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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY OF TUESDAY, APRIL 9TH, 2024.
[1. Call to Order]
THE ORDER, UH, BEFORE THAT, I JUST WANNA THANK THE F AND A COMMITTEE FOR BEING BACK HERE AGAIN AFTER SUCH A LONG MEETING EARLIER.SO YOU'RE PUTTING YOUR TIME IN TODAY.
SO DO WE HAVE A, A MOTION TO ADOPT
[2. Adoption of the Agenda]
THE AGENDA? SO MOVED.I, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
[Items 3.a. - 3.c. (Part 1 of 2).]
MAJOR THOR AFFAIRS CORRIDOR PLAN.SEAN, DO I TURN OFF TO YOU? UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR COUNCIL.
UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO PRESENT THE, THE MAJOR CORRIDOR THOROUGHFARES CORRIDOR PLAN, ALONG WITH PRIORITY SEGMENTS THAT YOU IDENTIFIED AT YOUR LAST WORKSHOP ON THIS ITEM, UM, LAST JULY.
UM, BRIAN MCOE IS GOING TO BE, UM, THE LEAD ON OUR SIDE, UH, TO INTRODUCE THE TEAM, GO THROUGH THIS PLAN WITH THE CONSULTANT TEAM, AND, UM, AND SHARE INFORMATION WITH YOU ALL TODAY.
BRIAN MACKLEY, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROJECTS AND FACILITIES.
UM, THANK YOU TODAY FOR ALLOWING US TO, TO PRESENT THE, THE LATEST PROGRESS ON THE MAJOR THOROUGHFARES CORRIDOR PLAN.
UM, OBVIOUSLY SEAN JUST INTRODUCED HIMSELF, BUT ALSO UP HERE, UH, ALONG WITH TOWN MANAGER ORLANDO, WE HAVE JIM WANIKI.
HE IS OUR TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM MANAGER.
UM, AND THEN FROM OUR CONSULTANTS, UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE EXPERT TEAM IN THE LAND PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION FIELD.
UM, MKSK IS A PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE FIRM BASED IN COLUMBUS, OHIO, WITH 12 DIFFERENT, UH, OFFICES, UH, BASED IN CERTAIN METROPOLITAN AREAS.
UM, THEY'RE A LEADER IN CAPTURING THE FULL VALUE OF STREETS FOR ALL USERS AND USES.
UM, ADDITIONALLY WE HAVE JONATHAN GUY, WHO'S THE VICE PRESIDENT WITH KIMLEY HORN.
KIMBERLY HORN IS A PREMIER ENGINEERING PLANNING AND DESIGN CONSULTANT, UH, NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED INDUSTRY LEADER, CREATING SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION PLANS FOR COMMUNITIES IN REACH.
AND FINALLY, WE HAVE ADDIE WEBER.
SHE IS A, UH, OFFICE DIRECTOR IN THE ATLANTA OFFICE FOR TOOL DESIGN.
UM, TOOL IS A TRANSPORTATION, UM, COMPANY WITH A FOUNDED WITH A MISSION TO SUPPORT INNOVATIVE STREETS AND DYNAMIC COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND ABILITIES CAN WALK, BIKE, AND HAVE ACCESS TO TRANSIT.
SO, UM, TOGETHER WITH THEM, STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS CORRIDOR PLAN.
I THINK WE HAD A PRESENTATION IN JULY OF LAST YEAR.
AND SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO TODAY IS PRESENT A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE OVERALL PLAN, AND THEN DIVE INTO, UH, TWO PRIORITY SEGMENTS SEGMENT, UM, WILLIAM HUNT PARKWAY, SEGMENT THREE, WHICH IS FROM BEACH CITY ROAD TO DILLON ROAD.
AND, UM, WITH THAT, WE'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE JIM GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE INTERIM SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IN THAT AREA IN THE NORTH RIDGE AREA.
AND THEN THE OTHER PRIORITY SEGMENT IS WILLIAM HOUGHTON PARKWAY TWO, WHICH IS FROM WILBORN ROAD TO BEACH CITY ROAD.
AND IT ALSO INCLUDES MAIN STREET.
AND SO THE GOAL TODAY IS TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK FROM COUNCIL, UM, SO WE CAN ADVANCE INTO FINAL DESIGN FOR THOSE, UH, THOSE TWO PRIORITY PROJECTS.
AND THEN ALSO FOR YOU, WE HAVE THE DRAFT CORRIDOR PLAN.
AND THEN, SO OVER THE NEXT TWO OR THREE MONTHS, SINCE IT IS A BIG ELEPHANT, IF AS YOU WILL, UM, DIVE INTO THIS AND GIVE YOU ALL TIME TO READ IT AND REVIEW IT, AND THEN BRING THAT TO YOU PROBABLY IN AUGUST, I WOULD SAY, FOR ADOPTION.
AND THEN WE CAN BRING THE OTHER PRIORITY SEGMENTS IN FRONT OF YOU, UH, IN THE FUTURE WORKSHOP SETTING LIKE THIS.
SO, UM, WITH THAT RIGHT BEFORE YOU, BEFORE YOU GO FORWARD, UM, I, I WANNA ASK THE QUESTION, WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THIS? WHY ARE WE GOING THROUGH THIS EXERCISE? WHAT IS THE GOAL DRIVING FOR THIS? SO NOT ONLY THAT THAT WE KNOW, BUT ALSO THE COMMUNITY KNOWS AS WELL.
UM, GOT A SLIDE JUST CAUGHT UP HERE.
UM, SO AS YOU SEE HERE, UH, IT IS TO, TO FOCUS ON, UH, ANALYZING AND UNDERSTANDING OUR CURRENT CONDITIONS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, I GUESS, SEGMENTS WITHIN OUR CORRIDORS THAT MIGHT NOT BE CONSISTENT, WHETHER THAT'S CROSSWALK PATTERNS OR WAY FINDING SIGNAGE, ET CETERA.
UH, ANALYZE WHAT WE HAVE AND THEN WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER, UM, TO TARGET THE SAFETY OF ROADWAYS AND, UH, THE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE USERS THAT ARE OUT ON OUR, UH, NETWORKS.
UM, AND THEN YOU SEE DIRECT IMPROVEMENTS TO CRITICAL AREAS ALONG THE CORRIDORS.
AND THEN, UH, CREATE DESIGN STANDARDS.
SO GIVEN US THE PLAYBOOK, IF YOU WILL, TO GO OUT AND, UM, INSTITUTE SOME SAFETY MEASURES, UM, CONSISTENCY WITH OUR STRIPING SIGNAGE, ET CETERA,
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UH, ACROSS THE ISLAND.SO FOR ALL USERS, IT'S CONSISTENT, SAFE, AND, UH, RELIABLE AS, AS A TOWN.
HAVE WE EVER GONE THROUGH THIS EXERCISE BEFORE? NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NO.
SO, WITH THAT, I WANNA JUMP IN REAL QUICK TOO, BECAUSE AS I WORK WITH BRIAN AND SEAN AND, AND TALK WITH YOU AND, AND THE COMMUNITY.
ONE, ONE OF, ONE OF THE TAKEAWAYS HERE THAT IS PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE INVISIBLE TO TO TOWN COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY IS, IS ESTABLISHING A POSITION AND WORKING TOWARDS IT WITH OUR SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, RIGHT? SO OUR US HIGHWAY 2 78, UM, HOPE AVENUE, ALL THOSE STREETS, WELL, WE KNOW THEY'RE NOT OURS.
WE HAVE OPINIONS ON SPEED, ON CROSSWALKS, ON SIGNALS, ON LANDSCAPING, ON TREATMENT.
AND EVERY TIME THAT WE LOOK AT A NEW SEGMENT, EXAMPLE, THE LAND, JUST THE LANDSCAPE CLEANUP AROUND SEA PINE CIRCLE OR THE CROSSWALK AT PALMETTO BAY ROAD AND, AND ARROW AT THAT INTERSECTION, ALL OF THAT IS THROUGH AN ENCROACHMENT PERMIT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
AND MOST TIMES THEY ASK US, WHAT'S THE TOWN'S POSITION? AND SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS NOT BRING THEM ONE PIECE AT A TIME, BUT FOR THE ENTIRE SYSTEM, THE ENTIRE NETWORK TO HAVE A, A, A GRAND PLAN, A GRAND SCHEME, SO THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT IT OVER TIME.
AND I THINK THAT IS THE, THE BIG PURPOSE OF THE, OF THE LARGER DOCUMENT FROM MY VANTAGE POINT AS WELL.
AND, AND IF I CAN ADD, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OTHER CRITICAL PIECE IS HAVING A PLAN IN PLACE SO THAT WE CAN SEEK FUNDING FROM OUR OTHER, OTHER AGENCIES AND PARTNERS.
YOU KNOW, WITHOUT THE PLAN, IT'S DIFFICULT TO KIND OF CONVEY WHAT, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
AND SO HAVING THIS IN PLACE WITH SOME CONSISTENCY, THE EXPECTATIONS ARE THERE.
UM, WHEN WE REQUEST GRANT FUNDING, THERE'S SOME CONFIDENCE TO KNOW WHAT'S, WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR AND WHAT WE'LL BE GETTING WITH THAT MONEY.
