school arrival and dismissal. Zero crashes on Saturdays. 65% concentrated at one intersection — Long Shoals and Overlook. 2025 was the most severe year on record.

Source: NCDOT TEAAS Study #41000078494 · Delivered March 10, 2026

And it is still happening — August 2026

In the opening days of the 2026–27 school year, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office issued 95 school zone traffic violations in three days (Aug. 24–26) in the TC Roberson district — the school zones on Overlook Road and Long Shoals Road. Nearly half were speeding violations. The Sheriff’s Office responded by increasing school zone patrols and deploying a speed monitoring board.

Source: WLOS News 13, Aug. 28, 2026

People Cross This Road on Foot

On August 24, 2021, a TC Roberson student was struck by a vehicle in a crosswalk on Overlook Road. The student was taken to the hospital and later released; the driver was cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian. Five years on, students still walk and bike this corridor to TC Roberson — and Springside Road, one of the routes in, still has no sidewalk.

Source: WLOS News 13, Sept. 1, 2021 · Asheville Police Department

Most Impact — Takes 60 Seconds
✉  Email Your State Legislators
Opens your email app · All 5 Buncombe County legislators · Subject & body already written
Progress in 2026
City of Asheville Traffic Engineering crews install a high-visibility crosswalk at Pinchot Drive and Red Fox Circle, May 2026
✓ May 2026 · City of Asheville

High-visibility crosswalk installed at the Pinchot Drive / Red Fox Circle all-way stop, where the crossing guard works during arrival and dismissal. Committed and delivered within days.

Freshly paved, widened exit from the Estes Elementary campus onto Overlook Road with temporary orange delineators, August 2026
✓ Summer 2026 · Buncombe County Schools

Estes exit onto Overlook widened so vehicles can clear the campus and turn right more easily. On-campus work, paid for by the school district.

An Asheville Police officer stands at the Pinchot Drive and Red Fox Circle all-way stop during morning arrival while the crossing guard escorts a student, August 2026
✓ August 2026 · City of Asheville / APD

Police presence and lane delineators on Pinchot for the first week of school. Vice Mayor Mosley and Assistant City Manager Dundas arranged the officer; the City made the no-parking zones physical.

←  Swipe  →

What has not changed: every item above is on a school campus or on Pinchot Drive, a City street. Overlook Road — the state road carrying 65% of this corridor’s crashes — has no funded or programmed improvement of any kind, and it appears on no regional or state list.
📋  File a Traffic Report City of Asheville tracks every submission — this feeds the official record
April 30, 2026 · Long Shoals & Miami Cir · APD-Documented

A rear-end chain collision in a 35 MPH school zone on NC 146 (Long Shoals Road) involved two school buses with students on board. The chain began when traffic stopped for a third school bus that was loading children. Asheville Police Department crash report #26010012.

January 30, 2026 · Pinchot Drive · Documented

A school bus carrying students struck a parked vehicle on Pinchot Drive, highlighting the dangerous conditions created when school buses must navigate two-way traffic alongside vehicles parked on both sides of the road.

April 23, 2025 · Long Shoals & Overlook · NCDOT-Verified

At 7:01 AM during school arrival, a car traveling 45 MPH struck a school bus making a left turn at the Long Shoals/Overlook intersection (NCDOT Crash #108122853). One injury. This is the exact left-turn collision pattern that dominates this intersection — and it involved a bus full of students.

August 24, 2021 · Overlook Road Crosswalk · APD-Documented

A TC Roberson student was struck by a vehicle while crossing Overlook Road in a crosswalk. The student was taken to the hospital and later released. The Asheville Police Department cited the driver for failure to yield to a pedestrian. Students still cross this corridor on foot every school day. WLOS News 13

Pinchot Drive & Overlook Road · NCDOT-Verified

NCDOT data confirms multiple crashes at the Pinchot Drive/Overlook Road intersection, including rear-end and angle collisions during school hours. This intersection sits at the mouth of the school corridor.

Overlook Road Corridor · NCDOT-Verified

NCDOT data shows 58 crashes on Overlook Road in four years, with 65% concentrated at the Long Shoals intersection. Left-turn collisions — drivers fighting to exit school driveways into live traffic — account for over half of all crashes.

Woodvine Drive & Pinchot Drive · Community-Reported

Multiple residents report vehicles running the stop sign at Woodvine Drive and Pinchot Drive — a direct result of cut-through drivers using the neighborhood as a shortcut during school dismissal.

