Battle Over Barrier in East CLT Neighborhood

CHARLOTTE, NC — A struggle of a street in East Charlotte has neighbors at odds and worried about the safety of their children.

Right now, there is a barrier at Dion Ave. that keeps cut-through drivers out, but the Charlotte Department of Transportation is considering removing it.

It’s in a neighborhood near the Highway 74. construction.

One side is unwilling to give up the road block to open up Dion Ave. to Hwy 74 traffic.

“No!” said Haley Moran. “That was really the first thing I felt was this would be an unsafe decision.”

“Absolutely not,” said Ernestine Roach. “We have nothing but children on this block.”

Another side is petitioning to get rid of it.

“I feel like this is a much safer alternative,” said Elizabeth Hairgrove.

Hairgrove started the petition to get the CDOT to take the barrier down.

She wants a straight shot to Idlewild Rd. to avoid Hwy 74.

“It’s dangerous when we’re going to have closed off points, and the only place is for us to jump on speeding traffic,” said Hairgrove.

WCCB Charlotte counted at least 90 homeowners affected.
CDOT says if 60 percent sign the petition by May 31, the barrier will likely go.

“That’s super scary, it really is, to me,” said Moran.

“We think it would totally disrupt our lives and make it much more dangerous for us and our children over here,” said Roach.

She says it would mean more traffic when earlier this month, a driver blew past a school bus stop sign and hit two little boys crossing Dion Ave. to get on the bus. The brothers survived.

To read that report, click here.

“It was down there for 30 years, and to disrupt it at this time is ridiculous!” said Roach.

“The DOT should be wise enough to know that this is a safety concern,” said Moran.

Moran started her own petition to keep the barrier. People are signing.

I am very determined,” said Moran.

Some residents were concerned that construction would close entrances to this neighborhood, leaving no choice but to remove the barrier.
NCDOT says there will be bridge construction in 2020 near Sharon Forest Rd. that will redirect traffic, but it would never close all of the entrances at the same time.