CURRENT ACTIONS BELOW

City of Charleston 2027 Budget Hearing

Charlestonians Demand Safe Streets
Tuesday, October 27
5 pm
City Hall (80 Broad St, 29401)
Agenda here (item E. Public Hearings, 1. input from the public on the proposed 2027 City Budget)

For everyone who has supported a budget request for the City of Charleston to invest $1M in pedestrian safety projects, on an annual and recurring basis, now is the time to speak up! This Tuesday, City Council will hold a public hearing on the proposed 2027 City Budget. 

While Mayor Cogswell and City Council already voted to approve a $1M allocation for 2027 as a match for their federal Safe Streets for All grant application, we need to make sure they intend to keep that $1M allocated for pedestrian safety regardless of whether the grant is awarded. 

If the City starts budgeting for pedestrian improvements, that line item can be used for small, in-house intersection upgrades, or as matches to leverage for larger federal or state grants, or alongside county gas tax and sales tax allocations. Since the City already has a Safety Action Plan, they can work from a prioritized list of recommended improvements, bolstered by a line item in the budget. 

Here’s how to speak at the hearing next week, or submit comments in advance: 

To attend and speak in-person: 

• either sign up here by 10/26 at noon or at City Hall on 10/27 by 5 pm

To speak virtually/by phone during the meeting: 

• sign up here by 10/26 at noon

To submit comments for the record: 

• do so here by 10/26 at noon

When using the City’s online system to sign up to speak or submit comments: 

• select “CITY COUNCIL: Oct 27 2026” from the dropdown menu
• select either “submit comment” or “sign up to speak” 
• if submitting a comment, fill out the form below the selection
• if signing up to speak, make sure to complete the following in the form: 
  • Speak during Public Hearing
  • Agenda item E.1
  • Agenda item description is 2027 City Budget
  • Enter your Zoom profile name if speaking virtually
  • Enter your phone number is speaking via telephone
  • Make sure to enter your name and address (City of Charleston residents get priority)

Transportation Sales Tax: Statewide General Election

Early Voting
Monday, October 19 – Saturday, October 31 (CLOSED SUNDAY)
8:30 am – 6 pm
Locations listed below

The Transportation Sales Tax referendum questions will officially appear on Charleston County ballots for the November 2026 election. Those questions include much of the transparency and specificity for which Charleston Moves has advocated over the past year, as well as complete streets language, a countywide bike/ped plan proposal, and Better North Bridge as a featured project. 

Early Voting Information for the Statewide General Election taking place in Charleston County: October 19, 2026 – October 31, 2026 (CLOSED Sunday, October 25), 8:30 am – 6 pm.

• County Voter Registration and Elections Office (4340 Corporate Rd, 29405)
• James Island Baxter-Patrick Library (1858 S. Grimball Rd, 29412)
• Morris Brown AME Church (13 Morris St, 29403)
• Greater Macedonia AME Church (725 Savage Rd, 29414)
• Seacoast Church (750 Long Point Rd, 29464)
• St. John’s Episcopal Church (3673 Maybank Hwy, 29455)
• St. Paul’s Hollywood Library (5130 Highway 165, 29449)

Rifle Range Trail (Ben Sawyer Boulevard to Bragg Drive)

Public Meeting
Thursday, October 29
5:30-7:30 pm
Mount Pleasant Waterworks (1619 Rifle Range Road, 29464)

The Town of Mount Pleasant is hosting a drop-in style public meeting on October 29 to share information on their proposed 10′ multi-use path along Rifle Range Road, between Ben Sawyer Boulevard and Bragg Drive. The intent is to replace the existing sidewalk with this path, which is a critical piece of the Mount Pleasant Way initiative.

According to the Town’s project page: “The project aims to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists by providing a 10-foot-wide facility where feasible while avoiding impacts to trees using innovative construction practices to lower impacts. Sections of this project were awarded funding for recreational easements from the Charleston County Greenbelt Program in April 2024 and April 2025.”

We encourage you to stop in to learn more and share your opinions!

Peninsula Plan

Weekly Drop-Ins
Thursdays through October
3-6 pm
Civic Design Center (85 Calhoun St, 29401)

The Peninsula Plan is the City of Charleston’s “community-driven master planning effort to guide the growth and evolution of the Charleston Peninsula — from the Battery to the Neck — for the coming decades.” Listening sessions occurred in 2023-2024, and now with this second phase of public input, the City is looking to build “consensus and adoption.”

Active and public transportation (aka bike/ped/transit) plays a significant role in each of the identified “alignment projects” (i.e. the Ashley River Bike/Ped Bridge, Lowline, Union Pier, Project 3500, LCRT and more), so we strongly encourage you to drop by on a Thursday afternoon between July 9 and October 29 to learn more and share your thoughts. The Plan’s Guiding Principle 01 targets a “Resilient & Connected Public Realm: Invest in infrastructure improvements that enhance our resilience, connect communities to water and vibrant public spaces, and provide transportation choice through a balanced mobility network.”

Safe, connected and equitable transportation is the cornerstone of a vibrant Charleston peninsula. You can find out more about the plan at PeninsulaPlan.org.

