Plans for Ashley River Bridge path unveiled
The Post and Courier
Plans to create a safe way for bicyclists and pedestrians to get from West Ashley to downtown Charleston were laid out for public comment for the first time Thursday, when several alternatives for a path to the foot of the Ashley River Bridge were presented.
Each of the three versions involve a 10-foot-wide path and marsh boardwalk connecting the end of the West Ashley Greenway at Albemarle Road to the T. Allen Legare Jr. Bridge, where a similarly wide path would be mounted on the side of the bridge.
Stephen and Azilde Worley of West Ashley were among those who went to St. Andrews Elementary School to see the plans, and both said they would use the path, if it were built, to ride to their respective jobs at Medical University of South Carolina and College of Charleston.
The Post and Courier
Mackencie Kay of James Island and her dog Smith take a jog Thursday afternoon on the West Ashley Greenway, behind Byrnes Downs. One of the proposed pathway and boardwalk plans would allow pedestrians and cyclists to continue from the current end of the Greenway at Albemarle Road to the Ashley River Bridge.
To comment
Mail comments to Charleston County RoadWise, 4401 Belle Oaks Drive, Suite 105, North Charleston, SC 29405.
E-mail comments to: lmcmillan@ccroadwise.com.
Submit comments online at: www.ccroadwise.com.
Comments are due by July 23.
"It's not like I would do that daily, but it would be nice to have the option," Azilde Worley said.
Of the options presented for the path to the bridge, both Worleys favored the one calling for a boardwalk across the marsh from Ripley Point Drive. The other two options would take the path along the side of the Herbert U. Fielding Connector before crossing the marsh.
"We couldn't figure out why anyone would want (the path) to parallel a road," Stephen Worley said.
Bobby Clair of HDR Engineering, which developed the plan for Charleston County RoadWise, said everyone he spoke with at the meeting also favored the "Alternative C" path that the Worleys liked best.
Collecting public comment on the plan will move the $800,000 design phase of the project forward, but the question looming in the background is how to pay for construction of not only the marsh path but a cantilevered concrete and steel path attached to the drawbridge. Charleston County's half-cent transportation sales tax is paying for the project design, but there's no funding in place for construction.
Read more about the proposal
See the Ashley River Bridge pedestrian path feasibility study, dated 12/07/07
Walkers might get new lane; Bikers also will benefit if funding comes through, published 02/14/09
The cost estimate for the work was just over $3 million in 2001. That later was revised to $4.5 million, and transportation officials say they have since concluded the job would likely cost significantly more, but no firm estimate has been established.
The main reason for the high cost lies in the difficulty of engineering the path to work with the existing drawbridge, said Hernan Pena, director of Charleston's Department of Traffic and Transportation.
The city has applied for federal transportation funding, as well as stimulus money for transportation enhancements. Pena said having a completed plan for the project will make the grant applications more competitive.
"Basically, what we expect to have at the end of this (planning) process is the design documents and the permits," he said, referring to state permits needed for construction in the marsh area.
Reach David Slade at 937-5552 or dslade@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
DougHuffman (anonymous) says...
The infrastructure, physical and legal, for safe and Effective Cycling is extant. What is needed is effective leadership, but all expert cyclists are too expert to learn the fundamentals of Effective Cycling by John Forester.
Imagine a complete network that allows all vehicles efficient access to all destinations. Now, overlay a second network for one class of vehicles only and count the number of new intersections. Intersections are where the bulk of adverse interactions occur.
This is completing 526 in microcosm. A waste of tax money, asphalt and green and grassy space.
July 10, 2009 at 6:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DougHuffman (anonymous) says...
Please lil' Joe, I'm afwaid of those meanie drivers. Don't let them drive near lil' ol' me!
July 10, 2009 at 7 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
Let's see... How many pedestrians/bikers (PB's) per hour will you be spending this money for and will you dump into this already congested/speedy highway with many intersections. This is a "like to have", not a "must have". For sure, you would be creating Charleston's newest Killing Zone. Stupid, selfish, and wasteful.