BEFORE I HAND IT OVER TO, UM, TO BRIAN, THIS IS JUST KIND OF THE OVERALL PROJECT AREA THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.
UM, YOU CAN SEE IN PURPLE IS THE WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY SEGMENTS.
UM, WE HAVE THAT BROKEN INTO EIGHT DIFFERENT SEGMENT AREAS.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE SOUTH ISLAND SEGMENTS, WHICH ARE PALMETTO BAY AND ARROW ROAD, SEA PINE CIRCLE, HOPE AVENUE, AND KIG CIRCLE, AND, UH, BOTH SOUTH AND FOREST, SOUTH AND NORTH FOREST BEACH DRIVES.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IN ORANGE IS THE CROSS ISLAND PARKWAY, UH, CORRIDOR, WHICH CONSISTS ALSO OF THE, UH, FRASER BRIDGE AND THE APPROACHES THERE.
SO I'M GONNA HAND IT OVER TO BRIAN KINSMAN, AND THEN HE WILL HAND IT OFF AS WE GO THROUGH THESE DIFFERENT SEGMENTS.
ALL RIGHT, UH, COUNSEL, IF I CAN GET THIS TO WORK, I ALWAYS MESS THIS UP, DON'T I? UH, WE WERE HERE MONTHS AGO TO REVIEW WITH YOU THE SYSTEMS PORTION OF THAT.
THAT'S THE INCREMENTAL ELEMENTS THAT WE SEE ON THESE CORRIDORS.
EVERYTHING FROM BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENT TO CROSSWALKS, SIGNAGE, LANDSCAPE, EVERYTHING THAT MAKES UP THAT CORRIDOR.
YOU ALL SHOULD NEED TO BE APPLAUDED FOR TAKING ON THIS EXERCISE COMPREHENSIVELY AND LOOKING AT WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY YOUR STANDARDS MOVING FORWARD.
EVERY CITY, EVERY TOWN GROWS INCREMENTALLY AND ORGANICALLY OVER TIME, AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO STOP FROM TIME TO TIME AND REASSESS THE, THE, UH, INCONSISTENCIES, THE CHANGES IN NATIONAL STANDARDS, UM, AND, AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.
AND THEN LET THAT INFORM OUR ENGINEERING AND OUR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT INCREMENTALLY, AS WE, UH, DEVELOP AND IMPROVE THESE, UH, THESE, UH, SEGMENTS TO THE SEGMENTS THEMSELVES.
THOSE ARE THOSE, UH, THOSE REACHES OF CORRIDOR THAT BRIAN JUST IDENTIFIED THAT WE HAVE WILL APPLY THESE SYSTEMS TO.
UH, AND THEN VERY IMPORTANTLY IS THE IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE.
WHAT'S OUR CRITERIA FOR PRIORITIZATION? IT'S GOTTA BE SAFETY.
WE GOTTA PROTECT PUBLIC, PUBLIC, UH, HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE.
IT IS, SERVES A NUMBER OF, OF, OF, UM, ISSUES.
IT SATISFIES YOU ALL AS YOU WORK.
IT GIVES YOU ANOTHER TOOL AS YOU WORK THROUGH POLICY.
IT HELPS, UH, TOWN MANAGEMENT IN TERMS OF IDENTIFYING IMPLEMENTATION PROJECTS, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, HAVING, UH, AGREED TO STANDARDS TO, TO, UH, WORK WITH, AND ALSO THE CONSULTANT SIDE OF THINGS AND THE CONTRACTOR SIDE OF THINGS AS WE PHYSICALLY LAY PAVEMENT AND, AND, UH, CREATE WALKWAYS AND, AND BIKE TRIPS.
SO IT, UM, IT IS A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK.
AGAIN, IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION.
YOU ALL ARE SEEING A SUMMARY DOCUMENT IN FRONT OF YOU, AND WE'RE GOING TO HIT THE HIGHLIGHT REEL HERE TODAY.
BUT IT'S A LOT OF TECHNICAL INFORMATION
[00:10:01]
AND IT'S ALL NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED.I'VE GOT MY TWO, UH, VERY CAPABLE COLLEAGUES WITH ME AS WELL TOUCH UPON SOME OF THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS.
THE SYSTEMS, AGAIN, WE SPOKE TO YOU BEFORE ABOUT THOSE.
UH, IT'S ABOUT CREATING SAFE AND ROBUST TRAIL AND PATHWAY SYSTEM.
WE'VE BEEN KNOWN OF, UH, THROUGH THE YEARS AS HAVING A WORLD CLASS TRAIL SYSTEM ON THIS, IN THIS TOWN.
UM, THERE'S STILL SOME MISSING PIECES TO THAT INTERCONNECTEDNESS AND, UH, CONSISTENCY AND WIDTH.
AGAIN, WE'VE GOTTA PRIORITIZE THE SAFETY OF, UH, PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS.
AUTOMOBILE OPERATORS HAVE GOT THE LUXURY OF HAVING A VEHICLE ABOUT THEM, BUT, UH, THOSE TWO OTHER GROUPS DO NOT, UH, SPEED LOOKING AT THE SPEED ISSUES AND HOW THAT, UH, AFFECTS THE GEOMETRY OF INTERSECTIONS AND TURNING MOTIONS.
WE'VE GOT SOME, UM, HIGH SPEED AREAS ON THIS, ON THIS, IN THIS TOWN, AS YOU KNOW, AND BRINGING A SENSE OF HILTON HEAD SPECIFIC CHARACTER TO THESE CORRIDORS THAT ISN'T A MONOCULTURE THAT EVERY, EVERY STREET NEEDS TO LOOK IDENTICALLY.
BUT IT, THIS IS A VERY UNIQUE PLACE AND IT NEEDS TO HAVE A UNIQUE SIGNATURE TO IT FROM THE SIGNAGE AND LANDSCAPE STANDPOINT.
UH, AND I'M ALWAYS AMAZED AT HOW MUCH, UM, TRACTION, NO PUN INTENDED, THAT WE'VE GOTTEN OUT OF OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM ON THIS, ON ISLAND, IN THIS TOWN.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK TO INCREASE ITS USAGE AND ITS COMFORT AND ITS AVAILABILITY TO, UH, TO WORKERS AND RESIDENTS LIKE, AND THEN ON THE LANDSCAPE AND THE, AND THE FURNISHING SIDE OF THINGS, UH, LET'S DEAL WITH MOTHER NATURE.
LET'S NOT PUT IN THINGS THAT ARE, UM, UH, NOT INDIGENOUS, NOT CULTURALLY CORRECT.
AND, UH, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE PLACE LANDSCAPE, THAT IT IS NOT IN THE WAY OF VIEW CORRIDORS AND PEDESTRIAN.
SO AS, UH, ON THE LANDSCAPE AND AESTHETIC SIDE OF THINGS, UH, STANDARDIZING THESE MATERIALS, DEAL WITH OUR, UM, UH, OUR MEDIANS, MORE ROBUST PLANTINGS, UM, TO PROVIDE THAT SEPARATION.
PROVIDE WHAT WE CALL ISLAND APPROPRIATE LIGHTING AT KEY PLACES, INTERSECTIONS AND CROSSWALKS FOR PURE PUBLIC SAFETY PURPOSES, UH, AT AN INCREASE THAT SEPARATION BETWEEN AUTOMOBILE AND PEDESTRIAN BICYCLISTS TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE.
AND THINK ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE AND THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THIS.
UH, CERTAINLY THE ENGINEERING ASPECTS OF SUSTAINING, UM, UH, SITE LINES, BUT ALSO THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS OF THESE SYSTEMS. LET'S NOT CREATE MORE WORK FROM OURSELVES.
LET'S, LET'S, UH, DEAL WITH MOTHER NATURE SIGNAGE AND WAYFINDING.
WE'VE GOT GREAT, I THINK, PUBLIC ART DISPLAYS IN THIS TOWN.
I THINK WE'VE GOT MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THAT OVER TIME, AND I THINK THAT SPEAKS TO THE, THE BRAND OF THE TOWN.
UH, AND ALSO, UM, CONSISTENCY AND IMPROVEMENTS IN ADDITIONS OF SIGNAGE, REFINING ON THE TRIPS.
SO, AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR US TO THINK ABOUT IS CREATING A UNIFORM DESIGN LANGUAGE, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR ROADS, YOUR VISITORS, UH, AS WELL AS LOCAL RESIDENTS.
UH, YOU'VE GOT A UNIQUE DRIVER POPULATION HERE.
YOU'VE GOT FOLKS WHO'VE BEEN HERE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, AND FOLKS WHO ARE JUST COMING FOR THE FIRST TIME.
CONSISTENCY IN DESIGN LANGUAGE IS GONNA BE IMPORTANT AS WE'RE LOOKING TO ENHANCE SAFETY FOR THE OVERALL CORRIDORS.
YOUR BIGGEST PUBLIC SPACES THAT YOU HAVE, EXCUSE ME, ARE YOUR PUBLIC ROADWAYS.
