Act Now: Henry Brown Blvd in Berkeley County
With a public hearing on February 22, SCDOT announced that Berkeley County is proposing to widen 1.95 miles of Henry Brown Blvd in Berkeley County (from Red Bank Rd to Liberty Hall Rd). SCDOT is managing this project at the request of the county.
Although a goal of the project is to ‘improve safety and increase capacity‘ along the corridor, there is little in the plans to ensure the safety of the most vulnerable road users–bicyclists and pedestrians. Further, a key to improving road capacity is providing options for various other modes of transportation, not just vehicular.
If bike/ped accommodations were included along this corridor, it would offer very important connectivity to existing infrastructure:
- The City of Goose Creek Hiker Biker Trail
- The soon to be completed Hwy. 52/78 sidewalk going to a nearby park
- The nearby neighborhoods
According to the officials overseeing the project, the addition of such bike/ped infrastructure is too costly and thus will not be considered in the plan. Unfortunately, they have not evaluated the cost-benefit of such accommodations.
If you are a resident of Berkeley County or the surrounding region and may benefit from this accommodation, please contact local officials and SCDOT to share feedback on this project. This is a very valuable opportunity and the time to act is now! It is crucial to make suggestions early in this process, as changes are difficult to incorporate further along in the process. Read more information about the project here and make plans to be at the meeting future public input meetings.
Feel free to utilize any of the following talking points in your argument for the inclusion of bike/ped infrastructure in this road widening:
- Bike lanes/sidewalks along the Henry Brown Blvd corridor would offer crucial connections to existing infrastructure
- Capacity on a roadway can be improved by offering multi-modes of transportation and safe, accessible infrastructure for those not choosing to travel by car
- Although the initial investment in bike/ped infrastructure may increase a project’s cost, the investment pays huge dividends for the government, individuals, and community as a whole
Finally, the major decision-makers in this project are the Berkeley County Supervisor and entire County Council. Contact them directly at the following:
- Supervisor and Council Chairman
Dan W. Davis
1003 Hwy 52
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Extension 4094
- District Number 1
Phillip Farley
1305 Eglet Lane
Hanahan, SC 29410
Home: 553-1447
Business: 747-2486
Phillip.Farley@BerkeleyCountySC.Gov
- District Number 2
Timothy J. Callanan
7009 Schooner Street
Daniel Island, SC 29492
Cell: 469-5226
- District Number 3
Robert O. Call
105 Goose Creek Drive
Goose Creek, SC 29445
Home: 693-2001
Robert.O.Call.Jr@BerkeleyCountySC.Gov
- District Number 4
Cathy S. Davis
244 Trestlewood Drive
Summerville, SC 29483
Home 875-9541
- District Number 5
Dennis Fish
662 Hamlet Circle
Goose Creek, SC 29445
Home 764-0069
Business 871-9028
- District Number 6
Jack H. Schurlknight
P.O. Box 1582
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Home: 761-4303
- District Number 7
Caldwell Pinckney, Jr.
2509 Highway 311
Cross SC 29436
Home-753-7377
- District Number 8
Steve C. Davis
431 East Main Street
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Home: 825-4558
Business: 761-7727
We cannot underscore the importance of being a part of the road design process. This process can be very complicated and may extend over many years, but with the knowledge and proper tools, advocates can influence this process in many ways and throughout the length of the project.
For more information on how to be involved in the road design process, check out this incredible resource produced by Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling.
