West Ashley Projects

Highway 61 (compiled by SCDOT)
Savannah Highway Bicycle & Pedestrian Counts (coming soon)
Savannah Highway (Wappoo to Hughes)

THE LATEST

In September 2024:

  • the City of Charleston unanimously approved the development agreement for the Ashley Landing/Sumar Street site. Charleston Moves looks forward to working with EDENS to ensure bike/ped/transit connectivity throughout the site, as well as to and from. Charleston County and the City of Charleston are still coordinating on improvements to Old Towne Road and Sam Rittenberg Boulevard, which will include a multi-use path from Charles Towne Landing to Orange Grove Road, enhanced pedestrian crossings, and additional signalization at Amberly. These improvements will connect to the sidewalk and pathway enhancements proposed around the redevelopment site, as well as an approved multi-use path along Old Towne from Charles Towne Landing to the new park site owned by Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission (though there will be a gap in that path due to opposition from neighbors and a County Councilmember).
  • the Glenn McConnell multi-use path is finally complete and open to the public. The path extends from Bees Ferry Road to the Magwood/Tecklenburg intersection, and includes access to improved bus shelters.
  • Charleston County cut the bike/ped bridge from the Main Road Segment A project. We are working with staff to figure out how to get a bike/ped crossing over the Stono River back in the design. The connectivity between the West Ashley area of Main Road and Bees Ferry remains in the project.

DESCRIPTION

Many projects are in the works to make West Ashley more connected, which was the primary theme that came out of Plan West Ashley.

In March 2023, the City of Charleston’s Traffic & Transportation Committee of Council received a presentation from Charleston County staff on the proposed intersection improvements for Savannah Highway. The County is proceeding with improvements to the Dupont/Stinson and Wappoo intersections, but is deferring to the City’s outreach to the neighborhoods before proceeding with improvements to the Avondale/Nicholson intersections. The designs can be found HERE.

If upgraded correctly, these intersections can provide safe crossing for people on bikes and foot to access the Maryville Bikeway, West Ashley Greenway (and ultimately the new Ashley River Bridge), neighborhoods, schools, businesses and churches. To help make the case, Charleston Moves volunteers conducted bike/ped counts at those intersections (report pending). Charleston County is also working on an improvement project for the intersection of Highway 61 and Sycamore Avenue — this project is an interim solution to addressing the 61/Bikeway crossing, and includes widening the sidewalk from the signal at Sycamore to the Bikeway entrance on the south side of the street, as well as providing bike/ped enhancements at the signal itself. The project is going back out for bid again soon; previous bids were too high. The widened sidewalk should ultimately connect to the wide sidewalk being installed by the developer of the old Food Lion parcel at 61 and Sycamore, though the developer sold most of the parcel to a hospital and it is unclear what the new owner will use from the designs.

Extending across West Ashley are potential improvements to Savannah Highway and Highway 61 once the SCDOT completes Road Safety Audits.

For the latest on the Ashley River Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge, click HERE. For the latest on Better North Bridge, click HERE.

HISTORY

Plan West Ashley was approved in 2018. The following year, the City of Charleston successfully applied for a BUILD grant from USDOT, receiving the bulk of funding needed to proceed with the Ashley River Bicycle & Pedestrian Bridge. Addressing the crossing of Highway 61 at the Maryville Bikeway was originally part of the Ashley River Bridge grant applications, but was removed in part because Charleston County agreed to add the intersection to its list of annual projects. However, when that list went before County Council for a vote, Councilmember Moody (District 7) objected to the Bikeway crossing project, and it was separated from the list. Charleston Moves advocated to at least keep the funding in the project area, and Council agreed to use it to improve the intersection at Sycamore Avenue. Charleston Moves hosted a walking audit for the area in January 2020, which included elected officials, engineers, planners, and citizens. During the audit, the group agreed that if people on bicycles were expected to cross at Sycamore Avenue, they needed the sidewalk widened to a path to access the Bikeway. Charleston Moves considers this project to be an interim solution, and continues to work towards addressing the Bikeway crossing by meeting with the City of Charleston and  SCDOT, as well as assisting with grant research and applications. In early 2023, SCDOT announced they would be conducting a Road Safety Audit of Highway 61, from Savage Road to Wesley Drive. Charleston Moves participated in the audit and a great deal of discussion occurred about the Bikeway crossing. The results of the audit are pending. 

Around 2018, Charleston County began assessing Savannah Highway for improvements, ultimately whittling the project down to three key locations. In 2022, they began collecting public input. Charleston Moves noticed that the designs essentially ignored the need for bike/ped accommodations. Charleston Moves volunteers conducted bike/ped counts in order to provide the County with the data necessary to show the need for safe vulnerable user accommodations. After specific neighborhood meetings, the County decided to proceed with two intersections and let the City handle the pushback for the third intersection realignment. Charleston Moves provided city staff with suggestions on how to improve pedestrian access at the intersection and connecting to and from. In early 2023, SCDOT included Charleston Moves in a Road Safety Audit of Savannah Highway from Wappoo Road to Hughes Road. The results of that audit are pending.

In 2018, the County began the public input process for the proposed widening of Glenn McConnell Parkway. Charleston Moves engaged substantially in that process to encourage a multi-use path and proper pedestrian and transit connections.

In 2017, the City of Charleston purchased the Sumar Street Site in the face of public backlash against a proposed gas station. Simultaneously, Charleston County proposed street improvements surrounding and leading to the site on Old Towne Road and Sam Rittenberg Boulevard. Substantial neighborhood objections caused the County to pull back from the project and instead propose bike/ped/transit improvements, for which Charleston Moves advocated. After several years of public engagement, City Council voted in 2023 to have staff examine the possibility of making the Sumar site a civic space. Ashley Landing, the parcel immediately adjacent, is also undergoing redevelopment. Improving these corridors will not only provide connectivity to shops and parks for the neighborhoods, but will also improve connectivity leading to the Better North Bridge project.

In 2022-23, Charleston Moves joined an ad hoc group of elected officials, city staff, citizens, and nonprofit partners to develop wayfinding signage for the West Ashley Greenway and Maryville Bikeway. That signage was installed in early 2024. It can be used as a template going forward for pathways and trails throughout the city.