RADTIP GRAND OPENING IN THE RIVER ARTS DISTRICT

Wilma Dykeman Greenway skaters and bicyclists — Skaters and bicyclists enjoy an afternoon on on the Wilma Dykeman Greenway, where they are often joined by families with children and dogs.

Construction work for The River Arts District Transportation Improvement Project (RADTIP) has been substantially completed! We took some time to celebrate as a community by hosting a COVID-safe month of Grand Opening celebrations. This included the official dedication walk of the first section of the Wilma Dykeman Greenway on Earth Day, April 22, and other fun stuff like the Micro Free Art Galleries sponsored by River Arts District Artists, where visitors could find – and take home – a free piece of art from a RADA artist at 4 micro galleries along the greenway; and the Asheville on Bikes Youth Bike Skills Pop-Up Park that showed up every Thursday in the grassy area across from 8 River Arts Place.

You can view the video recording of the Online Get-Together to celebrate the Grand Opening of the new facilities in the River Arts District here.

The recording includes an amazing house band, remarks from our Mayor Esther Manheimer, live poetry, remarks from the community, thanks to the funders, an interview with Charles Small, the Assistant U.S. Transportation Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs and more.

What is the RADTIP?

The RADTIP was a major design and construction project to re-build the transportation network along the east side of the French Broad River in the River Arts District. It is the centerpiece of a larger, decade-long effort with community to renovate the greater River Arts District so that it supports its businesses, residents, artists, and the larger Asheville community’s vision as adopted in the Wilma Dykeman RiverWay Master Plan. We used the transportation project as a springboard to reconfigure unsafe road intersections for better traffic flow, create a multi-use path along the river, build a new stormwater management network including 2 constructed wetlands for stormwater management, upgrade the area’s power transmission network, provide wide sidewalks for pedestrians, add bike lanes including the City’s first protected bike lane (Lyman Street section), add almost 200 new public parking spaces, provide about 9 acres of new parkland and several new pieces of public art. Funding partners include the US DOT, Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, the NCDOT, NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund, NC Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, and the City of Asheville.

For construction related questions about the RADTIP contact Dustin Clemens.

For questions about the history of the City’s riverfront investments contact

Stephanie Dahl, Strategic Design and Development Manager, Planning and Urban Design

News - Riverfront Redevelopment