AVL Shares Space 2021 Survey
AVL Shares Space 2021 Survey
Introduction
In the spring of 2020, the City of Asheville launched several temporary initiatives to support safe business operations and customer access to goods and services during COVID-19. These “AVL Shares Space” initiatives enabled businesses and organizations to quickly expand outdoors, generally into adjacent public spaces and parking lots, with the primary goal of supporting the local economy while facilitating alignment with public health guidance. To date, over 100 businesses have been authorized to expand outdoors. More information, including other guiding principles and goals of the program can be found here.
The City would like to collect public feedback on the successes and impacts of each initiative in order to assess possibilities for longer-term programs.
Please let us know how you’ve interacted with any or all of these initiatives, and provide feedback on your experience.
Description of each initiative:
1) "Shared Streets" / Pedestrian-Priority Zones - Designation along an entire corridor to create a pedestrian priority environment, while allowing businesses and organizations to utilize on-street parking spaces for outdoor seating, merchandise or pedestrian queuing. *This initially included Banks Avenue, Buxton Avenue, Wall Street as well as portions of Collier Ave, S. Market Street, Eagle Street, and College Street. Most areas transitioned in late 2020 to the temporary parklet program; Wall Street continues to function as a Shared Street/Pedestrian-Priority Zone.
2) Temporary parklets - use of 1-3 on-street public parking spaces (on City-managed streets) for outdoor seating, merchandise or customer queuing. This includes built structures or “at-grade” use of the street. (Most of these are located downtown.)
3) Expanded use of Private Lots - use of private parking lots and landscape areas adjacent to businesses. (Most of these are along commercial corridors such as Haywood Road, Merrimon Avenue, etc.)
4) Expanded use of sidewalks - expedited processing for use of public sidewalk areas adjacent to businesses/storefronts for merchandise or outdoor dining. *Similar standards were to the City’s existing dining program were followed (i.e. 6 ft. clear space maintained on the sidewalk).
5) 10-minute Curbside Pick-Up Zones - designated zones to encourage quick-turnover and easy access for customers to pick-up food or other goods. These are located downtown and along Haywood Road in West Asheville.
Please provide your feedback on each initiative that you have interacted with. Select “N/A” for any that you did not utilize or are not familiar with, and skip to the next.
Initiatives 1 & 2: Please answer the following questions based on your experience with Shared Streets and/or Temporary Parklets
(or skip to the next initiative)
Initiative 3: Please answer the following questions based on your experience with Expanded Outdoor Use of Private Lots
(or skip to the next initiative)
Initiative 4: Please answer the following questions based on your experience with Expanded Use of Sidewalks
You may also provide feedback on regular (pre-COVID) use of sidewalks for outdoor dining and merchandise as applicable.
(or skip to the next initiative)