What It Looks Like Every Day
Dr. Pinkerton directing traffic in the rain
Estes Elementary Principal Dr. Paula Pinkerton directs traffic in the rain — because there’s no crossing guard and no traffic officer
Parents stuck trying to exit Estes parking lot
Parents backed up inside the Estes Elementary parking lot with no way out — Overlook Road
No Parking Any Time sign with school traffic behind it
No signal, no officer — drivers attempting a left turn onto Overlook Road must wait for a gap that never comes
Wide shot -- no room for emergency vehicles to pass
No room for an emergency vehicle to pass — Pinchot Drive
Dismissal queue backed up along Pinchot Drive
Dismissal queue — Pinchot Drive
Cars parked along Pinchot Drive
Pinchot Drive during school hours
School pickup queue along Pinchot Drive
School pickup queue — Pinchot Drive
License plates blurred · Photos taken February 2026
The Corridor
Pinchot Dr Red Fox Cir Springside Rd to Hendersonville Rd → Overlook Rd Long Shoals Rd (NC 146) ← I-26 Hendersonville Rd → Estes Elementary TC Roberson High Koontz Intermediate Valley Springs Middle Springside Rd: no sidewalk, 2.2× statewide crash rate Estes queue spills onto Pinchot; cut-through traffic to I-26 Overlook Rd: 58 crashes in 4 years, 3.2× statewide rate. 65% of them at the Long Shoals intersection ↘ F F F 1 2 3 NCDOT road City street FFailing driveway School bus crash Schematic — not to scale

←  Scroll the map  →

1 April 23, 2025 — car struck a school bus turning left at Long Shoals / Overlook · 2 January 30, 2026 — school bus struck a parked vehicle on Pinchot Drive · 3 April 30, 2026 — rear-end chain involving two school buses on Long Shoals near Miami Circle. F markers are school driveway approaches that NCDOT’s 2025 Traffic Operations Study rated Level of Service F (failing) during school peaks; marker positions are approximate.

The split matters: Overlook and Long Shoals are NCDOT roads, so a turn lane at the school entrances is a state project with no state funding pathway for an existing school. Pinchot and Springside are City streets, which is why the City could act on Pinchot within weeks and why Springside’s sidewalk depends on the City alone.

Why a Turn Lane

There is no left-turn lane at the school entrances on Overlook Road. When one driver stops to turn into Estes, everyone behind them stops — and some cross the double yellow line into oncoming traffic to get around the queue. This happens on a road where the crash rate is already 3.2 times the statewide average.

An SUV crosses the double yellow line on Overlook Road to pass a minivan stopped to turn left into Estes Elementary; the school sign is visible on the left

Overlook Road at the Estes Elementary entrance (sign at left). The minivan is stopped to turn left into the school. The SUV is in the oncoming lane going around it.

Oncoming vehicle straddling the center line on Overlook Road while a queue of stopped cars waits to turn into the school, with a school bus behind them

Same stretch, opposite direction. The queue on the left is waiting to turn into Estes; the school bus is stuck behind it. The oncoming vehicle is straddling the center line to pass.

Two vehicles side by side on a two-lane section of Overlook Road, one on the wrong side of the double yellow line, near a No Parking Any Time sign

Two vehicles abreast on a two-lane road during a school peak.

At dawn, a vehicle crosses the double yellow line on Overlook Road toward a red signal while an SUV waits in the queue

Early-morning arrival: a driver crosses the center line toward the signal to get around the queue.

The signalized intersection of Springside Road and Overlook Road with vehicles queued in every direction

Springside / Overlook signal. Students walk and bike through this intersection to TC Roberson; there is no sidewalk on Springside.

Photos: Andrew Dagnan, March 2026 · Taken by a passenger or from a vehicle stopped in traffic · License plates blurred
⚠  The Problem Is Spreading

School dismissal congestion on Overlook Road is pushing drivers through Biltmore Park and surrounding streets to reach I-26. These routes were never meant for cut-through volume — and they’re creating new hazards blocks from the schools.

Bent Oak → Crocus → Red Fox → Pinchot → Olmstead → Columbine → Schenck Pkwy → Long Shoals → I-26
Burnside → Olmstead → Dearborn → Schenck Pkwy → Long Shoals → I-26
🛑

Residents report vehicles running the stop sign at Woodvine & Pinchot — a direct result of cut-through drivers using the neighborhood as a shortcut.

