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I’m writing today on behalf of the 15th Street Coalition—a diverse group of residents, business owners and property owners who either live, work or travel this corridor regularly. Our goal is not to halt progress. Quite the opposite—we believe in improving 15th Street. We believe in making it safer, more accessible and better aligned with the future of Washington.

The downtown revitalization took shape through years of thoughtful planning, public engagement, and visionary leadership—it was not by accident. To allow the 15th Street widening to move forward as currently proposed would be a disservice to that same spirit of community-driven design. We believe 15th Street deserves the same care, intention and collaboration that brought our downtown back to life.

That’s what gives us hope now, but the current plan on the table does not achieve that.

Instead of a safer, slower, people-centered street, the current NCDOT design widens 15th Street into a four-lane divided highway with a 17.5’ concrete median—prioritizing speed and traffic volume over safety, walkability and the character of our neighborhoods. It eliminates left-hand turns into homes, businesses and adjacent neighborhoods, paving over property, and reducing the corridor to a pass-through rather than a destination.

This is not how Washington grows.

When 15th Street was first flagged for safety improvements in 2000, the proposal was modest—just a center turn lane to reduce collisions. But when the funding structure changed in 2014, so did the project’s identity. What began as a safety initiative morphed into a major expansion—not because the community asked for it, but because of how the money was allocated.

And when residents first saw NCDOT’s early design in 2016, they rejected it. The Washington City Council did too—twice. In response, the city invested $75,000 in hiring Stantec, an internationally respected engineering and design firm, to create an alternative rooted in the values of our town. Over 600 residents participated in the planning process, including emergency responders, hospital staff, and business owners.

The result was a design rooted in safety, accessibility and local character. It included sidewalks, crosswalks, a multi-use path, and traffic calming measures to reduce speeds while maintaining functionality. It maintained the current right of way – protecting trees and shade, incorporated pedestrian infrastructure, and preserved left-turn access where safe to do so. It worked with our community—not against it.

But that design never got its fair shot.

Despite City Council adopting the Stantec plan in 2021, it was halted by the Mid-East Rural Planning Organization (RPO) and in 2022 NCDOT wrote the design “would function very poorly,” without conducting a feasibility or Express Design Study. Since then, the original widening plan has returned—with a few updated features, but the same fundamental flaw: it still prioritizes speed over safety. It still treats 15th Street like a highway, not a hometown street.

If we if we care about the daily experience of residents who rely on this corridor — if we care about the kind of first impression we make on visitors — we must do better. We must ensure that 15th Street welcomes people into Washington the same way downtown does: with charm, intention and thoughtful design.

Here’s what we risk losing if we don’t:

• Nearly 50 homes and businesses could be impacted by right-of-way acquisition.
• Local businesses will lose customers due to blocked or eliminated left-hand turns.
• Pedestrians and cyclists will remain unsafe as they attempt to cross a 4-lane divided highway with cars likely moving upwards of 45MPH.

And let’s address the question we hear most often: “Isn’t it too late to change anything?”

The answer is no.

NCDOT, the City of Washington, and the RPO all still have the power to formally request a rescoping of the project. It has been done elsewhere in North Carolina—and recently. In Asheville, after widespread public pushback to a proposed widening of Merrimon Avenue, NCDOT partnered with the city to study alternatives. The result was a road diet: a redesign that reduced lanes, added safety features and aligned with the community’s vision.

The outcome? After implementation in 2022, Asheville saw:

• A modest increase in travel time of just 2 to 14 seconds during rush hour.
• A decrease in speeds by 3 to 5 mph—ideal for reducing fatalities.
• A 23% drop in crashes.

That is what happens when a community stands together and demands something better.

For those unfamiliar, a “road diet” is not a traffic jam waiting to happen. It’s a proven, federally-endorsed design approach where a four-lane road becomes a three-lane road with a center turn lane, plus added pedestrian and bike infrastructure. According to the Federal Highway Administration, road diets function efficiently for roads with up to 25,000 daily trips. On 15th Street, the highest traffic count today is 19,500, with future projections still under that national threshold.

Road diets aren’t radical. They’re responsible.

They make space for people, not just cars. They support businesses by making them more accessible. They save lives.

And yet, what’s on the table right now is a super street—a design that increases traffic speeds by up to 10 MPH, eliminates direct access for homes and shops, and drastically alters the character of this vital corridor. This is not safety. This is speed at all costs.

We don’t believe that’s what our community desires.

So today, we’re asking our local leaders—Mayor Sadler and the Washington City Council—to stand with us. To fight for us. To use their voice, not just to manage the project but to shape it. The same way past leaders shaped downtown into the beautiful, beloved place it is today.

We would like you to be remembered as the leaders who preserved Washington’s potential—not the ones who paved over it. As those who didn’t rubber-stamp a project you don’t believe in, but as those who fought for something better.

And to our neighbors, our friends, our fellow residents: we need your help. If you believe 15th Street deserves better, now is the time to act.

We won’t settle for second-best. We won’t be the town that didn’t fight. We will be the community that rose up, together, and demanded a future that matched our values.

Let’s finish what we started—by making sure 15th Street becomes the kind of gateway Washington deserves.

If you agree, please sign the petition at www.15thstreetcoalition.com.

Ellen Brabo is the Coordinator of the 15^th Street Coalition. A diverse group of local residents, business owners and property owners who oppose the widening of 15^th Street.