SCDOT safety improvement project back in front of Charleston leaders Wednesday
CHARLESTON, S.C (WCBD) – Plans to make four Downtown Charleston roads safer for pedestrians and bikers will be back in front of city leaders this week.
On Wednesday, the South Carolina Department of Transportation is scheduled to present their SCDOT Corridor Safety Improvement Project to Charleston’s Traffic and Transportation Committee.
Safety improvements are proposed for portions of King, Calhoun, St. Philip, and Meeting Streets. The corridors were identified by DOT as high crash locations after officials said road safety audits were performed in 2018.
High visibility crosswalks, new pavement markings, and better lighting are among the list of changes. A two-way bike track on St. Philip Street is also on the table. The area was previously identified as a good place for a bike boulevard.
“Through this process, we’re going to go one better. We’re actually going to go beyond a bike boulevard, as long as we can reach an agreement, and put in a dedicated two-way bike lane on St. Philip Street which is the next step up and an improvement over a bike boulevard,” explained Charleston City Councilman Mike Seekings. He also serves as the Traffic and Transportation Committee Chairman.
The two lanes on lower King Street from Calhoun Street would eventually be reduced to one, wider lane under the SCDOT project.
“The idea is to calm traffic, to make it easier to move down that street, it’s a one way from Calhoun Street, for delivery vehicles, for buses, for cars, for bicycles, for pedestrians,” Councilman Seekings said.
One change absent from the current proposal is a one-way bike lane on King Street. The idea was tossed from SCDOT’s original draft after city leaders opposed it. The plan still has the support of the nonprofit, Charleston Moves.
“When you have a downtown street in an urban corr(idor) that is so pedestrian-centric, to put a wide lane, 14-feet wide, with no traffic calming whatsoever, that’s a recipe for disaster,” said Katie Zimmerman, the Executive Director of Charleston Moves.
Community members will have the opportunity to weigh in on the plans since an hour of public comment was added to Wednesday’s meeting.
“We very much would like to see the bike lane. We absolutely think it’s a huge mistake to proceed with a 14-foot lane, but if there is room for compromise, I think that’s a great idea too,” said Zimmerman.
The meeting is set to begin at 3 pm.