If you live on any of these streets, your voice matters — email your state legislators using the button above.

Details
Where Things Stand — September 2026

The pattern after seven months: the school district and the City have delivered on the ground they control — the campus and Pinchot Drive. The state road at the center of the crash data, Overlook Road, has no funded or programmed improvement anywhere.

  • ✓ Back-to-school police presence on Pinchot — Vice Mayor Mosley and Assistant City Manager Dundas arranged an APD officer at the Pinchot / Red Fox Circle crosswalk for the first week of school (August 2026).
  • ✓ Lane delineators installed on Pinchot — the City placed delineators in the no-parking zones around the Pinchot / Red Fox Circle intersection, making the restriction physical instead of sign-only.
  • ✓ Estes exit onto Overlook widened — Buncombe County Schools widened the campus exit over the summer so vehicles can clear the lot and turn right more easily. On-campus work, district-funded.
  • ✓ Pinchot crosswalk delivered — the City installed a high-visibility crosswalk at Pinchot Drive / Red Fox Circle in May, where the crossing guard works.
  • ✓ Multi-agency site visit completed — NCDOT, Sheriff’s Office, APD, BCS, and the school principal walked the Estes corridor together on April 16.
  • ⏳ Sustained enforcement and north-side parking restrictions on Pinchot — the first-week presence was a start. The behavior change needs enforcement that continues past week one, and a decision on north-side parking.
  • ⏳ School zone speeding — the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office issued 95 school zone violations in three days (Aug. 24–26, 2026) in the TC Roberson district, nearly half of them speeding, and responded with added patrols and a speed monitoring board. Enforcement is treating the symptom; the road design that produces it on Overlook is unchanged.
  • ⏳ Turn lane funding eligibility — NCDOT was asked in April whether an Overlook Road turn lane at the school entrances is eligible for funding under GS 136-18(29a). No answer yet.
  • ⏳ Springside Road sidewalks — still no pedestrian access for students walking to TC Roberson High. Springside is a City street; it is not in the Buncombe County draft Pedestrian Plan and has no funding on the City’s sidewalk priority list.
  • ❌ Overlook Road absent from regional funding lists — the French Broad River MPO’s August 20, 2026 regional priority list (the P8 process that decides what NCDOT builds) assigns points to Sweeten Creek Road, Tunnel Road, New Leicester Highway, and Smokey Park Highway. Overlook Road and the Long Shoals / Overlook intersection are not on it. The County’s draft Pedestrian Plan lists Long Shoals Road only from Brevard Road to Schenck Parkway — it stops before the schools.
  • ❌ No state funding for existing schools — under GS 136-18(29a), NCDOT reimburses safety improvements only for new or expanding schools. Existing schools have no pathway.
What We’re Asking For
  • NC General Assembly: Create a state funding mechanism for traffic safety improvements at existing schools. Under current law (GS 136-18(29a)), NCDOT reimburses highway improvements only for new or expanding schools. Existing schools with dangerous corridors have no pathway to state funding.
  • Buncombe County Schools: The widened Estes exit is done. Continue working with NCDOT on MSTA study implementation, including the Koontz-to-Estes traffic flow gap and the car rider reroute off Overlook Road.
  • City of Asheville: The crosswalk, the first-week police presence, and the delineators on Pinchot are delivered. Next: enforcement that continues past the first week, a decision on north-side parking restrictions, and a funding path for Springside Road sidewalks — a City street that no county or state plan covers.
  • French Broad River MPO: Put the Long Shoals / Overlook intersection and the Overlook Road school entrances into the P8 prioritization process. The region’s own survey (852 responses, summer 2026) ranked safety as the top transportation priority. This corridor has the crash data and a completed NCDOT study, and it is on no list.
  • NCDOT: Complete re-examination of MSTA recommendations. Answer the turn lane funding eligibility question. Address Level of Service F intersections on Overlook Road.
  • Buncombe County: The draft Pedestrian Plan’s Long Shoals Road project stops at Schenck Parkway. Coordinate with the City and NCDOT so the school segment east to Overlook Road has an owner.
  • Address cut-through traffic on residential streets — Bent Oak, Crocus, Red Fox, Woodvine, Olmstead, Columbine, Burnside, Dearborn, and Schenck Pkwy

✓ Delivered so far: Pinchot crosswalk (May). Estes exit widened (summer). First-week police presence and lane delineators on Pinchot (August). Not started: anything on Overlook Road or Long Shoals Road.

