Charleston Bicycle & Pedestrian Planning

Access for bicycles and pedestrians is a necessary element of the City's street network. A network of streets that are designed to accommodate all modes of transportation is essential to providing mode choice, connectivity and safe access. The context of the neighborhood should be incorporated into the design considerations of streets and other corridors.

From the Century V Plan:

C-2. Streets:
Streets must be the best way to move about the city in a vehicle, by foot or on a bike. This requires a fully developed network of streets in each area of the city and attention to how new streets are designed and existing streets are improved.

Conflicts are always going to occur between vehicles and pedestrians. There will always be particular streets that have higher volumes of traffic and intersections that are particularly dangerous. Our challenge is to adapt as conditions change always keeping in mind the public street must accommodate a variety of users.

Citywide and Regional Travel
For vehicular travel across the city and region, the City should prioritize improvements to existing thoroughfares and bottlenecks at major intersections and bridge locations (See Figure 3.5). In the short and long run our existing main streets will carry increasing volumes of vehicle traffic. Existing roadway deficiencies are to be corrected prior to building new or extended thoroughfares.

Improvements to main roadway corridors must respect the unique environment of the area. For example, roadway improvements to Ashley River Road or Main Road must protect the tree canopy of these scenic routes. In addition, roadway improvements will accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians. Bikeways will be an integral element of roadway design.

Local Travel
Charleston has good examples of districts and neighborhoods with effective street networks. The Peninsula is a nationally recognized example of quality neighborhood design. Most streets on the peninsula were built first for walking. The main conflicts are where streets have been designed or redesigned to move cars more quickly; for example, one way streets such as Market and Beaufain in Harleston Village or the Crosstown Expressway, a highway separating the Peninsula into two parts.

Street Design
New streets should be designed based upon an approved hierarchy accommodating pedestrians and vehicles. In addition, existing streets should be improved to provide convenient and safe sidewalk connections. Special emphasis should be placed on intersections to ensure safe crossing for pedestrians.

Street Recommendations:
1. Design new streets and improve existing streets to accommodate walking, bicycling, and vehicle travel.
2. Target transportation investments for travel across the city and region to existing corridors radiating from the center of the city; these include Highway 61 and 17 in West Ashley, Folly Road on James Island, Maybank Highway on James and Johns Islands, and the Meeting and King Street corridors on the Peninsula.
3. Prioritize improvements to existing thoroughfares and bottlenecks at major intersections and bridge locations.
4. Conduct a study to determine the overall costs and benefits of completing the final two sections of I-526.
5. Conduct a design study to determine how extension of the Glenn McConnell Parkway approximately two miles from Bees Ferry Road to the Village Green subdivision can be accomplished in a manner that will disperse traffic and provide a model for quality street design accommodating vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists.

C-3. Off-Street Connectors
Off street connectors should provide safe convenient corridors for bicyclists and pedestrians. Utility corridors and rail corridors should be targeted for new off-street connections. These facilities are particularly useful for connecting parks, schools, libraries and other places children are trying to get to and from safely.

Off-Street Connector Recommendations:
1. Prioritize improvements to the entire length of the West Ashley Bikeway and Greenway.
2. Establish an agreement with local utilities for use of utility corridors as walking and bicycling paths.