SPEAK UP FOR EQUITABLE MOBILITY!
MOUNT PLEASANT WAY
Rifle Range Trail + Long Point Trail Public Meeting
Tuesday, December 5
5-7 pm drop-in
RL Jones Center (391 Egypt Rd, Mount Pleasant)
The Town of Mount Pleasant is hosting a drop-in meeting this Tuesday (12/5) to share information and gather feedback on their proposed Rifle Range and Long Point Trails as part of Mount Pleasant Way.
The segment of Rifle Range Trail is proposed to be a 10-12′ multiuse path along the west side of Rifle Range Road, from Venning to Bragg. The project website is here, and you can also take the online survey here until January 26, 2024.
Phase I of the Long Point Trail is proposed to be a 10-12′ multiuse path along the Belle Hall Shopping Center side of Long Point Road, from I-526 to Whipple. The project website is here, and the online survey is here until January 26, 2024.
For information about the Town’s proposed trail system, Mount Pleasant Way, visit their project site here. Mount Pleasant Way will provide a safe and connected bike/ped network throughout the Town once completed!
THE CHARLESTON PENINSULA PLAN
The City is planning the guiding vision for the Charleston peninsula for the next 10-20 years. They need the community’s expertise and voice! The online meeting and survey delve quite a bit into mobility, so please make sure you participate before 2024: peninsulaplan.org/
The next round of open houses for the Peninsula Plan will be focused on our connection with the Peninsula’s waterfront. The City poses the questions:
How can we improve our relationship with the Peninsula waterfront? What priorities and values should guide redevelopment along the waterfront?
These open houses will provide updates on the City’s Comprehensive Integrated Water Plan, an overview of their current land use recommendations along the waterfront, and share examples from waterfronts around the world to inspire discussion.
Please drop in during one of the following options at the ILA Local 1422 (1442 Morrison Dr, Charleston):
Monday, December 11
4-7 pm
Wednesday, December 13
9 am – noon
Light snacks will be provided and this is a family-friendly event!
CHARLESTON COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
Help Charleston County’s Resilience and Sustainability team develop a Climate Action Plan by taking their questionnaire BY 12/15: https://docs.google.com/forms/
Transportation emissions are a major source of greenhouse gases in our region, so it is vital to make transportation choice and safe streets part of addressing climate change.
Learn more about the County’s plan development process: https://charlestoncounty.org/
Also, you can register for their January 18 webinar now!
Acting on Climate Together: Solutions for Charleston County
6 pm via Zoom
https://charlestoncounty-org.
After incorporating community feedback, the County will present recommendations on how they plan to meet emissions reduction goals. Get the first look at their comprehensive, data-driven plan for reducing emissions. Offer real-time feedback and questions. Learn from experts and community members on climate action, sustainability, and policy implementation.
DORCHESTER COUNTY COMPLETE STREETS POLICY DEVELOPMENT
The County hosted two public workshops, and now has an online survey that’s open through December 17: https://live.metroquestsurvey.com/?u=pv4j4f#!/
To learn more about the policy’s purpose, check out their project page: https://www.
NORTH CHARLESTON NEEDS SAFE TRANSPORTATION ACCESS
» Petition: actionnetwork.org/petitions/north-charleston-needs-safe-transportation-access
South Carolina is one of the most dangerous states in the nation for vulnerable road users, with Charleston County leading the state in rates of injuries and fatalities to people on bicycles and on foot. In 2021, the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), the agency that controls the majority of our roadways and bridges, passed a Complete Streets Engineering Directive, emphasizing that local formalized bike/ped plans would be needed for the state to install the appropriate infrastructure. For the City of North Charleston to have the best opportunities to work with SCDOT and achieve safe transportation access for its citizens, there needs to be a municipal Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan to guide priorities and facilitate implementation.
WHERE DO YOU WANT TO WALK + BIKE IN NORTH CHARLESTON?
» Survey: charlestonmoves.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/where-do-you-want-to-walk-bike-in-north-charleston
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!
HIGHWAY 41
» Army Corps must accept comments until they make a decision
The Highway 41 Corridor Improvements project has been in the works for years. After a lengthy process to develop and narrow down Charleston County’s alternatives to a preferred selection, debate continued due to the massively disproportionate impacts that would have been piled on Phillips, one of few historic settlement communities that remain. After tremendous public input, a Compromise Alternative was put forth and approved unanimously by County Council in August 2021. Charleston County is now seeking a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers and SCDHEC-OCRM.
The Compromise includes “a multi-use path connecting 17 to the new path built by Berkeley County’s Clements Ferry project.” However, in the permit application’s 30% drawings, there are some gaps in the path. Furthermore, several mid-block crossings along 41 through Philips are not in the drawings, the 41/Joe Rouse intersection is subpar for safe pedestrian crossing, and it is unclear how people on bikes will navigate the Winnowing Way/41 connection.
While the Compromise Alternative spreads the impacts more fairly among the adjacent communities than previous proposals, it is still a roadway widening. As we’ve said throughout the development of this project (and others throughout the county), we cannot rely on extra lanes of traffic to solve congestion problems. It never does, and it never will. Instead, the throughline improvement should be comfortable and connected multi-modal infrastructure. The silver lining here is that the design creates more of a grid to split traffic and modes, assuming aforementioned elements are addressed.
Though the formal comment period has passed, you may speak up to iterate your support for continual multi-use paths throughout the project, in addition to upgraded intersections that are people-oriented, and additional mid-block crossings through Phillips. Submit your comments using the following instructions until the Corps makes a formal decision:
According to the permit application: “Please submit comments in writing, identifying the project of interest by public notice/file number (SAC-2018-00205), to Jeremy.M.Kinney@usace.army.
CROSS THE CUT
» Petition: actionnetwork.org/petitions/safe-bikeped-access-across-the-wappoo-cut
The Wappoo Cut Bridge is located along Folly Road between West Ashley and James Island. While it has sidewalks leading to it, and a maintenance path across, the space is too far narrow and close to fast-moving vehicles. This is a key corridor that links destinations with existing infrastructure and pending projects, including: the West Ashley Greenway, Maryville Bikeway, new Ashley River Bicycle & Pedestrian Bridge, McLeod Plantation, Rethink Folly Road improvements, Maybank Highway complete streets work, James Island County Park, and more. Despite progress and opportunities on both sides, this bridge remains a barrier. We need a critical mass of support to make this crossing safe and comfortable for people to walk, bicycle, travel in wheelchairs, and with canes.
LOG YOUR CLOSE CALLS
» Click HERE
Please report your close calls with motorists while walking and/or biking through our community. These reports and your narratives are extremely helpful advocacy tools when we’re working with stakeholders on improvements. Help us advocate for your safety!
REQUEST MAINTENANCE
» Who + How: charlestonmoves.org/who-maintains-that-path
Have you noticed bike/ped infrastructure that needs maintenance? Reference the above resource to find out who is responsible, and how to report it.