Script: Email State Legislators

To: All 5 Buncombe County legislators (see NC General Assembly Contacts below)
Subject: School Traffic Safety — Funding Gap for Existing Schools

Dear [Representative/Senator] [Name], I am a [parent at (school) / resident of (neighborhood)] in South Asheville writing about school traffic safety — and a gap in state law that affects communities across North Carolina. Four Buncombe County schools share a single corridor along Overlook Road, Long Shoals Road, Pinchot Drive, and Springside Road. There have now been three school bus crashes on this corridor in just over a year — two of them on NC 146 (Long Shoals Road), including an April 30, 2026 rear-end chain collision in a 35 MPH school zone that involved two school buses with children on board (Asheville Police Department report #26010012). NCDOT, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, the Asheville Police Department, Buncombe County Schools, and school administrators are all actively engaged in addressing the problem. In the course of that work, we’ve encountered a structural barrier. Under GS 136-18(29a), NCDOT is required to evaluate traffic impacts and fully reimburse highway safety improvements when a school is being built or expanded. That’s the right policy for new schools. But there is no equivalent provision for the thousands of existing schools across North Carolina that already have dangerous traffic conditions. If your school’s problem predates the law, or if the school isn’t expanding, there is no state funding pathway to fix it. Our corridor is not unique. Schools across this state are dealing with the same traffic safety challenges with no route to state support. I’m asking you to work toward a funding mechanism that addresses school traffic safety at existing schools — not just new or expanding ones. [Add one personal sentence.] Thank you for your time. [Name · Address · Phone]
Script: Email Superintendent Jackson

To: robert.jackson@bcsemail.org
CC: Full Board of Education (see BCS Board Contacts below)
Subject: School Traffic Safety — MSTA Study Implementation

Superintendent Jackson, I am a [parent at (school) / resident of (neighborhood)] writing about the South Buncombe school corridor — Overlook Road, Pinchot Drive, Springside Road, and Long Shoals Road — serving Estes Elementary, Koontz Intermediate, Valley Springs Middle, and TC Roberson High. Three school buses have been involved in crashes on this corridor in just over a year, including an April 30, 2026 rear-end chain collision on Long Shoals Road. NCDOT crash data shows Overlook Road at 3.2 times the statewide average for roads of its type. NCDOT’s MSTA unit completed a Traffic Operations Study for all four schools in October 2025 and delivered it to Buncombe County Schools. That study recommends rerouting the Estes Elementary car rider line off Overlook Road — a change that would significantly reduce daily conflict between parent vehicles, school buses, and pedestrians. Five months later, implementation has not begun. The City of Asheville, the Sheriff’s Office, and NCDOT are all actively working on this corridor. Buncombe County Schools needs to do the same. I’m asking you to provide a public timeline for implementing the MSTA recommendations, starting with the Estes car rider reroute. [Add one personal sentence — e.g., “My child rides the bus on this corridor every day.”] Sincerely, [Name · Address]
Script: Email City Council

To: ashevillenccouncil@ashevillenc.gov
Subject: School Traffic Safety — Thank You, and the Next Step on Pinchot and Springside

Dear Asheville City Council, I am a [parent at (school) / resident of (neighborhood)] writing about the South Asheville school corridor — Overlook Road, Pinchot Drive, Springside Road, and Long Shoals Road. Thank you. Since March the City has delivered a high-visibility crosswalk at Pinchot Drive and Red Fox Circle, lane delineators in the no-parking zones, and a police presence at the crosswalk during the first week of school. Vice Mayor Mosley and Assistant City Manager Dundas made those happen, and parents noticed. I’m asking for three things next. First, keep enforcement on Pinchot going past the first week — the parking and speed behavior changes only if drivers expect to see an officer. Second, decide on parking restrictions for the north side of Pinchot Drive. Third, Springside Road: students walk to TC Roberson High on a City street with no sidewalk, and it is not in the County’s draft Pedestrian Plan or any state list. Only the City can sponsor that project, whether through the French Broad River MPO, the next bond, or the sidewalk priority list. Council also holds seats on the French Broad River MPO board. The Long Shoals / Overlook intersection, where 65% of the corridor’s crashes occur, is not in the MPO’s current prioritization list. Please use those seats to get it there. [Add one personal sentence] Sincerely, [Name · Address]
NC General Assembly Contacts

Under GS 136-18(29a), NCDOT reimburses traffic safety improvements for new or expanding schools — but there is no equivalent for existing schools. These are your state legislators who can change that.