AND SO CREATING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT IS GONNA BE IMPORTANT FOR US.
AND SO THE FIRST KEY THING, BECAUSE AS MENTIONED EARLIER, IS THAT YOU DON'T OWN ALL OF THESE ROADS.
YOU HAVE TO DO THINGS THROUGH AN ENCROACHMENT PROCESS.
S-C-D-O-T IS IMPORTANT FOR THAT.
SO FAR, THEY'VE BEEN VERY RECEPTIVE TO WHAT WE'RE GONNA PRESENT TODAY.
UH, BUT CREATING THOSE, UH, SETTING IMPORTANT INFORMATION SUCH AS YOUR LANDSCAPING, YOUR SPEEDS, YOUR WIDTHS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE GONNA BE IMPORTANT.
AND THEN AGAIN, THE INCORPORATING SIGNAGE AND, AND PAVEMENT MARKINGS AS WELL.
ACCESS MANAGEMENT IS ONE OF THE, UH, EASIEST WAYS TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY AND OVERALL FUNCTIONALITY OF A CORRIDOR.
UH, NOT EVERY PARCEL NEEDS FIVE DRIVEWAYS.
WE'VE GOTTEN TO A PLACE YEARS AND YEARS AGO WHERE WE JUST WOULD OPEN UP ANY PIECE OF PROPERTY FOR A DRIVEWAY.
WE FOUND THAT INTERCONNECTIVITY AND FOCUSING THOSE ACCESS POINTS IN KEY LOCATIONS ARE MAKING OUR ROADS MUCH SAFER, AND HOW WE CONTROL THOSE ACCESS POINTS AS WELL.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, BALANCING OUR VEHICULAR EFFICIENCY AND TRAVEL SPEEDS.
SPEED IS ONE OF THE MOST, NUMBER ONE IS THE NUMBER ONE, UH, FATALITY FOR ROAD USERS OUT THERE, ESPECIALLY OUR MOST VULNERABLE ROADWAY USERS, WHICH ADDIE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT IN A MINUTE.
UH, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE AN EFFICIENT SYSTEM,
[00:15:01]
BUT NOT ONE THAT'S UNFETTERED WITH THE CONTROL OF A SPEED.AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE SET THAT CORRECTLY.
THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THE SPEED LIMIT TO BE DETERMINED.
WE DON'T SEE A MONOLITHIC SPEED LIMIT ALONG ALL THE CORRIDORS.
WE SEE THOSE ADAPTING FOR THE CONTEXTUAL AREAS THAT ARE THERE.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE NUMBER ONE, UH, WAY TO, UH, IMPROVE SAFETY AS WELL IS INCREASING ENFORCEMENT RELATIVE TO SPEED.
SO WORKING WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY IS GONNA BE IMPORTANT FOR US AS WE LOOK AT THAT.
A COUPLE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT AS WE TALK ABOUT THAT STANDARDIZED LANGUAGE, UH, IS OUR INTERSECTION GEOMETRY.
UH, JUST THE SEGMENT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY HAS GOT SOME VERY INTERESTING GEOMETRY OUT THERE.
UH, IT, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT DRIVERS UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
AND SO WHEN WE HAVE VARIATIONS IN THAT, THAT'S WHEN WE CREATE RISK.
WE ALSO CREATE CONCERN AND WE CREATE ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THAT.
UH, IMPROVING QUEUING AREAS, BOTH ALONG THE PATHWAYS AS WELL AS INTERSECTIONS IS IMPORTANT.
UH, I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT IMPROVING OUR CROSSING STANDARDS, UH, HOW WE CROSS THE STREET WHERE WE INTERMINGLE WITH VEHICULAR AND PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE TRAFFIC.
YOU'VE GOT A WONDERFUL TRAIL SYSTEM, BUT YOU DO HAVE TO CROSS OVER ROADWAY.
SO MAKING SURE THOSE ROADWAY USERS UNDERSTAND WHAT'S OCCURRING THERE FROM BOTH PERSPECTIVES IS GONNA BE IMPORTANT.
UM, AND THEN PRIORITIZATION OF OUR BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AT INTERSECTIONS.
NUMBER ONE KEY POINT FOR, THANK YOU.
I THINK ONE COUPLE KEY THEMES THOUGH HERE THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION IS LEGIBILITY AND CONSISTENCY.
UM, REALLY TO HELP SET THOSE EXPECTATIONS, BOTH FROM THE VEHICLE DRIVER, BUS OPERATOR, BICYCLE, THE PED.
AS A MOM OF TWO YOUNG KIDS, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, HOW WE WANNA MOVE THROUGH OUR, OUR SYSTEMS AND OUR ROADS.
WERE REALLY SET UP FOR MOVING CARS, BUT WE REALLY WANNA THINK WITH OUR PATHWAYS OF HOW, NOT DO WE JUST PROVIDE SAFETY, WHICH JONATHAN SPOKE ABOUT, WHICH IS THAT STATISTICAL NUMBER, BUT THE COMFORT FEELING WHEN YOU GO THROUGH, THANK YOU, UM, MOVE THROUGH THE SYSTEM, MAKE SURE YOU'RE FEELING COMFORT WITH YOUR KIDS OR WHOEVER YOU'RE WITH IN THAT, IN THAT MOMENT.
SO SOME THINGS WE WANNA THINK ABOUT IN THIS AS, AS FILLING THOSE GAPS, MAKING SURE THOSE SMALL LITTLE GAPS ARE CLOSED, BECAUSE THAT WILL HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON MO OVERALL MOBILITY.
UM, AGAIN, UM, INCREASING THE AMENITIES, AND AGAIN, THAT GOES TO LEGIBILITY AND CONSISTENCY OF THE AMENITIES WHERE YOU CAN SET EXPECTATIONS ON WHERE YOU'RE GONNA FIND CERTAIN THINGS.
UM, AND THE MATERIALITY OF THOSE SYSTEMS AS WELL AS, AS THE WAY FINDING AND THE CONS, CONSISTENCY OF DESIGN, UM, FOR OUR PATHWAYS AS WELL.
THAT GOES A LONG WAY TO ALSO THE TRANSIT.
UM, I LIKE TO THINK OF TRANSIT AS JUST, YOU KNOW, IT SHOULD BE PART OF THE PUBLIC REALM AND REALLY, SURE.
PATHWAYS, UM, BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIANS THERE SOMETHING IN PARTICULAR THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO ADVOCATE FORWARD IN ORDER TO CARRY.
I THINK IT'S JUST CONTINUING ON WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE, THEY ARE THE PRIORITIES.
SO I THINK YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WERE SOME ANSWERS SPECIFIC, ALL THAT WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO.
JUST IN GENERAL, THANK, UM, AND THEN BACK TO TRANSIT, IT'S AGAIN, THAT, THAT PUBLIC REALM AND MAKING SURE IT'S, UH, LEGIBLE, UM, AND INTEGRATED INTO THE PUBLIC REALM.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE THINK ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY AND WHO ARE THE USERS OF THE PUBLIC REALM.
AND IT'S NOT JUST, UM, CARS, BUT ABOUT 30 TO 40% OF OUR COMMUNITY ARE PEOPLE WHO CAN'T DRIVE OR WHO ARE RELYING ON BICYCLE, PETS, TRANSITS ABOUT HOW TRANSIT CAN BE INTEGRATED INTO OUR, UM, SYSTEMS. THOSE, UM, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IT RECENTLY, BUT THAT'S GENERAL IN GENERAL.
SO WITH ALL THOSE INCREMENTAL SYSTEMS, THIS GRAPHIC SHOWS A TYPICAL CORRIDOR UNDERSTANDING.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT NEXT TO THE SEGMENTS, AND YOU'LL FIND THAT THERE'S NOTHING TYPICAL ABOUT OUR SEGMENTS.
EVERY REACH OF THESE ROADWAY SYSTEMS ARE DIFFERENT.
HOWEVER, IN A GRAPHIC, YOU CAN SEE, UH, ALL OF THOSE ELEMENTS BEING BROUGHT TO BEAR WITH TRANSIT SHELTERS, COMFORT STATIONS, UH, SEPARATION TRAILS, AND MORE ROBUST TRAILS, MEDIAN PLANTING, TRANSIT, AND, UM, AND MORE.
AND, AND I'LL SAY APPROPRIATE LANDSCAPING, ALSO SOME HARD OPPORTUNITIES.
SO IT'S WITH THESE SUMMARY OF ELEMENTS THAT WE HAVE LOOKED INTO EACH OF THOSE SEGMENTS, AS BRIAN HAD IDENTIFIED EARLY ON.
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THIS SLIDE JUST SOME OF THESE SNAPSHOTS THAT THERE ARE A, A, A LOT OF INCONSISTENCIES.I'M HERE TO SAY THOUGH, THAT THE TOWN OF AT ISLAND HAS GOT A LOT LESS INCONSISTENCIES IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
SO IT'S NOT ALL THAT BROKEN, BUT WE NEED TO ADDRESS THESE THINGS BECAUSE IT IS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE.
WE ALSO HAVE VARIOUS LEVELS OF, OF BICYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS AND AUTOMOBILE OPERATORS.
