Woodfin council approves bike safety zones after deadly NC-251 crash
Woodfin backed bike safety zones nearly a year after two Asheville cyclists were killed on NC-251, but the real test is whether funding and enforcement follow.
Nearly a year after a dump truck killed two Asheville cyclists on NC-251, Woodfin’s Town Council unanimously approved a resolution backing bike safety zones, a move that could lead to changes on roads riders use across the French Broad corridor.
The vote on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, came after the July 1, 2025 crash on NC-251, also known as Riverside Drive, in Madison County. Three bicyclists were traveling west at about 6:42 p.m. when a dump truck struck them. Jacob Hill, 32, and Leonard Antonelli, 27, both of Asheville, died at the scene. A third cyclist was hospitalized with minor injuries.
The resolution is a meaningful political signal, but it is not the same thing as immediate pavement work or enforceable safety design. The question now is whether local governments and transportation agencies turn that backing into lower speeds, traffic calming, clearer warnings and intersection changes where riders and drivers actually meet.
After the crash, Asheville on Bikes and other cycling supporters pushed for reduced speed limits, better signage and policy changes along the corridor. In November 2025, Asheville on Bikes said it was working with NCDOT Division 13 on short-term safety measures for NC Scenic Byway 251, and state transportation crews had added caution signs noting high bicycle activity. The group also called for traffic calming at 11 key intersections.
Momentum around the road also reached the French Broad Metropolitan Planning Organization. In October 2025, Maddie Bornadeau, Antonelli’s fiancée, asked the board to dedicate local funds to NC-251/Riverside Drive and make the road safer for cyclists. That funding question remains central, because a council resolution alone does not pay for engineering fixes, signage upgrades or speed enforcement.
The stakes are especially high in Asheville and surrounding Buncombe County. Based on state transportation data reported for the 2015 to 2024 period, Asheville ranked first in North Carolina per capita in fatal bicyclist crashes. That record has put pressure on local leaders to move beyond sympathy and toward changes riders can feel the next time they enter the corridor.
Woodfin’s action now joins a broader policy response that has grown out of grief, public pressure and repeated calls for safer streets. The test will be whether the resolution produces visible changes on NC-251 before the next rider rolls through.
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