COMPLETE STREETS

What Are Complete Streets?

The streets of Charleston and many of our older cities were built for multiple modes of transportation - for people on horseback, in buggies, on foot, and later bicycles and eventually, the horseless carriage. Today, we treasure our downtown for its "walk-ability." But the horseless carriage took over to the point that people came to assume that "if you want to get there you must go by car." For decades, our streets have been built to move cars and not people, leaving people without transportation choices. It is estimated that nearly 1/3 of the US population does not drive because of age, economics or ability leaving millions of people literally imprisoned without a safe and accessible means to travel.

Complete Streets is a relatively new term to describe streets that are designed with all potential users in mind. The idea is that a street is not complete until it has considered the needs of everyone including bicyclists, pedestrians, transit, transit users and the disabled.

Complete Streets for Charleston County?

In November of 2004, Charleston County residents approved a ½ cent sales tax referendum creating a $1.3 billion fund for transportation and greenbelts. Two advisory boards were established as part of the ordinance to oversee and make recommendations pertaining to the spending of these funds: the Greenebelt Advisory Board (GAB) and the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB).

As of early 2008, these boards have made many crucial planning decisions, and money from the sales tax proceeds are now being put to work in road projected and for acquisition of greenbelt lands. In public hearings again and again, taxpayers have spoken up loudly and clearly for good bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Charleston Moves has carefully monitored these decisions and has often had to speak up to reinforce the will of the voters because the plans often barely qualify as "lip service" to the concept of Complete Streets. It is an ongoing effort on our part.

Charleston: A Bicycle-Friendly Community?

Charleston Moves is at the core of a group of citizens (now including Mayor Joseph Riley) working toward qualifying Charleston as one of the League of American Bicyclists' Bicycle Friendly Communities. To qualify, the City must demonstrate to the League that it has taken forthright steps to include cyclists on as many roads as possible, with bike lanes, separate bike paths, signage and signals as necessary. Mayors from across the nation now view this Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) status as a feather in their caps, a sure sign of forward thinking and acknowledgment of the importance of cycling, walking, and mass transit as factors in healthy, "green" places to live.

Bikeways and Greenways

Charleston Moves has hailed the city's progress in constructing "bikeways" in numerous portions of the city and still encourages public officials to "keep up the good work" by moving ahead with plans to build a new bike and pedestrian lane on a bridge over the Ashley River, and to improve the West Ashley Greenway so that it can be used more effectively as not only a linear park, but an alternative transportation route in the Savannah Highway corridor. The West Ashley Greenway and the bike and pedestrian lane on the Cooper River Bridge are designated legs of the 2,600-mile-long Maine-to Key West East Coast Greenway, and Charleston Moves is actively working with the East Coast Greenway Alliance to extend the East Coast Greenway through South Carolina.

Complete Streets Talking Points:

News: Mayor Riley Calls for Complete Streets 12/22/05

News: Transportation Advisory Board endorses Complete Streets 2/2/06

News: Mayor Riley Supports Complete Streets in State of City

News: Transportation Leader Endorses Complete Streets