AND, UH, WE NEED TO REMOVE AS MUCH CONFUSION AS WE POSSIBLY CAN AS WE ADDRESS EACH OF THESE SEGMENTS.
SO AGAIN, THE, THE, THE PARKWAY ITSELF IS BROKEN DOWN INTO EIGHT, UH, REACHES OR, OR SEGMENTS.
THEY'RE BASED ON THE CHARACTER, THE PLACE, NOT NECESSARILY AT SPEED LIMIT, BUT HOW IT FEELS.
THE LAND USE IS ADJACENT TO IT.
SOME ARE BIGGER THAN OTHERS IN TERMS OF, OF LENGTH.
THE SOUTH ISLAND SEGMENTS, AS WE SPOKE OF BEFORE, PALMETTO BAY SEA, PINE CIRCLE, POPE AVENUE, ARROW ROAD, AND THEN THE CONNECTIVE TISSUE BETWEEN ARROW AND, UH, PALMETTO BAY.
ALSO AT NORTH AND SOUTH FOREST BEACHES FOR SEGMENTS OF THOSE AS, AS WE SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS TO THE BEACH, ACCESS.
AND THEN THE CROSS ISLAND, WE'VE BROKEN THAT DOWN INTO TWO SEGMENTS.
ONE, THE BRIDGE ITSELF, AS WE ALL OBSERVE, THERE'S A FAIR AMOUNT OF FOLKS ON BICYCLES AND ON FOOT RIGHT NOW DOING A MORNING CONSTITUTIONAL UP AND DOWN THAT BRIDGE, AND ALSO THAT SEGMENT OF THE PARKWAY THAT IS ON, UH, ON TERRA FIRMA.
SO CONTINUE TO LEAD WITH SAFETY.
WE'VE GOT TO LOOK AT THESE HIGH CRASH AREAS AND MINIMIZE THOSE THROUGH GOOD DESIGN AND GOOD ENFORCEMENT CONNECTIVITY.
THERE'S STILL SOME MISSING TEETH IN OUR SYSTEMS. AND, UH, NOT EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD RIGHT NOW HAS PEDESTRIAN BICYCLE CONNECTION TO DESTINATIONS AND TO OTHERS.
AS ADDIE HAD SUGGESTED, WE NEED TO FILL IN THOSE, UH, THOSE GAPS AND THEN CREATES SOMETHING THAT IS UNIQUE TO HELP HEAD ISLAND.
THERE ARE CERTAIN SIGNATURE STREETS AND CORRIDORS TO, OF WHICH WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UH, UH, FOLLOWING THIS.
THERE ARE OTHERS AS, AS WELL, BUT MAKING SURE THAT WE, UH, APPROACH THESE AESTHETICALLY AND REINFORCE THE CHARACTER OF THE PLACE.
SO ONE OF THOSE SEGMENTS IS WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY.
AGAIN, THIS WAS A PRIORITY AS DIRECTED BY YOU ALL, JUST BASED ON THE CRASH DATA AND SOME OF THE UNFORTUNATE INCIDENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED THERE.
THIS IS PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING.
WHAT WE'VE, WHAT WE'VE DEALT WITH HERE TO, FOR, IN TERMS OF SYSTEMS AND SEGMENTS IS AT A STUDY LEVEL, PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING IS TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF MAGNIFICATION, GETTING DOWN TO FINER GRAIN DETAIL OF NOT TENS OF FEET, BUT FEET AND INCHES.
UH, IT IS THE, THE LINK BETWEEN FINAL ENGINEERING, DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTATION, AND GETTING THINGS BUILT IN THE GROUND.
THIS IS A NECESSARY STEP TO LINK THOSE VISION TO PHYSICAL CONSTRUCTION, SAFETY, REDUCING CONFLICT POINTS.
UH, THESE ARE COMPLETE STREET PRINCIPLES.
EVERYBODY, UH, HAS NEEDS TO BE SAFE AS THEY OPERATE.
UH, AND, UH, ALL MODES OF TRAVEL NEED TO BE ADDRESSED, NOT JUST ALONG THE CORRIDORS, BUT ACROSS THE CORRIDORS.
SO THIS IS A, UH, THIS SEGMENT IS LARGELY IS A PORTION OF THE MID ISLAND DISTRICT.
AND THROUGH THE DISTRICT PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, TWO YEARS AGO, UH, WE BROUGHT THOSE PRINCIPLES FORWARD.
IT WAS, THE SEGMENT OF THE PARKWAY IS MEANT TO BE A, A BIT OF A SIGNATURE STREET, IN FACT, A SIGNATURE STREET.
IT IS THE CENTER OF THE ISLAND.
IT'S GOT THREE SIGNIFICANT, UM, UH, HIGH DEVELOPMENT AREAS AND MID ISLAND TRACKED, UH, SOON TO BE A PARK.
IT'S OUR BUSIEST SEGMENT OF TOWN.
ONE COULD ARGUE FROM THE VEHICLE OPERATION STANDPOINT.
IT ALSO IS, UH, HAS THE HIGHEST INCIDENT OF, OF, OF, UH, TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.
SO IT IS A SEGMENT OF THAT, BUT IT DOES NOT GO AROUND THE HORN THAT IS, UM, IN SEGMENT FOUR.
SO THAT IS THE, THE PIECE FROM, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM, FROM DYLAN MOVING TO THE, TO THE LEFT, WHICH IS TO THE, TO THE WEST.
WE'VE GOT, UH, WILLY-NILLY, PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS, WE'VE GOT SOME MARKED CROSSWALKS.
BUT, UM, ALL OF THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED THROUGH THESE, UH, INTERSECTION POINTS.
IS THIS AN AREA THAT INVOLVES A LOT OF COLLISIONS AND INJURIES? YES, WE'VE HAD SOME FATE.
NOT THE MOST THOUGH, IS IT? IT'S, IT'S, I THINK IT IS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW IT.
[00:25:09]
AND, AND, AND A LOT OF REAR END COLLISIONS, PEOPLE MAKING TURNS.THERE'S, UM, I'VE EXPERIENCED SOMEONE CROSSING THE PARKWAY OUTSIDE OF A CROSSWALK.
AND, UH, HAD I NOT BEEN PAYING ATTENTION, THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ANOTHER ACCIDENT.
SOME OF THE HISTORY OF THE CORRIDOR, JUST SO EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS, IT'S TODAY IS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN 1965, RIGHT? SO, UH, WE SHOULDN'T BEAT OURSELVES UP.
THESE ARE ISSUES THAT EVERY MUNICIPALITY FACES, AND WE WERE, YOU ALL ARE KEEN ON ADDRESSING THEM HOLISTICALLY.
JUST TO, TO BUILD ON WHAT BRIAN WAS SAYING, I THINK ONE OF THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS WE NEED TO ASK IS WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THIS STREET? AND I THINK ALSO THE HISTORY OF THE STREET, THIS STREET WHEN IT WAS BUILT, WAS DESIGNED TO MOVE CARS THROUGH HILTON HEAD THROUGHPUT WAS THE KEY.
AS THE ISLANDS DEVELOPED, WE HAVE LAND USES THAT HAVE COME ONLINE, AND NOW IT'S ABOUT THROUGHPUT AND ACCESS.
AND THAT IS CAUSING A LOT OF OUR CONFLICT POINTS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE CORRIDOR.
SO IT'S REALLY TO UNDERSTAND THAT HISTORY OF HOW WE ARE IN THIS POSITION TODAY.
AND TO YOUR POINT, THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF PEDESTRIAN CRASHES, UM, 15 FATALITIES AND 53 MAJOR INJURY CRASHES WITHIN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
UM, SEGMENT THREE DEFINITELY HIGHLIGHTS THAT ISSUE OF THAT CONFLICT BETWEEN THROUGHPUT AND ACCESS TO OUR LAND USES AND WHY WE NEED TO GET IT RIGHT.
SORRY, I DIDN'T WANNA INTERRUPT YOU TWICE, BUT I'M SORRY.
UM, I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE, UH, TRAFFIC COUNTERS OUT THERE, UM, MAYBE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
UM, SO DO WE HAVE DATA FROM THE TRAFFIC COUNT THROUGH THERE AS A RESULT OF THAT? WE DO.
THAT INFORMATION WAS USED TO, UH, HELP US UNDERSTAND THE SPEEDS THROUGH THE CORRIDOR AS WELL AS CONTINUED VOLUME AND THEN CLASSIFICATION OF VEHICLE TYPES THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THERE.
HOW MANY PEDESTRIANS, UM, OR HOW MANY, UH, PERSONAL VEHICLES.
AND THEN OF COURSE, HEAVY UNITS, BUSES, TRUCKS, ALL OF THAT INFORMATION.
YOU COULD DO ALL THAT FROM THOSE, UH, COUPLE OF CORDS THAT RAN ACROSS IN TWO PLACES.
SO I GUESS THE SPEED LIMIT IS 45.
WHAT WAS THE, DID YOU FIND AN AVERAGE SPEED THROUGH THERE? YOU BASE IT OFF OF 85TH PERCENTILE SPEEDS.
