FEEDBACK:

MT. PLEASANTS COMPREHENSIVE BIKE/PEDESTRIAN PLAN

November 2, 2012 During the last several decades The Town of Mount Pleasant, like many municipalities, swelled in size, its growth and planning predicated almost overwhelmingly upon use of the automobile. But we (planners, politicians and a large percentage of the public) now understand that this auto-centric planning came with a price tag: our bodies, minds and budgets are paying the price of physical inactivity. Altering our course means huge changes in our built environment. The Town is to be commended for taking an aggressive position on re-thinking transportation, retrofitting roads and streets to make them bicycle and walking friendly. Most notable are Coleman Boulevard, Johnny Dodds Boulevard. We are thrilled about your enthusiasm for the Battery2Beach Route concept. The B2B Route, we feel, will be transformative not only for Mount Pleasant, the Ben Sawyer Causeway, Coleman Boulevard and other streets. It will set a great example for the entire Lowcountry. And Mount Pleasant has taken the lead! Now, we applaud Mount Pleasant for taking the next logical step drafting a comprehensive bike and pedestrian plan. The early draft is a good start, addressing many of the most obvious problems on specific roads. Now comes the task of polishing it, improving it. We suggest a more holistic, coherent approach. The guiding precept for this process should be adopting an entirely new vision for transportation: people first no matter which mode of transportation they choose for each of their trips. Complete Streets cannot fully succeed without universal connectivity for people on foot, on two wheels as well as those behind the wheel. It means bike lanes and sidewalks (or multi-use paths) that link all neighborhoods. It means safe-for-everyone intersections and crosswalks. And though achieving such a vision may take years, a coherent plan now will lead to success. The lack of a coherent plan will inevitably lead to more slipshod, ad hoc, reactive and inconsistent changes over time. The philosophy is If you build it they will come, but if you build it really well, theyll come in droves. (Think of the Ravenel Bridge.) From what we see and hear from the public, there is not only a growing appetite for this, but also a latent, silent pent up demand. Bike and pedestrian provisions should be made not with the intrepid cyclist in mind, but with an eye toward making it comfortable, safe and pleasant for any and all users to take advantage of these alternative forms of transportation for even the shortest, most mundane trips (i.e. two blocks to a friends house, three blocks to the store for a loaf of bread, daily trips to and from school). What follows is a compilation of the thoughts of a number of people associated with Charleston Moves. The weakness of this approach is that once again, it identifies specific streets, roads and intersections even though it counsels the coherent, holistic approach. Nevertheless, the streets, roads, intersections and bridges are cited in the Towns plan, and must be addressed.

JOHNNY DODDS BOULEVARD: The town should insist upon Full, continuous bike lanes along the new frontage roads. Safe connections linking neighborhood side streets to the JDB business corridor have not been drawn. Connections to other roads (and the Ravanel Bridge) at the ends of JDB are not drawn. There is weird connection for one side only at Bowman Rd.

BOWMAN ROAD: Bowman Road is one of the very few connections from the Coleman Blvd. side of town to the JDB corridor. It is a critical link both because of the paucity of such links and because of its central location. The Bowman Road Bridge over Shem creek is poorly conceived and inconsistent with the Towns aims to become more bike and pedestrianfriendly. There are no bike lanes, and sidewalks are narrow and unsafe. This was to have been a major bicycle/pedestrian connection through town leading from JDB to Watermark/Sweet Grass Basket Blvd., northbound JDB east side, Although the bridge may have been designed and permitted earlier, we cannot escape the observation that it fails to live up to the Towns stated goals of becoming more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly.1

COLEMAN BOULEVARD: Coleman Boulevard has been the subject of copious amounts of planning and discussion stretching over more than a decade, and the work shows signs of paying off. Were happy to have taken part in many of those discussions. But, we continue to believe that all steps necessary to make it truly the Main Street of Mount Pleasant should be taken. Lowering the speed limit, we feel, would contribute much to achieving this objective. And, the subject of on-street parking still needs attention. The intersection of Coleman and McGrath-Darby, we feel, must be re-designed. Both cyclists and pedestrians are in danger given the no yield turn available to motorists descending into Mt. Pleasant and making a right turn onto MGrath Darby. And totally inadequate provisions are made for bike/ped traffic approaching the bridge from Coleman. Cyclists must either accelerate to get into the auto left-turn lane, or dismount and cross on foot. We also sincerely hope that the Town can influence SCDOT soon to consider replacing the bridge over Shem Creek whose width has produced the dangerous narrowing of the roadway and the disappearance of bike lanes.2 Until the bridge is rebuilt and widened to accommodate multi-modal traffic safely, we think the speed limit be decreased to 30mph and the car lanes lanes should be narrowed over the bridge in order to accommodate continuous bike lanes.