July 10, 2009 at 7:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bristone (anonymous) says...
^theronce^ that's what the opposers said about the pedestrian/bike path for the ravenel/cooper river bridge and look how successful that is! the ashley river bridges, wappoo cut bridge, and folly road are "killing zones" the way they are - this is a step in the right direction to correct that. if you don't like it, don't use it.
July 10, 2009 at 8:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
Oh, don't worry, I won't use it and don't recommend it. The CR bridge is a different situation, and I did not oppose that one...apples and oranges. This situation will worsen with the access.
July 10, 2009 at 8:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
f0dder (anonymous) says...
Living in Avondale and looking for a safe bike path to downtown - I think this is a great idea. I guess theronce can only plead ignorance on this one as I'm sure he isnt the Nostradamus type.
Living in fear of what life could be like with his so-called "killing zones"...guess we should all drive monster SUVs to be safe.
July 10, 2009 at 9:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
desspec (anonymous) says...
A great, long-overdue idea that will be used more and more as economic conditions continue to deteriorate.
July 10, 2009 at 9:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
desspec (anonymous) says...
By the way ... WHO's doing this? State, County, or City? Seems there are already too many spoons in the pot.
July 10, 2009 at 9:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
PalmettoDP (anonymous) says...
I think the path is a good idea and I would use it for exercise. I just don't understand why it costs $800,000 to design and over $4.5 million to build. Is the entire section attached to the bridge going to be concrete?
July 10, 2009 at 2:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
toddb (anonymous) says...
Finish 526 and do SOMETHING to FIX the road infrastructure in the Glenn McConnell Parkway/Hwy. 61 area. I am so TIRED of having everything in this part of West Ashley put on the back burner so the little yuppie sect of Avondale/Windermere/The Crescent can be pacified. It is ridiculous!
July 10, 2009 at 2:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
f0dder (anonymous) says...
So "yuppies" live in Avondale? Sorry toddb, but I'm a 31 year old white collar guy who drives a Ford pickup and Avondale is my home....no yuppies here. Why don't you cry some more about buying a house in an overpopulated, under-developed area. Maybe Big'Joe will help you out with a sidewalk or something.
July 10, 2009 at 2:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
R_U_Kidding_Me (anonymous) says...
The question according to the article is how to pay for it. Simple. Bicycle registration fees. Let the free loaders pay for their own paths for a change. I can't drive my car over the bridge for free. Why should the bikes?
July 10, 2009 at 3:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sandy05 (anonymous) says...
* Alternative C:
Contains approximately 1,300 linear feet of elevated boardwalk. This alternative takes the most direct route across existing wetlands, has the least impact to the state jurisdictional Critical Area, but has a greater right-of way impact. (from their website)
***Seems to be the best one; however, if they need to buy "right-of-way" they had better include the cost of that and not think they can "eminent domain" and steal property. Don't they have other projects stalled because they did not consider right-of-way vs a plan that did not include issues of this type? *****
1. agree:
"Seems there are already too many spoons in the pot."
2. agree:
"I am so TIRED of having everything in this part of West Ashley put on the back burner so the little yuppie sect of Avondale/Windermere/The Crescent can be pacified. It is ridiculous!"
3. Believe they are just ready to spend the money on studies, excessive consultant fees (probably political "friends"). It would be amazing to find out who is benefiting/getting rich from all the waste of our funds.
Also, they usually locate most things in bad areas where the general population cannot go because of safety issues. This is a major departure from that practice!
Most of us have to pay fees to get the services provided to "select others" and also foot the bill for the "select others" to have "activities".
4. Why does Columbia have a part-time mayor while Charleston has a full time and rumored highest paid mayor in the state (I was told)? He is only interested in outlying areas of the city paying for what he puts downtown and in bad areas. Whose $s will he expect to use to pay for running, maintenance, and utilities for the new "community center" in front of Burke High???
Who is fiscally responsible for wasting our hard earned money on these projects, especially the "greenbelt" exorbitant spending for green space??
July 10, 2009 at 3:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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