UM, WHICH IS THE, THE POINT IN WHICH 85% OF THE POPULATION IS TRAVELING THROUGH THERE.
THAT'S KIND OF A MEASURE THAT, UH, THE, UH, FHWA HAS SUBSCRIBED TO US TO FOLLOW.
WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT THERE WERE SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 65 MILES PER HOUR THROUGH THERE.
UM, AND THEN, BUT THE CONSISTENT SPEED THROUGH THERE, UH, WAS CLOSER TO THE 50 MILE PER HOUR RANGE, RIGHT? UM, AND SO WHAT THAT TELLS US THOUGH IS THAT YOU'VE GOT A POSTING OF A SPEED LIMIT, BUT YOU'VE GOT A ROAD WHERE MOST PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING MUCH FASTER, A LOT FASTER.
AND SO WE GOTTA FIND A WAY TO CHANGE THE DESIGN LANGUAGE THAT MAKES THAT SPEED APPROPRIATE THROUGH THERE FOR ALL USERS, NOT JUST MOTOR VEHICLES.
SO THE COMFORT LEVEL FOR VEHICLES IS LOWER.
AND I REMEMBER THAT COMFORTABLE THING, UH, AND I KEPT THINKING, OKAY, WELL HOW ABOUT PEDESTRIANS? ARE THEY COMFORTABLE WITH SOMEBODY GOING 60 MILES, 65 THROUGH A YEAR? OR NO, NOT ABSOLUTELY.
I WOULD ASK IF WE COULD GET THAT INFORMATION SO WE CAN SHARE IT WITH THE SHERIFF
UH, QUESTION IF VOLUME AND SPEED ARE TWO SIGNIFICANT VARIABLES IN THAT PARTICULAR SECTION, WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT? WELL, MY OPINION WOULD BE, UM, HAVING A SPEED LIMIT THAT IS SET, THAT STILL MOVES TRAFFIC THROUGH THERE, BUT ACCOMMODATES NOT JUST A SINGULAR MODE.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF BICYCLES, WE GOT A LOT OF PEDESTRIANS.
THIS IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST, UH, CROSSING LOCATIONS ON THE ISLAND.
AND SO RIGHT NOW THEY DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THE CROSSWALKS AND THEY ARE PLAYING FROGGER GOING ACROSS THE ROAD.
IF, IF THE VOLUME WERE REDUCE BY 30%, HOW MUCH WOULD THAT AFFECT YOUR DESIGN? DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD.
'CAUSE WHAT HAPPENS THEN IS WHEN THE VOLUME BEGINS TO GO DOWN, SPEEDS CONTINUE TO GO UP.
AND SO YOU HAVE TO FIND A BALANCE IN BETWEEN THE, THE, THE GEOMETRICS IS REALLY THE, THE ANSWER.
WHEN WE CREATE A ROAD THAT FEELS COMFORTABLE FOR ALL MODES, THEN WE'VE HIT PERFECT SPOT.
STOLE MY LINE ABOUT A GAME OF FROGGER.
'CAUSE THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS ALONG THIS CORRIDOR IS, UM, PEDESTRIANS NOT WANTING TO GO WALK TO THE DEDICATED CROSSWALK OR FEELING LIKE THEY'RE TAKING THEIR LIFE INTO THEIR HAND WHEN THEY'RE CROSSING WITHOUT A SIGNALED INTERSECTION.
SO THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT.
UM, AND OUR DESIGN AND OUR THOUGHT PROCESS OF THAT VEHICLE VOLUMES AND THE GAME OF FROGGER THAT IS HAPPENING WITH OUR PEDESTRIANS, UM,
[00:30:01]
AS THEY TRY TO ACCESS THE LAND USE THROUGH THERE.IT'S NOT, UM, SHOCKING TO US THAT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CRASHES ALONG THIS CORRIDOR ARE, UM, UH, SIDESWIPES AND REAR END.
I THINK A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH TAKING THAT RIGHT TURN INTO ACCESS.
A LOT OF THE LAND USES, SO YOU SLOW DOWN THE CAR BEHIND YOU, HOPEFULLY IS PAYING ATTENTION.
THEY EITHER HIT YOU OR THEY TRY TO SWERVE AND THEY SWERVE AND THEY SIDESWIPE THE CAR NEXT TO YOU.
AND THAT IS THE NUMBER OF CRASHES.
IT'S THE BULK OF THE CRASHES WE ARE SEEING.
AND JONATHAN SAW TWO OF THEM LAST TIME WE WERE HERE AS A GROUP.
HE SAW TWO OF THEM WITHIN 2010 HOURS, EIGHT HOURS, SOMETHING PROBABLY ABOUT
SO IT IS DEFINITELY A CONCERN AND WE WANT TO THINK ABOUT THAT AND THE TYPE OF CRASHES AGAIN, HOW DO WE KIND OF TAILOR THAT WITH THE SPEEDS AND THE GEOMETRIC, UM, SOLUTIONS OF THE ROADWAY.
AGAIN, THE, THE PROVIDING THE SAFETY AND THE COMFORT FOR ALL MODES, I THINK IS GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
HAVING WATCHED AND WALKED THAT CORRIDOR AND WATCHING ALL THE MOVEMENT OF ALL THE MODES OUT THERE.
SO INCREASING MOBILITY, BUT THE SAFETY AND COMFORT AND ACCESS TO THOSE, UM, ALL USERS.
AND AS I SPOKE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, ABOUT THAT ACCESS OF WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY, REALLY TRANSITIONING FROM A THROUGHPUT, A STREET THAT JUST MOVES, MOVES PEOPLE ABOUT ACCESS TO THE LAND USE.
HOW DO WE BEGIN TO BALANCE THE LAND USES AND THE TRANSPORTATION THAT IT WORKS IN CONCERT AND WE'RE NOT HAVING A LOT OF THESE CRASHES THAT ARE HAPPENING ALONG THE CORRIDOR.
SO, UH, STAFF AND OUR CONSULTANTS UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS SECTION AND, UH, ADDRESSING IT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
WE SUBMITTED A PERMIT APPLICATION TO SC O TO, UH, IMPROVE THINGS ON A SHORT TERM BASIS.
IN NOVEMBER, WE GOT FEEDBACK FROM SC OT ABOUT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, UH, THAT THEY NEEDED TO APPROVE THOSE UH, REQUESTS.
IN, UH, DECEMBER, WE, UH, TALKED TO JONATHAN, GUY AND KIMBERLY HORN ABOUT CREATING THAT INFORMATION THAT WAS NEEDED YESTERDAY.
THEY DELIVERED THIS PACKET OF PAPER TO US THAT WE CAN SUBMIT TO SC O AND JONATHAN TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THAT AND ANSWERING SOME OF THE QUESTIONS EARLIER IN THE MEETING.
AND, UH, WE WILL BE SETTING UP A MEETING, UH, WITH JOSH JOHNSON FROM SC.TO TALK ABOUT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT KIMLEY HORNE CAME UP WITH TO JUSTIFY OUR REQUEST IN NOVEMBER.
THAT MEETING WILL HOPEFULLY TAKE PLACE NEXT WEEK.
UH, THOSE REQUESTS INCLUDED SOME PATHWAY LIGHTING, UH, PUCK LIGHTING, UH, IN THE PAVEMENT FOR THE NONS SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS, RRFB, UH, WHICH IS RAPID FLASHING BEACONS PUSH BUTTONS SO THAT WHEN THERE'S A PEDESTRIAN THAT WANTS TO CROSS THESE MID-BLOCK CROSSINGS, THEY CAN PUSH THE BUTTON, THE RAPID FLASHING, UH, BEACONS GO ON THE PAVEMENT.
PUCK LIGHTING COMES UP SO THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S SOMEBODY NEEDING TO CROSS THERE.
UH, WE'RE GONNA IMPROVE THE PEDESTRIAN CROSS CROSSING, UH, MARKINGS OUT THERE.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT A REDUCTION IN SPEED LIMIT.
THE REDUCTION, UH, RECOMMENDATION IS 35 MILES AN HOUR AND THEN, UH, DO SOME, UH, KIOSK IMPROVEMENTS IN THAT AREA.
UH, ON TOP OF THAT, UH, MANAGER ORLANDO HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE COUNTY TO, UH, GET $600,000 WORTH OF FUNDING, UH, THROUGH, UH, IGA WITH TRAFFIC IMPACT FEES.
UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE COUNTY IS CONSIDERING THAT THIS WEEK, AND WE SHOULD HEAR SHORTLY, UH, ON, UH, THAT FUNDING PIECE.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS I CAN ANSWER CONNECTION WITH THOSE SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU JUST REFERENCED? ONE OF, ONE OF THE CONCERNS IS, IS THAT PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS AND SO FORTH, WERE NOT CROSSING AT CROSSWALKS.
THEY WERE DOING IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BLOCK.
IT SOUNDS FROM WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THAT THESE WILL BE SAFETY INDUCEMENTS, THAT IF THE RIDERS AND PEDESTRIANS KNOW ABOUT THEM, THEY'LL GO TO THE INTERSECTIONS.
UM, BUT THERE MAY ALSO CONTINUE TO BE PEOPLE WHO DON'T GO TO INTERSECTIONS.