1 NOTE: A number of months ago, Chris Tullmann of Charleston Moves discussed some solid ideas for modifying

the Bowman Road plan, but construction went ahead with no bike/ped provisions,.
2 We have referred to this phenomenon as the now-you-see-em-now-you-dont bike lanes which force bicyclists

into the auto lane where they are otherwise not anticipated on these stretches of Coleman. Inconsistencies such as this breed danger for both cyclists and motorists.

ROUTE 17 NORTH OF THE IOP CONNECTOR: The plan calls for shared use (autos & cyclists) even though the speed limit is posted at 50 mph. Alternatively, we would suggest narrowing the auto lanes to ensure adequate space for a multiuse path (for which there is adequate ROW space). This would create a safer route that many more people would actually use. MATHIS FERRY ROAD: Roundabouts provide good evidence of the towns vision, but for the most part, the design of this road is behind the times, and fails to provide equitable transportation choice for the huge number of residents it serves, not to mention the schools it serves. Despite apparent adequate available right-of-way, the road is totally unsafe for any use by bicyclists, and the meandering multi-use path is appropriate more for children than for adults intent on serious transportation. RIFLE RANGE ROAD: This road is the spine for a growing number of neighborhoods and two elementary schools. The entire character of Rifle Range Road is changing and its design should be reconsidered to reflect those changes. With a new park going on line soon, and with SCDOT in early-stage planning for resurfacing, there may be huge opportunities for improvements here. While we dont have all ROW width measurements, we would hope to see Rifle Range widened and its posted speed limit reduced to reflect the long-established trend toward denser housing occupancy as well as to provide for multi-modal access bikes, pedestrians AND cars). Alternatively, we are aware that there has been discussion of multiuse paths under the power lines and on utility easements, and we believe this option might be a viable even though such a path would necessarily cross Rifle Range in some places. Careful ROW measurements will also provide an answer to the question of whether continuous sidewalks are feasible.3 The Hassell Tract, 96 acres fronting on Rifle Range Road across from Mamie Whitesides school stretching a half mile Rifle Range to Watermark Blvd., will further force re-evaluation of the design of both Rifle Range Road and Hungryneck Blvd. The occupants of up to 719 housing units (a mix of single family, townhouse & apartments) and perhaps a 200 room hotel, there will be a large demand for walkability and bike-ability. 4 HUNGRYNECK BOULEVARD: This boulevard sees fairly frequent use by intrepid bicyclists and is another prime candidate for better bike lanes. Its adjacency to numerous developments and neighborhoods as well as Town Center and other

3 We are aware that there are also a few narrow ROW sections of ROW where it will be difficult to find space for

sidewalks. In fact, in places the edge of ROW is on front steps of houses. In such narrow places, it may still be possible to create space on the road for bicycles (shared use with sharrows?) Chris Tullmann was advocating bike lanes and a wide sidewalk (good for kids on bikes to get to school), then sharrows or wide shoulder for the sections where ROW is too narrow. In the meantime, the Town might acquire additional ROW when homes are sold ...or pre-buy the homes pending improvement in the economy and municipal finances.

4 The developer is charged with building a "connector" road through the middle of the property by next year. Pat

Sullivan, a Charleston Moves Board member and Mount Pleasant resident, has inquired about the design of this road recently. Originally, 5' sidewalks were planned. At her suggestion, 5-wide bike lanes were added on both sides. Later, the plans were amended again, eliminating the bike lanes and replacing them with an & put in an 8' multi-use path on just one the north side of the road. Further review by Charleston Moves finds no fault with this plan as long as 10' buffer separates it from the road and optimal access to it is created from adjoining properties

shopping districts constitute a compelling case for bicycle improvements, as well as better intersection (and other) crossings.

and

pedestrian

ROUTE 41: The character of Route 41 is also changing rapidly as development proliferates and more and more people also utilize it for access to recreational pursuits in and around the Francis Marion Forest. We suggest that a careful review be initiated to determine where crosswalks would be warranted. We suggest a review of bicycle and pedestrian connections to and from the new Laurel Hill Park. The largest single Route 41 issue is the replacement of the bridge to Cainhoy. By failing to make long-term bike/ped provisions, this new bridge will prove a big, long-term disappointment for the Town because it will not take into consideration the huge promise of recreational activities in the Francis Marion Forest and elsewhere in the immediate region.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS: CROSSWALKS: The lack of crosswalks town-wide, and modern crosswalk technology, is a critical element of our town's ped-bike safety plan that should be considered and evaluated now, and included in the strategy and budget prior to this plan's implementation. They are woefully inadequate at many intersections. Without well-marked, safe, crosswalks equipped with pedestrian-actuated lights and the new audible "chirps." This problem may be particularly acute on JDB, where pedestrians are regularly seen on US 17 standing in the median, totally at the mercy of vehicular traffic, and, for the most part, the signals that control vehicular traffic. But it is a serious issue throughout the Town. Both the traffic and police departments could easily list numerous records of accidents and complaints throughout the town One such was a well-known incident in Park West that prompted citizens to describe their own lack of safe crosswalks. 5