NC House

NameDistrict
Eric Ager (D)District 114
Lindsey Prather (D)District 115
Brian Turner (D)District 116

NC Senate

NameDistrict
Warren Daniel (R)District 46
Julie Mayfield (D)District 49

South Asheville falls in multiple districts. The “Email State Legislators” button above sends to all five.

BCS Board of Education Contacts

Superintendent: Robert Jackson

NameDistrict
Rob Elliot (Chair)District 3
Kim Plemmons (Vice-Chair)District 6
Ann FranklinDistrict 1
Greg CheathamDistrict 2
Amy Churchill ★District 4
Judy LewisDistrict 5
Charles Martin ★At-Large

★ Amy Churchill and Charles Martin have been actively engaged on school traffic safety in this corridor.

City Council Contacts

Email all at once: ashevillenccouncil@ashevillenc.gov

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

★★ Vice Mayor Mosley connected us with the City Manager’s Office. Kim Roney has personally visited the school corridor and is actively engaged. Bo Hess was engaged at the March 26 committee meeting and pushed for concrete solutions.

Buncombe County Commissioners

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

CommissionerDistrict
Amanda EdwardsChair
Al WhitesidesDistrict 1
Jennifer HortonDistrict 1
Martin MooreDistrict 2
Terri WellsDistrict 2
Daryl BallDistrict 3
Parker SloanDistrict 3
Official Crash Data — NCDOT Verified

The data is in. On March 10, 2026, NCDOT delivered official crash data from the state’s TEAAS database for this corridor. The numbers confirm what this community has been saying.

Overlook Road (Long Shoals to Springside/Pinchot, 0.55 miles): 58 crashes in four years. 34 injuries. $398,700 in property damage. Crash rate: 742 per 100 million vehicle miles — 3.2 times the NC statewide average. Left-turn collisions account for over half of all crashes. Over half of all crashes occur during the school arrival and dismissal window (7–9 AM, 2–4 PM). Zero crashes on Saturdays — this is a school-day pattern. 65% of crashes are concentrated at the Long Shoals/Overlook intersection. 2025 was the most severe year on record for injuries (16) and property damage ($150,300).

Long Shoals/Overlook Intersection: 56 crashes. 31 injuries. $349,000 in damage. Left turns and rear-end collisions account for 71% of crashes at this intersection. On April 23, 2025, a car traveling 45 MPH struck a school bus making a left turn at 7:01 AM during school arrival (Crash #108122853) — one injury.

Springside Road (Hendersonville Rd to Overlook, 0.8 miles): 18 crashes. 9 injuries. $192,500 in damage. Crash rate: 513 per 100 million VMT — 2.2 times the statewide average.

Pinchot Drive (Overlook to Holt/Woodvine, 0.32 miles): 5 reported crashes plus the January 30, 2026 bus collision (not yet in the database). Crash rate: 335 per 100 million VMT — 1.4 times the statewide average for a residential street.

Source: NCDOT TEAAS Studies #41000078494, #41000078493, #41000078495, #41000078522 · Period: Jan 2022–Dec 2025 · NC statewide average: 233 per 100 MVMT

Download Source Data (PDF)

Overlook Road · 58 crashes · 15 pages
Long Shoals / Overlook Intersection · 56 crashes · 13 pages
Springside Road · 18 crashes · 11 pages
Pinchot Drive · 5 crashes · 8 pages

Official NCDOT Traffic Engineering Accident Analysis System reports. Unmodified.

Recent Progress

August–September 2026 — Overlook Road Is on No Regional List

Two planning documents came out this summer, and the corridor is in neither. The French Broad River MPO’s August 20 regional priority list — the P8 process that determines which projects NCDOT funds — assigns its Buncombe County points to Sweeten Creek Road, Tunnel Road, New Leicester Highway, and Smokey Park Highway. The Long Shoals / Overlook intersection, where 65% of this corridor’s crashes occur, is not on the list or the alternates. The MPO’s own public survey (852 responses) named safety the region’s top transportation priority. The Buncombe County draft Pedestrian Plan names ten core projects, including Sweeten Creek Road and a Long Shoals Road sidepath from Brevard Road to Schenck Parkway — which ends before it reaches the schools. Springside Road, a City street, is not in it. The gap between what the school district and the City have delivered on their own ground and what exists for the state road is now the whole story.