SO, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, FROM A BARBED WIRE FENCE OR SOMETHING, OH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FORGOT TO MENTION WAS THAT WE WERE GOING TO DO SOME MEDIAN PLANTINGS, LOW LEVEL MEDIAN PLANTINGS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE JUNGLE TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE.
AND, AND SO, UH, AGAIN, IF, IF THOSE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS ARE IN PLACE, MORE PEOPLE WILL USE THEM.
AND THEN AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO HELP ENCOURAGE THEM TO GET THERE BY DOING SOME MEDIAN PLANTINGS TO SAY, NOW DO I REALLY WANNA GO GO THROUGH ALL THAT? OR DO I JUST WANNA WALK AN EXTRA COUPLE HUNDRED FEET? NO, GO AHEAD.
ONE OF YOUR POINTS IN HERE IS SPEED LIMIT REDUCTION.
YOU CAN TAKE SIGNS OF SAY, 45 MILES AN HOUR, HAVE 'EM MOVE DOWN TO 40
[00:35:01]
OR 35 MILES AN HOUR.I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S GONNA SLOW PEOPLE DOWN.
WHAT ARE THE TECHNIQUES OR TOOLS IN THIS DESIGN THAT WILL OPERATE TO ENCOURAGE A LOWER STATEMENT AND THESE TEMPORARY SOLUTIONS? WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT CHANGING THE DEAL OF THE ROAD, AND JONATHAN JUST TALKED ABOUT THAT, IS THAT THAT FIELD REALLY NEEDS TO CHANGE TO AFFECT THOSE SPEED LIMITS.
SO THE BEST THING THAT WE CAN DO TO ENCOURAGE ENFORCEMENT, AND AGAIN, ENFORCEMENT WILL CHANGE A LOT OF PEOPLE'S ATTITUDES, UH, IN HOW THEY DRIVE.
AND, UH, AGAIN, I'VE BEEN IN MANY PLACES IN THE COUNTRY AND WE, WE CAN PUT SIGNS UP ALL WE WANT, BUT IT'S ENFORCEMENT THAT WILL MAKE THOSE SIGNS WORK.
AND AGAIN, WE, WE JUST HAVE TO HAVE GOOD PARTNERS OUT THERE AND, UH, ENCOURAGE THAT, THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR ENFORCEMENT.
UM, THESE ARE INTERIM IMPROVEMENTS.
WHEN DO THEY COME TO COUNCIL FOR OUR VOTE? I THINK THAT'S WHY WE'RE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THOSE TODAY IS SO THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
AGAIN, MR. JAMES QUESTION MEANS, CAN WE DO, WE ARE PREPARING THAT SO THAT WE CAN DO IT.
I I, I WAS, I WAS GOING TO ASK THE QUESTION, IS THERE A CONSENSUS AT THIS MEETING THAT WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD? SO THE MAYOR HAS THE ABILITY TO PUT IT ON AN AGENDA? I WOULD SAY YES, BECAUSE ALL OF THIS IS ABOUT OUR SUPPORT THAT THEY MOVING IT FORWARD TO GET TO THE FINAL DOCUMENT.
UM, IF WE NEED TO PULL SOMETHING OUT OF HERE TO MOVE IT EXPEDITIOUSLY, THEN WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT.
SECOND, HAS THE SHERIFF BEEN ADVISED OF THIS RECOMMENDATION TO REDUCE SPEED THAT WAS A STUMBLING BOX PREVIOUSLY, CORRECT.
THE FIRST PART OF THAT THOUGH IS THAT WE'VE GOT TO GET S-C-D-O-T CONCURRENCE ON THIS 'CAUSE THEY CONTROL AND SET THAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS THE ENFORCING ARM OF THAT.
AND WE'LL WORK WITH THEM ONCE WE GET S-C-D-O-T TO AGREE TO THIS CHANGE.
THE DATA SUPPORTS THE CHANGE AND THE NEED FOR IT.
IT'S A MATTER OF GETTING THEM SINCE THEY OWN THE ROAD.
AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AS A PART OF A LARGER PLAN WITH THE, UH, THE, UH, LOW COUNTRY COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS FOR THE SF FOUR.
A PROJECT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
WE'VE HAD MEETINGS WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THIS HAS BEEN THE NUMBER ONE TOPIC WITH THEM.
SO I'VE ALREADY STARTED TO MOVE THAT IN THE CORRECT DIRECTION.
AND ONE OTHER POINT, I'M SORRY, I JUST WANTED TO ANSWER MR. GLENN'S QUESTION.
THE LANDSCAPING MEDIAN WILL ALSO HELP TO SLOW TRAFFIC DOWN.
YOU CREATE A VISUAL BARRIER THERE THAT IT DOESN'T FEEL AS OPEN AND THAT STARTS TO NARROW THAT FOCUS DOWN AND CREATING THAT FRICTION.
SO THAT'S GONNA HELP ALONG WITH JIM'S RECOMMENDATION OF ENFORCEMENT.
WE WILL SEE THOSE SHARP EDGE THORNS ON THOSE BUSH
I'M NOT A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT.
I'LL LEAVE THAT UP TO MY FRIENDS HERE TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
THEY'RE MADE OF CONCRETE BEFORE WE GET IN TROUBLE.
AND YOU'RE TURNING TO ME TO PREVENT US GETTING IN TROUBLE.
ANYHOW, UH, WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT LANDSCAPE MEDIANS, EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY WANNA DISCOURAGE FOLKS BY LOW LEVEL PLANTING FROM NOT USING 'EM, THEY STILL WILL.
AND LANDSCAPE MEDIANS PROVIDE A REFUGE FOR PEDESTRIANS.
SO LET'S NOT TOTALLY BLOCK THEM OUT THERE.
I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY THE INTENT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT IS A REFUGE FOR FOLKS.
UM, SO, UM, WITH REGARD TO THE SPEED LIMIT RECOMMENDATION, IS THAT ONLY FOR THIS SEGMENT OR IS IT FOR THE ENTIRE WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT THIS SEGMENT IN THE REPORT? AND AGAIN, NOT, WE'LL HAVE TO GET THEIR CONCURRENCE ON ANY SECTIONS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WE, WE HAVE TO DO A SIMILAR REPORT TO TRY FOR EACH SEGMENT.
UM, AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING THE RAPID FLASHING BEACONS.
I HAVE WONDERED WHAT AN RFFB WAS.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS THAT, UH, WE ARE GONNA SEE PRETTY SOON SOME OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, FOR THIS PARTICULAR SEGMENT.
AND SO, UH, MR. AMES ASKED IF, IF THIS IS THE INTERIM, UH, FIX.
SO IF, IF THIS IS THE INTERIM AND IT TOOK FROM IN, I APPRECIATE ALL THE DILIGENCE Y'ALL HAVE DONE IN TRYING TO GET A-C-D-O-T PERMIT PROCESS THROUGH.
UM, BUT UM, IF WE'RE GOING TO APPROVE THESE OTHER CHANGES TO THAT SEGMENT, THEN TAKING THIS LONG TO GET THESE THINGS APPROVED, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE LENGTH OF TIME TO MAKE THOSE OTHER KIND OF IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, AND I'M NOT GONNA ASK YOU TO TRY TO FORECAST THAT.
I'M JUST EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT THAT.
BUT I THINK THIS, AS WE UNDERSTAND IT, THIS IS INTERIM.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONES THAT WE'RE GETTING READY TO HEAR ABOUT ARE SHORT TERM FIXES A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO TAKE THAN,
[00:40:01]
THAN INTERIM, BUT NOT LONG TERM.IS THAT ACCURATE? IS WELL, IT'S ACCURATE IF WE HAVE THE FUNDS TO PAY FOR THEM, RIGHT? SO WE'RE, WE HAVE A SENSE OF URGENCY AND I THINK THAT'S THE BALANCE WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WITH TOWN COUNCIL TODAY.
UM, ONE, I DON'T WANT TO GET OVER MY SKIS WITH NOT BRINGING THINGS TO YOU, BUT WE ARE AT, AT THAT TIPPING TIPPING POINT.
WE KNOW OF THE URGENCY THAT'S HERE.
WE'VE HEARD FROM YOU, BUT WE'RE IN THIS, WE'RE IN THIS PROVERBIAL CHICKEN AND EGG AND CART AND HORSE SITUATION.
WE CAN'T JUST GO TO TOWN COUNCIL AND ASK YOU WHAT YOU WANT.
IF DOT WON'T AGREE WITH IT AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL YOU, DOT WILL AGREE WITH OR NOT UNTIL WE GO WITH TO THEM.
AND SO HENCE, WE'RE COMING TO YOU FIRST.
WE HAVE HAD SOME REAL GOOD PRELIMINARY WORK DONE, UM, WITH JONATHAN AND, AND BRIAN AND EVERYBODY THANK YOU.
I, I WOULD LOVE SEVEN HEAD NODS ON THE IMMEDIATE FIXES.
WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PLANTINGS LOOK LIKE, BUT WE KNOW THIS, THAT IF IT'S GOING TO BE SAFER, IT HAS TO LOOK AND FUNCTION DIFFERENTLY THAN IT DID IN THE SEVENTIES.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO SAY OUT LOUD TODAY.