Another example is the following letter to the editor published in the Moultrie News: I have lived off Coleman Boulevard in old Mount Pleasant for more than 15 years and have witnessed firsthand the tremendous increase in both the speed and number of vehicles on this main artery. My question comes from the fear of school children or adults trying to cross this roadway on foot. I cannot believe the town has never addressed the fact that there is no way to cross this street between Fairmont and McCants /Rifle Range, or, Fairmont and Myrick. There is not a safe place to get across anywhere, especially anywhere near the split in front of Royall Ace Hardware. With the grand plans the town has for Coleman, has there been any thought to improving this situation for pedestrians? Does the town even acknowledge that this is a problem? (signed) Dan Finley, Mount Pleasant

BUILD TO ENCOURAGE KIDS TO BIKE OR WALK TO SCHOOL: Streets and roads should be conceived and built in such a way that school children can once again use them to bike or walk to schools.6 OTHER: Monitoring re-pavement schedules and careful planning and coordination with SCDOT and Charleston County Roadwise may help bring wider roads that can accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians. Gutter pans should be 5 feet, not 3'. The edge seam is still an issue as the road is repaved, buses and trucks compress the edge causing gaps and potholes. BIKES AND SIDEWALKS: Generally, bicycle riding on sidewalks is to be discouraged both in terms of legislation and in terms of how we design and retrofit streets and roads. (Why? Bicycle-pedestrian collisions can be very dangerous because of the higher speeds of bikes. And motorists emerging from side streets or driveways tend to focus on entering the road ahead and fail to anticipate sidewalk traffic.) SHARED LANES? The plan mentions wide shared highway lanes of 12 feet. Sharing a 12 lane on a high-speed multi-lane highway isnt a good idea because it would be dangerous and discourage use by cyclists. (As an alternative, wed suggest putting all lanes of the road on a road diet to create lanes for bikes.) LANE WIDTH: Bike lanes must be designed to the AASHTO standard of 4 width (not including gutter clearance). And, 5' bike lanes along parking puts most cyclists in the door opening zone: dangerous. As an alternative, consider narrowing the parking spaces and drawing a paint-line defined buffer space to give cyclists a wider margin o safety. ...or put the space into a cycle track instead :) MULTI-USE PATH WIDTHS: The draft plan shows multiuse paths at 6' in width for one-way traffic and 8' for two-way traffic. The 8 two-way width could be too narrow to be safe where higher volumes of multi-use traffic are anticipated. It could be adequate if traffic remains low. Bikes, typically, achieve speeds of 10+mph while walkers are at 3mph. Building something narrow where greater future traffic is possible could prove to be shortsighted. A Waterfront Trail is mostly possible from Old Village's Mount Pleasant Academy to IOP connector. Six Mile and Hamlin Roads connect, and have an easy access into Hamlin Plantation if the politics can be worked out. (NOTE: We feel that inclusion of water facilities is not necessarily appropriate within a bicycle and pedestrian plan.)

One of our contributors, a resident of Park West, observes as follows: Sidewalks and proper crosswalks are woefully inadequate along business and school routes in large north end subdivisions. Park West substitutes sidewalks with one bike trail on only one side of the roadway. There are small stretches of sidewalk in the business corridor. Children can use the lighted crosswalk to reach the other side of Park West Blvd. opposite the schools. However, they must travel a distance, in the opposite direction, and once crossed, have no sidewalk to safely walk alongside Park West Blvd. toward the businesses. Children often have doctors appointments or other activities scheduled in the business corridor of Park West. Yet, there is not a crosswalk (or crosswalk light) near to/for the business corridor. So, students risk injury or death by crossing in the business corridor without a crosswalk. Business owners have expressed serious concerns about this issue. Sidewalks do not exist on either side lining Park West Blvd. except for stretches in the business corridor, and from the Gates to the Summerlin crosswalk. To say that Park West is a strong point in pedestrian and biking accessibility and safety isnt addressing the realities that residents and families face in this PUD.