Residents can help shape transportation priorities

Henderson County residents have until November 18 to comment on a draft ranking of local transportation projects that could compete for future state funding.

The French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization, which covers Henderson, Buncombe, Haywood and Madison counties, is assigning local input points used in North Carolina's transportation funding process.

The points are combined with state project scores and may affect how competitive proposals are for construction dollars.

Projects proposed in Henderson County

The preliminary priority list includes downtown Hendersonville sidewalk and signal upgrades on Church and King streets, estimated at $1.57 million.

It also includes a proposed $12 million extension of the Ecusta Trail from the current terminus near Horse Shoe to the Estatoe Trail in Brevard.

The $4.24 million Above the Mud Greenway proposal would connect the Ecusta Trail from South Main Street with the Oklawaha Greenway at Jackson Park.

Other projects include a possible roundabout and intersection work at Sugarloaf Road and Howard Gap Road, with an estimated cost of $13 million.

The list also features safety improvements on Berkeley Road, Signal Hill Road and Thompson Street, estimated at $31.7 million, and a $75 million Fanning Bridge Road Complete Streets project near Fletcher.

These figures are projected costs, not approved construction budgets.

How to provide feedback

The MPO is accepting comments through Wednesday, November 18.

Residents can send comments by email to MPO@landofsky.org or participate at the MPO's November 19 meeting, scheduled for 1 p.m.

The board is expected to finalize its local input point assignments at that meeting.

Anyone interested in walking routes, cycling connections, traffic safety or roadway access can review the draft list and explain which investments would be most useful.

What happens next

Local input points do not automatically award funding or establish construction start dates; they help projects compete in a broader NCDOT prioritization process.

For Western North Carolina communities facing growth and storm-recovery needs, public feedback provides an opportunity to document transportation gaps before final decisions are made.