UM, BUT IF WE CAN GET SEVEN HEAD NODS FROM YOU ON THIS IMMEDIATE, THE OTHER, THE OTHER PARTS THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO DIVE IN ARE MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE.
MAIN STREET PLUS OR MINUS $10 MILLION.
THIS SEGMENT CLOSING INTERSECTIONS WHERE BUSINESSES CURRENTLY EXISTING, THE REAL POLICY LIFT IS IN THE FUTURE SLIDES.
AND THAT STARTS BECOMING OF, OF COURSE, HEAVIER TO LIFT AND MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE TO IMPLEMENT.
SO, UH, I, I WOULD RATHER KNOW WHAT YOUR POSITION IS AND KNOW THAT WE HAVE A SENSE OF URGENCY INSTEAD OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE, THE CLOCK, THE SHOCK CLOCK ON WHEN WE'LL GET DONE.
WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS FOR WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE.
WE HAVE THE FUNDS FOR WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
I, I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS THIS LIKE STEP ONE OF WHAT WE'RE APPROVING TODAY? UM, AND, AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN WITH REGARD TO THE FUTURE? SO THAT'S VERY HELPFUL.
IT'S GREEN BECAUSE, UM, TRYING TO GIVE MR. ORLANDO THE GREEN LIGHT.
EVERYBODY PUSHED YOUR MICROPHONE.
YEAH, I, I I JUST THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY DIRECT AND KNOW NODDING TO THIS PARTICULAR PRIORITY, YOU KNOW, SAID ALREADY IT'S A PRIORITY.
NOW YOU SAID HERE'S HOW I'M GOING TO DO IT.
I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY DELIBERATE IN SAYING, HEY, GO DO IT.
SO, UM, I'LL LET COUNSEL KNOW THAT MR. ORLANDO AND I ARE PLANNING TO GO UP TO MEET WITH JUSTIN POWELL, THE NEW SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO, SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT THESE PROJECTS THAT, THAT ARE GOING ON THE ISLAND SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WELL I'M SORRY, SO THAT THEY HEAR OUR VOICE.
THANK YOU FOR THAT ROBUST DISCUSSION.
UH, LEMME SET THE TABLE HERE WITH UNDERSTANDING WHERE WE'RE OPERATING TODAY.
AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN HERE IS, UH, FUTURE CAPACITY ANALYSIS WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING TO THE ROADWAY AT THIS POINT.
AND YOU CAN SEE THERE IS SOME GREEN UP THERE, BUT THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF YELLOW AND A LOT OF RED.
AND WHAT THAT TELLS US IS THAT WE'RE REACHING THAT, UH, SATURATION POINT ON SIDE STREETS WHERE WE'VE GOT LONG DELAY.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE HAVE LONG DELAY? PEOPLE START TO MAKE REALLY BAD DECISIONS BECAUSE THEY'RE FRUSTRATED AND THAT REDUCES THEIR FOCUS OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE MOVING IN AND ABOUT THE INTERSECTION.
SO WE USE THIS AS A BASELINE, AND I'LL EXPLAIN THIS AS WE GET THROUGH MORE OF THIS.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE TOOLS AND MECHANISMS WE'VE GOT FOR THE FUTURE YEAR.
AND AS MR. ORLANDO SAID, WE'VE ALREADY HAD SOME INITIAL CONVERSATIONS ON ALL THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE HERE TODAY, ESPECIALLY ON WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY AND HAVE RECEIVED THE NOD OF THIS WORKS WITHIN OUR RIGHT OF WAY FROM S-C-D-O-T THAT DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO GO BUILD THIS TODAY.
BUT WHAT IT TELLS US IS WE'VE GOT A REALLY GOOD PLAN TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
SO OUR FIRST GOAL AGAIN IS TO CHANGE THAT DESIGN LANGUAGE OF SPEED.
FOR SO MANY YEARS, THIS CORRIDOR HAS JUST BEEN A THOROUGHFARE JUST TO GET AROUND TO THE BEACHES, RIGHT? WE NEED TO CHANGE THAT.
THERE'S MORE PEOPLE HERE, PE HOW PEOPLE MOVE IN THIS AREA ARE IMPORTANT.
UH, NOT ONLY JUST FROM A MOTOR VEHICLE STANDPOINT AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE INCREASE THAT SPEED, THAT OVERALL STOPPING SITE DISTANCE, WE NEED, UH, INCREASES BY A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT.
JUST THAT CHANGE RIGHT THERE IS OVER A HUNDRED FEET.
AND YOU ALSO SEE THE SURVIVABILITY WHEN THAT DOES HAPPEN.
SO WE'RE STRESSING THE POINT OF THAT AS WE GET INTO THIS.
AND ANOTHER WAY TO DO THIS, AND I MENTIONED THIS EARLIER, IS CHANGING HOW WE LOOK AT THE GEOMETRY.
THE FIRST ONE IS OUR LANE WIDTHS AT 12 FOOT OUT HERE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE THAT PLUS A MEDIUM PLUS OPEN SHOULDERS, IT FEELS LIKE YOU GOT 14, 15 FEET.
IT FEELS LIKE I'VE GOT A RUNWAY AND I CAN GO REALLY FAST 'CAUSE THIS IS STILL A US NUMBERED ROUTE.
S-C-D-O-T WILL NOT LET US GO BELOW 11 FEET.
[00:45:01]
WITH THEM TO GET THAT DOWN.THERE ARE OTHER THINGS WE WILL DO THAT WILL CHANGE THAT LANGUAGE THOUGH.
BUT 11 FEET IS OUR RECOMMENDATION.
AND I'VE MENTIONED THE SPEED REDUCTION THROUGH HERE AND WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO AT 35 MILES PER HOUR.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN WE'RE GONNA DO A UNIFORM POSTED SPEED THROUGHOUT ALL OF WILLIAM BUILT PARKWAY, THOUGH WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT IT CONTEXTUALLY.
AND HERE WE NEED TO CHANGE THAT SPEED LIMIT FROM 45 MILES PER HOUR DOWN CYCLE.
UH, REDUCE THE SIGNAL CYCLE DURATION.
UH, SOMETIMES AND SOMETIMES WE DO NEED TO, TO LOOK AT HOW WE DO THAT.
YOUR ADAPTIVE SIGNAL SYSTEM IS ALREADY WORKING THROUGH THAT RIGHT NOW.
IT'S PROVIDING THAT CHANGE OF SIGNAL SYSTEMS. WE WANNA INCORPORATE CROSSING PATTERNS THAT WORK.
SO ADJUSTING THOSE SIGNAL TIMINGS TO HELP BRING MORE CROSSINGS FOR ONLY FOR BICYCLES AND PEDESTRIANS IS GONNA BE IMPORTANT.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONTROLLED INTERSECTIONS.
THIS IS ESSENTIALLY HOW ARE WE GONNA ASSIGN THE RIGHT OF WAY IF WE PUT ON WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY AND NEVER LET THE SIDE STREETS GO, WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE CONGESTION CUT, FRUSTRATED, AND THEY'RE GONNA BEGIN TO CUT THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS AND OTHER THINGS.
SO LOOKING AT TRADITIONAL INTERSECTIONS, SIGNALIZATION AND SOME, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME FOUR-WAY STOPS AND POTENTIALLY SOME ROUNDABOUTS TOO.
UH, WHEN HOW WE AND WHEN AND WHERE WE NEED TO DO THAT.
NUMBER ONE THING WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT GOES BACK TO ALL OF THESE OTHER THINGS IS CONFLICTS WHERE WE HAVE THOSE INTERSECTION POINTS BETWEEN VEHICLES UP HERE.
JUST WHEN YOU HAVE A FULL MOVEMENT VERSUS A CONTROLLED MOVEMENT, YOU REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CONFLICT POINTS, THOSE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN VEHICLES EASILY JUST BY CHANGING HOW A MEDIAN INTERACTS WITH.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA LOOK AT.
FOCUS, THE TURNING MOVEMENTS WHERE THEY NEED TO BE, NOT NECESSARILY RESTRICTING THEM, BUT FOCUSING THEM WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.
THAT'S GOING TO MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE ON HOW WE MOVE PEOPLE HERE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, PROVIDING PROTECTED PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS.
UH, OUR RFPS, PARTICULARLY RAPID FLASHING BEACONS ARE ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE DO.
UH, MOVING FROM THERE, WE CAN GO INTO WHAT YOU SEE UP HERE, WHICH IS A HAWK SIGNAL, UH, WHICH YOU'VE GOT SOME ON, ON SOUTH FOREST, WHICH CONTROLS TRAFFIC THERE.
BUT ALSO LOOKING AT SIGNALIZE INTERSECTIONS.
DOT WILL TELL YOU THAT, AND I'VE SEEN THIS IN THE NUMBER OF STUDIES THAT I'VE DONE IN IN THE INTERSECTIONS, I'VE DESIGNED THIS WAY BETTER.
COMPLIANCE COMES WITH SIGNALIZE INTERSECTIONS THAN HAWK SIGNAL DRIVERS DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT A HAWK SIGNAL IS.
