8/6/2019 Vision for Harbor View Road

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Members of Charleston County Council: August 11, 2011

With this letter, we are going on record with our concerns about the current plan forHarbor View Road. Our view is that in the final analysis, the plan mainly address theconcerns of automobile drivers not the broader needs of people living around thiscritically important road. Neighbors have consistently asked for safe options to walk, toride bicycles and drive cars. A more equitable approach to all three modes of transportation can help this community stay connected and continue to allow residents to

enjoy where they live, work where they have chosen to spend their lives.Here are the changes that can make this plan work much better for everyone:

1. Crosswalks & Sidewalks: Crosswalks and sidewalks should link blocks east andwest, north and south. a/ Theyre needed to safely get across Harborview , and notjust across side streets as they intersect with Harborview. Lack of crosswalks onHarborview itself creates a barrier between the two sides of a neighborhood, theequivalent of building a wall that only cars can get around, and deterring people(especially children) from walking or riding bicycles. b/ Consistent with this goal, atthe southern end of the Harborview, crosswalks should cross Harborview to link tothe new sidewalk on Fort Johnson Road, a nice sidewalk just installed. c/Sidewalks should extend to the bridge over James Island Creek . There aresidewalks on this existing bridge, but no safe way to walk to them.

2. North of James Island Creek: While we understand financial constraints, we mustpoint out that this stretch of Harborview also requires sidewalks and bike lanes.Getting people to the James Island Creek Bridge faster, but then not fixing thelarger problem of no bike lanes or sidewalks is counterproductive. Cars will still bebottlenecked here, and people on bicycles will still have to ride in the roadwaywhich does not allow vehicles to pass safely. This is not good for anyone. Give thebicycles a safe place to ride on the side of the road in a lane and the people thatchoose to drive will be able to continue on their way. Better for all.

3. Keep Bike Lanes on the Road: The 10' multi-use path is a nice idea, but in our

opinion does not measure up for either existing or projected needs or usage in thisarea. Here, too many side streets and too many driveway crossings spell increaseddanger for people using a multi-use path. Motorists tend to be alert for auto trafficon the road , not people on foot and on bicycles appearing before the roadway. Thisis the very reason that both MUTCD and AASHTO both suggest bicycle lanes in thesecircumstances not multi-use paths. (Also, most cyclists will shun the multi-usepath because its inherent dangers will slow them, and theyll use the roadwayanyway.)

8/6/2019 Vision for Harbor View Road

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The Bigger Picture: Continuous sidewalks, especially on the south side of Harborview where most stores and businesses are situated. Crosswalks installed consistentlythroughout the plan to promote ubiquitously safe pedestrian activity. Crosswalks wouldallow pedestrians free access to the sidewalk on the south side of the road which couldbe designed to meander through the great trees, allowing them to stand . (The newsidewalk on Fort Johnson is a nice example.) Bike lanes are merited on both sides of Harborview road, providing usable commuting linkage to points closer to Folly Road andto Fort Johnson Road.

Dealing with Congestion: A single lane of traffic each direction will continue to handlethe volume of traffic on this roadway 22+ hours of every day. However, we recognizethat peak Harborview Road traffic (morning and evening) may require furtheradaptations. Not all the congestion is due to sheer volume. Some of it is due to schoolbuses, some to cars making turns. In Mount Pleasant, planners have had great successwith Mathis Ferry Road, where traffic circles keeping traffic flowing, but if traffic lightsare needed, hopefully they can be set to flash most of the day when they are notneeded. Adding left turn lanes in signalized locations should help flow during peakhours. But if center turn lanes are contemplated, keep them narrower. (11' is plenty

wide for travel lanes, 12' is plenty wide for a center turn lane with cars. If trucks needto make a left at one of the 3 big intersections, a turn lane can handle that. The restof the roadway can be kept intact, the beautiful James Island road so important to thecharacter of this neighborhood.

Conversely, the 66'-foot wide proposed road would undoubtedly make Harborview Roadlook like some of the uglier thoroughfares in Charleston County, spoiling its residentialcharacteristics. Such a roadway would attract still more traffic, more problems, andnegatively impact existing commerce, quality of life and property values. We stronglysuggest that the Harborview Road project can and should be a great example of how tobring community together to produce a road that is human in scale, that protects thenatural feel of the area even as it improves transportation patterns.

Sincerely,

(signed) Tom Bradford, Director

(signed) Chris Tullmann, LEED AP, Vice Chair