August 2026 — Back to School: Police Presence and Delineators on Pinchot

For the first week of the 2026–27 school year, an Asheville Police officer and marked unit were posted at the Pinchot Drive / Red Fox Circle crosswalk during arrival and dismissal. Vice Mayor Antanette Mosley and Assistant City Manager Jade Dundas arranged it, following through on the commitment they made at the May 6 HOA Safety Committee meeting. The City also installed lane delineators in the no-parking zones around the intersection, turning a sign-only restriction into a physical one. The first week is the moment parents form habits for the year; the question now is whether enforcement continues once the officer is gone.

Summer 2026 — Estes Widens Its Exit onto Overlook Road

Buncombe County Schools widened the Estes Elementary exit onto Overlook Road, the campus rework committed at the April 16 site visit. Vehicles can now clear the lot and turn right more easily. This is on-campus work paid for by the school district. It does not change Overlook Road itself — the left turn out of the school entrances into live traffic, the failing intersections identified in NCDOT’s study, and the turn lane question are all still unresolved on the state side.

April 30, 2026 — Third Corridor Bus Crash on Long Shoals

A rear-end chain collision in a 35 MPH school zone on NC 146 (Long Shoals Road) near Miami Circle involved two school buses with students on board. The chain began when traffic stopped for a third school bus that was loading children on the opposite side of the highway. Asheville Police Department responded and filed crash report #26010012. This is the third bus-involved crash documented in this corridor in just over a year — following the April 23, 2025 crash at Long Shoals/Overlook and the January 30, 2026 crash on Pinchot Drive. Two of the three have now occurred on NCDOT-maintained NC 146.

May 2026 — Crosswalk Delivered, City Engagement Deepens

The City of Asheville installed a high-visibility crosswalk at Pinchot Drive and Red Fox Circle — where the crossing guard helps students cross during arrival and dismissal. The commitment was made and delivered within days. Vice Mayor Antanette Mosley and Assistant City Manager Jade Dundas attended the Biltmore Park HOA Safety Committee meeting on May 6 and committed to investigate spot parking enforcement and discuss parking restrictions on the north side of Pinchot Drive. Observations during afternoon dismissal show the new no-parking signage is being respected on the south side of Pinchot, while compliance is worsening on the north side, and students are still seen crossing the road outside the crosswalk.

April 16, 2026 — Multi-Agency Site Visit at Estes Elementary

NCDOT Division 13, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, the Asheville Police Department, Buncombe County Schools facilities, a school board member, and Principal Pinkerton walked the Estes campus together. BCS committed to reworking the parking lot this summer. NCDOT is going back to their MSTA study team to re-examine recommendations and address gaps in Koontz-to-Estes traffic flow. NCDOT district staff are exploring turn lane funding eligibility. Public comment was delivered at the FBR MPO board meeting the same day.

April 2026 — City Engages on Pinchot

Assistant City Manager Jade Dundas confirmed crosswalk visibility improvements at Pinchot Drive. The high-visibility crosswalk was installed in early May (see card above).

April 2026 — State Funding Gap Identified

During the site visit, NCDOT confirmed that state funding for turn lane improvements is only available if the school is expanding — not for existing safety problems. Under GS 136-18(29a), NCDOT reimburses highway improvements for new or expanding schools. There is no equivalent for existing schools. This is a statewide structural barrier, not just a local problem.

March 26, 2026 — Public Safety Committee Hearing

The committee heard the corridor. City traffic engineer committed to an enhanced crosswalk on Pinchot Drive as early as April. Parking restrictions and flashing crosswalk beacon were declined. APD presented speed studies and framed the issue as a school operations problem. Sheriff Quentin Miller attended and was the strongest voice pushing for urgent action. Multi-agency working group committed to continued meetings with community participation. NCDOT Division 13 MPO review was referenced in public comment. Both the Biltmore Park HOA and Oak Forest HOA submitted formal letters of support.

March 19, 2026 — State Traffic Study Confirms Failing Intersections

An NCDOT Traffic Operations Study completed in October 2025 examined all four schools and the surrounding road network. Key findings: multiple intersections along Overlook Road already received a failing grade for traffic flow — the worst rating possible. Long Shoals Road at Overlook, which carries 38,000 cars a day, is expected to get worse. The study recommends rerouting Estes car rider traffic off Overlook Road — but the recommendation was shelved because of funding.

