THE LATEST

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. 

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. 

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. 

Inside of I-526, Charleston County is coordinating with SCDOT and the City of Charleston to improve three intersections of Savannah Highway: Avondale/Nicholson, Wappoo, and Dupont/Stinson. 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 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. 

Charleston County and the City of Charleston are coordinating on improvements to Old Towne Road and Sam Rittenburg 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 Sumar 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. 

Outside of I-526, the Glenn McConnell Parkway is undergoing a widening, which includes a multi-use path, improved intersections, and enhanced bus stops. The multi-use path will connect to the existing path along Bees Ferry, and ultimately to the Main Road project. 

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

MORE HISTORY

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 Rittenburg 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 (connect to our Better North Bridge page).