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I-26 Citizens' Coalition
Community Members Fighting in Opposition to the I-26 Overpass Over Patton Ave.
Our Approach
We are committed to being solution-oriented and finding ways to both meet project goals and enhance the built environment for the public.
To be clear, we support the I-26 Connector and the enhancements to traffic flow and vehicular safety it will bring. The current configuration across Patton Ave needs to be addressed. We are not ignorant to concerns of rising costs, below are a few ideas we are contemplating to present to NCDOT. But first, let's examine two key economic principles.
Opportunity costs, also known as alternative costs, are the potential benefits that are foregone if a decision is made in favor of a particular option and other alternatives are therefore excluded. They represent the value of the next best alternative that is not chosen.
Negative externalities occur when the product and/or consumption of a good or service exerts a negative effect on a third party independent of the transaction.
Both of these principles apply when considering alternative designs of the over/under pass. The opportunity cost is how the land could otherwise be used! Instead of supporting concrete piers in a desirable area near the river between WAVL and downtown, we could instead provide housing (which our town desperately needs) and mixed-use development that generate tax revenue for the City of Asheville. The negative externalities include reduced tourism dollars, lower property values, and increased health costs with a flyover design that harms those living near I-26 and Asheville at large.
Proposals + Ideation
Lifecycle cost analysis (LCA) can demonstrate that the long-term cost benefit of an underpass highway outweighs the initial construction savings of a flyover design.
Federal grants could subsidize the additional costs of the preferred design 4B, if state officials are willing to submit applications for FY 2026. The LCA could be used to support a grant application with robust analysis.
Innovation and collaboration will merit the success of project outcomes. Completing and project for the sake of "getting it done" and ignoring stakeholder input will result in failure. Project value is derived from user interactions with the deliverables- it's more than just meeting scope, schedule, and budget.
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