Mark your calendars for the City’s public forum, where staff will present a work in progress and request feedback: 

Thursday, November 19
6-7:30 pm
Burke High School Auditorium (244 President St, 29403)

Rivers/Durant Railroad Crossing

» Online meeting, available October 12-November 11: riversdurantpel.com

The City of North Charleston and BCDCOG are coordinating with the Federal Railroad Administration and SCDOT to conduct the Durant Avenue Railroad Crossing Elimination Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study. This Study will examine alternatives to the existing at-grade railroad crossing at Rivers Avenue near Durant Avenue. The online meeting is your opportunity to help shape the project. 

Project goals include, but are not limited to, better multi-modal connections and safer pedestrian access. 

From the project website: “Trains crossing Rivers Avenue near Durant Avenue regularly cause traffic delays, limit emergency access, block bicyclists and pedestrians, and create safety system concerns. These challenges will likely grow as rail traffic increases and the future Lowcountry BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) route begins operating in the corridor. The study will evaluate improvements at the existing railroad crossing and nearby transportation facilities, including Hock Avenue and the Seven-Mile Viaduct. The study area extends along Rivers Avenue from approximately Piggly Wiggly Drive to Columbia Avenue. The PEL process brings planning, environmental review, technical analysis, and community input together early. This work can carry forward into the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, process, reducing duplication and helping a preferred solution move toward implementation faster.”

Charleston “State of the City” Events

James Island: Thursday, November 5
6:30 pm 
James Island Elementary School (1872 S Grimball Rd, 29412)

Downtown: Thursday, November 12
5:30 pm
Burke High School (244 President St, 29403)

Meet Mayor Cogswell, City Councilmembers, and local leaders in person to hear about the projects, progress, and plans shaping your streets and community. Ask questions, share your thoughts, and learn what’s happening where you live. Residents can submit questions online ahead of the events, as well as RSVP, here. 

Materials from the September 15 West Ashley event can be found here. Recordings from the October 6 Johns Island event and October 20 Daniel Island event can be found here.

Charlestonians Demand Safe Streets

» Sign the petition here

On March 26, 2026, a beloved member of our community, Annelise Simmons, was struck and killed by a motorist while walking in a crosswalk at the intersection of King Street and Broad Street in downtown Charleston. The driver was charged with failure to yield.

Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Annelise, as her loss has reverberated across our community. One fatality is too many.

In 2018, SCDOT initiated a downtown safety improvement effort based on corridor analyses of King Street and Meeting Street below Line Street, Calhoun Street, and St. Philip Street. Charleston Moves participated in these audits, proposing safety improvements for vulnerable road users. After years of disagreement between the state and locals, construction (sans King Street below Calhoun Street) is expected to begin this summer, with anticipated completion by fall 2027. You can learn more here.

It is unacceptable that proven safety measures, federally-funded and SCDOT-proposed, continue to be questioned, delayed, and sometimes blocked. This is happening not just on the peninsula, but across the region.

Our community cannot continue to endure these losses. It’s time for the City of Charleston to invest in pedestrian safety improvements to protect its people for a safer, thriving community. If you agree, please sign this petition, started by the citizen-led coalition Charlestonians Demand Safe Streets.

And take a look at the City’s Safety Action Plan as a resource for project prioritization, crash data, economic impacts, and solutions to our transportation safety crisis in the City of Charleston.

Two Surveys: Mount Pleasant Safety Improvements

The Town of Mount Pleasant has a survey (here) to collect public input on their Safe Streets and Roads for All “Tier 1” projects that are federally-funded (to the tune of $15,790,000 — thanks to the Town’s diligence!) and moving forward. We strongly encourage you to weigh in on the project list and share your mobility/safe street priorities. These improvements tie into the Town’s outstanding Mount Pleasant Way initiative.

The Town also just opened a second survey (here) for their Safety Action Plan update. You can identify locations that are still of concern to you, as well as your latest safety concerns. 

Sam Rittenberg Redesign Plan

» Sign our petition here

If you were unable to attend the City of Charleston’s public information meeting in December 2025, you can review the conceptual designs and analysis report here, and provide comments via the project’s interactive map here. The concept uses existing right-of-way to create a more functional, welcoming and comfortable street through the use of landscaped medians, updated signalization, wide paths for walking and bicycling, and improved lighting.

The City’s next steps are to complete 30% of the design for two phases, from Charles Towne Drive to Ashley Hall Road, and Ashley Hall Road to Ashley River Road. At that point, the project will be a solid candidate for grants. We at Charleston Moves want to encourage continued forward momentum, so we have started a petition. Please add your name! We hope the City will be able to use this to demonstrate widespread support in their grant applications.

Highway 61 Safety Improvements

» Sign our petition

Following Road Safety Audits conducted by SCDOT in February and March of 2023, in partnership with stakeholders including Charleston Moves, the agency presented findings and recommendations for the public’s review and input. While the comment period has closed, our petition in support of separated bike lanes and an improved crossing at the intersection of 61 and the Maryville Bikeway is still open.

We submitted signatures received so far along with our comment letter to SCDOT. We will resubmit the signatures (as well as new ones) to the agency once SCDOT revises their concepts and brings them back for further review.

North Charleston Needs Safe Transportation Access

» Sign our petition

Where Do You Want To Walk + Bike In North Charleston?

» Take our survey

We want to know where you currently walk and bike in North Charleston, and where you want to see improvements made to enable more and safer multi-modal trips. Thanks in advance for your input!

Cross the Cut

» Sign our petition