March 10, 2026 — NCDOT Crash Data Delivered

NCDOT’s official crash database confirms Overlook Road’s crash rate is 3.2 times the statewide average. 58 crashes, 34 injuries, nearly $400,000 in damage — over half during school hours. Full data in “Official Crash Data” above.

March 9, 2026 — Your Emails Are Working

Council is hearing you. Council Member Kim Roney has personally visited the corridor during peak hours and confirmed Council is receiving significant community contact.

Earlier: City Manager’s Office workgroup convened (March 2) · APD enforcement response (Feb 24) · Traffic calming study formally initiated (Feb 2026)

FAQs

What happened on April 30?
A rear-end chain collision occurred on Long Shoals Road in a 35 MPH school zone, involving two school buses with children on board. The chain began when traffic stopped for a third school bus that was loading students. Asheville Police Department responded and filed the crash report (#26010012). This is the third bus-involved crash documented in this corridor in just over a year.

What happened on April 16?
NCDOT, the Sheriff’s Office, APD, Buncombe County Schools, a school board member, and the Estes principal walked the campus together. BCS committed to reworking the parking lot this summer. NCDOT is re-examining its own study recommendations. Public comment was delivered at the FBR MPO board meeting the same day.

What happened over the summer?
Buncombe County Schools widened the Estes exit onto Overlook Road. For the first week of school in August, the City arranged an Asheville Police presence at the Pinchot / Red Fox Circle crosswalk and installed lane delineators in the no-parking zones. On the state and regional side, the French Broad River MPO’s August 20 regional priority list and Buncombe County’s draft Pedestrian Plan were both released without any project on Overlook Road, the Long Shoals / Overlook intersection, or Springside Road.

What happened in May?
The City installed a high-visibility crosswalk at the Pinchot Drive / Red Fox Circle all-way stop — where the crossing guard helps students cross. Vice Mayor Antanette Mosley and Assistant City Manager Jade Dundas attended the Biltmore Park HOA Safety Committee meeting on May 6 and committed to investigate spot parking enforcement and discuss parking restrictions on the north side of Pinchot Drive.

Why are we now emailing state legislators?
During the multi-agency work on this corridor, we discovered a structural gap in state law. Under GS 136-18(29a), NCDOT reimburses traffic safety improvements when a school is new or expanding. But for existing schools with existing problems, there is no state funding pathway. This affects every school in North Carolina with a dangerous corridor — not just ours. State legislators can fix this.

How bad is speeding in the school zones?
In the first days of the 2026–27 school year, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office issued 95 school zone traffic violations over three days (Aug. 24–26) in the TC Roberson district, along Overlook Road and Long Shoals Road. Nearly half were speeding violations. The Sheriff’s Office increased patrols and deployed a speed monitoring board in response. (WLOS News 13)

Has a student ever been hit on this corridor?
Yes. On August 24, 2021, a TC Roberson student was struck by a vehicle in a crosswalk on Overlook Road. The student was hospitalized and later released, and the driver was cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian. (WLOS News 13)

Is this a city, county, or state issue?
All three — which is why it hasn’t been fixed. Pinchot and Springside are City roads. Overlook and Long Shoals are NCDOT. Schools are Buncombe County. And the funding rules are set by the NC General Assembly. Every level of government has a role.

I don’t have kids at these schools. Does this affect me?
Yes — if you live in Biltmore Park or nearby. Cut-through school traffic is now using residential streets to reach I-26, with stop sign violations reported at Woodvine and Pinchot.

Will one email really make a difference?
Yes. State legislators track constituent contacts. And this ask isn’t just about our corridor — it’s about every school in North Carolina with the same structural barrier. Your email helps build the case for a statewide fix.

What’s a realistic timeline?
The Pinchot crosswalk, the Estes exit widening, and the back-to-school enforcement are done. NCDOT was asked in April about its study recommendations and about turn lane funding eligibility under GS 136-18(29a); neither has an answer yet. Anything on Overlook Road or Long Shoals Road that requires construction runs through the MPO prioritization process, which works in multi-year cycles — and the corridor is not in the current one. The state funding gap itself is a legislative fix, with the next regular session in 2027 — a longer timeline, but one that starts with constituent voices reaching Raleigh now.