City of Charleston Safety Action Plan

THE LATEST

In December 2025, the City of Charleston’s Traffic & Transportation Committee of Council recommended approval of the citywide Safety Action Plan, and the City was selected for SS4A demonstration grant funding for the installation and data collection of curb extensions on the peninsula.

DESCRIPTION

Through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), USDOT has set up a discretionary grant program called Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) for municipalities and planning organizations. There are planning/demonstration grants (including to develop a comprehensive Safety Action Plan) and implementation grants (in order to qualify for implementation grants, an applicant must have a comprehensive Safety Action Plan in place). 

The City of Charleston applied for a SS4A planning grant, and was selected for federal funding in September 2023. The Plan was finalized in December 2025. In the meantime, the City of Charleston successfully applied for SS4A demonstration grant funding for the installation and data collection of curb extensions on the peninsula. The City’s project page is HERE.

HISTORY

South Carolina, and the Charleston-North Charleston metro area in particular, consistently ranks as one of the most dangerous places in the nation for people on bicycles, foot, and in motor vehicles, based on crash rates. The most vulnerable travelers among us are those who are bicycling or walking, with and without assistive devices. And in South Carolina, Black and senior communities experience a disproportionate impact.

Over the past few years, the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) has created a Complete Streets Departmental Directive and a statewide Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Action Plan. Charleston Moves participated in the development of both documents. SCDOT has been conducting Road Safety Audits along corridors throughout the state with the highest crash rates, and has proposed safety improvements to address some of the collision hotspots. In Charleston, those include King Street, Meeting Street, St. Philip Street, Calhoun Street, the Septima P. Clark Parkway, Ashley River Road, Savannah Highway, and Folly Road. 

Through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), USDOT has set up a discretionary grant program called Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) for municipalities and planning organizations. There are planning/demonstration grants (including to develop a comprehensive Safety Action Plan) and implementation grants (in order to qualify for implementation grants, an applicant must have a comprehensive Safety Action Plan in place). 

Charleston Moves participated on the City of Charleston’s technical advisory committee for the creation of its Safety Action Plan, and provided relevant reports from our Close Calls Database.