At the Crossroads

A third pedestrian in the past 15 months almost lost his life recently at a West Ashley intersection where the S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT) had delayed a safety-improvement project.
One city councilman has summed up the reason for the delay as “nuts”.
In the early morning hours of June 9, a 39-year-old West Ashley man was attempting to cross Savannah Highway near the clump of bars and restaurants that have sprung up along Magnolia Road in recent years.
According to Charleston Police Department records, the man crossed against a “Do Not Walk” traffic signal and was struck by a full-size Ford pickup truck travelling south on Savannah Highway. CPD spokesman Charles Francis said this is the third pedestrian struck at that intersection since March 2012.
The man was transported to MUSC for medical care, and the driver was not charged at the scene. According to police records, an investigation remains ongoing.
A witness to an earlier accident said that a victim had been hit by a car and carried at least 50 feet before hitting the road again.
Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. said Friday that he understood that SCDOT suspended a safety-improvement project at that intersection last month because only one bid came in from contractors.
Locals have been calling for the intersection to get enhanced pedestrian safety measures, including medians, better traffic signals, and more lighting.
Riley said the SCDOT is resubmitting the project for more bids when the “climate” may be better. State procurement cycles can take several months once a plan is resubmitted until it is assigned to a construction firm, much less started or completed.
Despite several calls to two SCDOT representatives last week and a call to one of their personal cell phones, no comment was forthcoming from the state agency as of press time.
Riley said that he had personally reached out to S.C. Secretary of Transportation Robert J. St. Onge Jr. to see what the city could do to expedite the project.
Riley called safety improvements were “greatly needed,” and something the city has been working toward for years. “It’s taken longer than we think it should,” Riley said.
He added that since the roadway belonged to the state, it would not be possible for the city to take over on the project.
Proposed projects like this used to be handled by the Council of Governments, but over the past few years, the SCDOT has taken back control of projects like this one.
The city has had plans for the past decade to revamp the Avondale Point stretch of road where six different roads terminate in little over the length of a football field.
Unlike most highways, that stretch of Savannah Highway is not only the home to a lively night scene, but it also has a bike lane and on-street parking, all of which add to the difficulty finding an easy traffic-calming solution.
“This seems nuts to me,” said City Councilman Aubrey Alexander whose district includes the busy intersection. “Whether or not the person made a mistake, there’s an active lively crowd there – which is what you want Charleston to be about.
“It just seems kind of nuts to me that not having enough bidders would cause a delay of construction,” Alexander said. “Who’s to say that more than one will respond in the future?”
Alexander, a real estate agent, wondered if a recovering economy had led some potential bidders to focus on projects more lucrative than government work.
Alexander pledged to follow up with other city officials this week to get more answers about why the dangers at the Avondale Point intersection haven’t been more properly addressed.
In April, the West Ashley-James Island Business Association (WAJIBA) led a public three-day planning charrette, headed up by local architect Dinos Liollio and representatives of Stantec, a national planning firm with a local office. Local residents, area business owners and neighborhood association representatives bounced ideas off traffic planners and local officials of how to best resolve the issues in the burgeoning Avondale Point business district.
What emerged were several smart solutions that have since been polished up and presented to government officials. All of the solutions revolved around the idea of slowing traffic to a more manageable pace in the neighborhood.
Key to many of the plans was a wide, raised and painted median, where pedestrians could find refuge while crossing the busy street, along with enhanced lighting and traffic signals and signage.
Hopefully, someone will come up with a solution before the next accident turns deadly, said Alexander.
 
(In the spirit of full disclosure, April’s Avondale Point charrette was organized under the aegis of the WAJIBA, of which West Of Publisher Lorne Chambers is this year’s president.)