Residents continue to fight Matthews 'super street' despite confusion

MATTHEWS, N.C. — Bumper stickers, signs and flyers are posted all over Matthews in protest against a project that has been dubbed "the super street."

Residents are fighting a plan to widen John Street in downtown Matthews and thought the city was on their side.

It turns out there was a miscommunication between the residents and the city officials.

City officials are hoping to widen 6 1/2 miles of John Street from downtown Matthews to Indian Trail.

They also want to add what's known as a super street intersection, a specific intersection design that’s supposed to be safer for pedestrians.

A website, called 'Help Mayor Jim Taylor Stop the Super Street' is where the confusion between residents and city officials began.

Neighbors fighting the widening started an online petition against the project saying stop the super street and indicating that the mayor was on board.

They said they didn't know the widening project is not part of the super street. It only refers to the intersection.

“We realize that there was a miscommunication between the town and our group,” Preserve Matthews volunteer Renee Garner said. “The road widening is more than just a super street. It needs to reflect the scale of the town.”

Channel 9 reporter John Paul pointed out that the city was for the widening project, just not the intersection, prompting the group to change their name.

Their signs were changed to “Preserve Matthews.”

“It is basically a big road, at the end of the day. So we're going to call it a big road. We don't want a big road,” Preserve Matthews’ Jim Johnson said.

Johnson own Mojos Cycles in downtown Matthews.

He is against the entire project and said he thinks the city is trying to have it both ways.

“Now it almost works to their advantage, because they can say, now we won't do a super street and everyone wins,” he said.

City officials said widening has always been the plan, and that it has been in the works for 15 years.

On Thursday, there were already workers on the street, marking utilities to prepare for the project.

"There may have been confusion on some part, but our message has been clear from the very beginning,” Matthews commissioner Chris Melton said. “We are not against widening of east John Street. We are against using the super street concept or solution.”

NCDOT statement:

The department is continuing to work with the town of Matthews’ leaders, staff and the community regarding the proposed widening

The project is not set to start for about five years.

Cox Media Group