THEY DON'T KNOW, DO I STOP, DO I GO, WHAT DO I DO? DO I HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THIS? SO S-C-D-O-T WILL ALLOW THESE, BUT THEY PREFER TO DO A REGULAR TRAFFIC SIGNAL.
AND SO WE'LL WORK WITH THEM ON WHERE THAT FITS INTO THE OVERALL PROGRAM.
SORRY, A QUICK QUESTION THERE.
FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, I CALL IT AN ALL STOP.
AND THAT IS INSTEAD OF, UH, ALLOWING PEDESTRIAN BICYCLISTS CROSSING AND THERE'S STILL TURNING TRAFFIC, THERE'S NO TURNING TRAFFIC AS WELL.
IS THAT INCLUDED IN THESE DESIGNS? ABSOLUTELY.
SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN INTER, UH, INTERTWINE INTO THE SIGNAL SYSTEM IS WHAT WE CALL LPIS LEADING PEDESTRIAN, PEDESTRIAN INTERVALS, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY AN ALL STOP.
UH, AND THAT JUST PAUSES THE NETWORK JUST A LITTLE BIT SO THAT WE GET THE PEDESTRIANS OUT AHEAD OF THOSE TURNING VEHICLES AND THE SIDE STREET MOVEMENTS OR THE BAIN STREET MOVEMENTS EASILY TO INCORPORATE INTO THE SYSTEM WITH NOT A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES, HOPEFULLY A LONGER INTERVAL FOR THOSE OF US WHO MOVE MORE SLOWLY OR WHERE THERE'S SO MANY LANES THAT YOU HAVE TO RUN ACROSS.
I THINK NOT ONLY CROSSING SPEED, BUT ALSO VOLUME IS IMPORTANT TOO.
AND SO WE'LL LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
UH, AND THEN SUPPORTIVE OF ALL OF THIS IS WHEN WE HAVE INTERCONNECTIVITY.
I'VE MENTIONED THAT PREVIOUSLY, UH, TODAY, BUT HOW WE CAN CREATE CONNECTIONS THAT ALLOW NOT JUST MOTOR VEHICLES BUT PEDESTRIANS TO MOVE BY THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
PEOPLE OFF OF THE LARGER CORRIDORS.
TRAFFIC SPEEDS THEN ARE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR THERE AND THE VOLUME IS MORE APPROPRIATE FOR HOW WE'RE MOVING THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THIS, UH, THIS SEGMENT IS PART OF THE MID ISLAND DISTRICT.
WE THINK THERE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO IDENTIFY THAT AS SUCH, THE CENTER OF OUR ISLAND WITH SIGNATURE LANDSCAPE.
UM, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, YOU MENTIONED THAT WHOLE NOTION OF THE PEDESTRIAN, UM, UM, SAFETY OF THE MEDIANS.
WE'RE LOOKING IN THIS PARTICULAR SECTION AS WELL TO NOT ONLY PLANTED THAT WELL LANDSCAPE, THOSE ISLANDS, BUT TO MAKE THAT MEDIAN EVEN WIDER AS WELL.
SO WE WANNA, UH, WE DON'T WANNA ENCOURAGE, UM, JAY WALKING, BUT WHEN, AS JONATHAN'S ABOUT TO DISCUSS IN SOME OF THIS INTERSECTION DESIGN AS WE GET FOLKS ACROSS THESE WIDE STREETS, WE GOTTA GET THEM SOME REFUGE FOR SURE.
AND, AND ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MAYBE UPLIGHT SOME OF THAT, UH, LANDSCAPE, AGAIN, INDIGENOUS LANDSCAPE ELEMENTS, BUT CREATE A LEGITIMATE CENTER OF OUR TOWN IN THIS DISTRICT WITH THIS SEGMENT, UH, THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING PORTION.
NOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ALL OF THESE, UH, THE, THE TOOLS AND THE MECHANISMS. UH, NOW WE'VE GOT SOME OPTIONS
[00:50:01]
FOR SOME OF THESE INTERSECTIONS AND SOME OF THESE SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS.AND I'LL LET JONATHAN GO THROUGH THOSE AND SEE WHAT THE SNAPSHOT OF THE WHOLE CORRIDOR MAY LOOK LIKE AFTER IMPROVE.
SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS, UH, WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY, NUMBER THREE FROM BEACH CITY, UH, DOWN TO MATTHEWS ROAD.
AND WHAT WE'VE REALLY DONE IS TAKEN OUT A LOT OF THE CROSSING POINTS THAT WERE THERE.
GOT SOME STRANGE GEOMETRY THROUGH THERE.
YOU'VE GOT PARALLEL BACK TO BACK LEFT TURN LANES THAT OVERLAP WITH EACH OTHER, WHICH IS REALLY ONE OF THE WORST LAYOUTS, UH, THAT YOU CAN HAVE BECAUSE IT'S JUST FREE MOVEMENT THROUGH THERE.
UM, YOU'VE GOT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CHEATING THE SYSTEM, UH, AT BEACH CITY AND COMING DOWN AND COMING THROUGH INSTEAD OF TURNING LEFT.
'CAUSE THEY DON'T WANNA WAIT THERE.
SO THEN THEY'RE WHIPPING A U-TURN.
AND THAT'S ACTUALLY, AS ADDIE MENTIONED, THAT'S WHERE WE SAW ONE OF THE CRASHES, UH, HAPPEN.
AS WE WERE ALL STANDING OUT THERE, UM, COMING DOWN TOWARDS THE STARBUCKS, WE WITNESSED ANOTHER CRASH LATER THAT DAY JUST BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND ADD THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND WE'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION.
DISTRACTION IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE FOR A LOT OF THAT, BUT IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE.
SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS US KIND OF PROVIDING, AGAIN, UNIFORM DESIGN, LANGUAGE PEOPLE, THE EXPECTANCY OF WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO ENCOUNTER WHEN YOU COME TO AN INTERSECTION.
YOU'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE, YOU KNOW HOW TO DRIVE THIS.
UH, AND SO MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, AT PALMETTO PARKWAY FOR A PROPOSED TRAFFIC SIGNAL WITH FOUR LEGS OF CROSSING THERE AGAIN, WE SEE A LOT OF PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC COMING UP OUT OF THE OAKS AND COMING ALONG THE TRAIL, WANTING TO CROSS HERE FOR DESTINATIONS ON THE OTHER SIDE.
SO CREATING THAT SO THAT THEY'RE NOT CUTTING THROUGH THE MEDIAN AT THAT LOCATION.
PROVING CROSS ACCESS, UH, WITHIN, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SOUTHWOOD PARK DRIVE AREA AND HOW IT INTERFACES WITH THE OAKS AND IMPROVING THAT INTERCONNECTIVITY THROUGH THERE.
UM, CLOSING UP SOME MEDIAN CROSSINGS AS WE GET DOWN HERE, STILL PROVIDING THAT LEFT TURN ACCESS, WHICH RETAILERS FIND IMPORTANT.
SO WE'RE NOT LIMITING ANYONE'S ACCESS.
WE'RE AGAIN FOCUSING IT TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE A KEY INTERSECTION.
AND THAT LEFTOVER RIGHT THERE AT NORTHRIDGE, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHERE THE, THE STARBUCKS IS.
THAT WOULD BE A SIGNAL LINES CROSSING THERE.
SO MOVEMENTS WOULD BE CONTROLLED.
UH, BUT AS WAS BROUGHT UP JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO, WE WOULD SET IT UP SO THAT THE, IT'S AN ALL STOP FOR MOVEMENTS GOING THROUGH THERE.
PEDESTRIANS WHO WOULD'VE THE RIGHT OF WAY, BUT WE WOULD STILL CONTROL THE MOVEMENTS FOR THE LEFT AND THE EXITING MOVEMENTS WHEN THEIR CYCLE IS CALLED.
SO WE BALANCE THOSE MOVEMENTS AND PROVIDE, AGAIN, THAT SAFE CROSSING.
A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT JIM MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE INTERIM WOULD BE BUILT UPON WITH THIS PLAN.
SO TRAIL LIGHTING, THE IN PUCK, UH, OR THE PUCK LIGHTING IN PAVEMENT, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE KIND OF LIFTING UP AND BUILDING UPON EACH OTHER.
SO THAT EFFORT IS NOT GONE, IT'S JUST ENHANCED.
UM, CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENTS.
AND AGAIN, TAKING OUT DOWN AT MATTHEWS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SWEEPING RIGHT TURN THROUGH THERE WHERE THE PEDESTRIANS HAVE TO CROSS GO STAND IN A TINY ISLAND AND THEN CROSS AGAIN, TAKING THAT OUT.
SO IT'S A SEAMLESS CROSS, BUT STILL, AGAIN, ACCOMMODATING THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S TO THE NORTH WHERE WE HAVE LARGE TRUCKS AND ACCESS INTO THE NORTHRIDGE PLAZA AS WELL AS SEA TURTLE FOR THOSE TRUCKS.
FOCUS ON JUST TWO INTERSECTIONS.
I KIND OF BROUGHT, I'VE ALREADY SORT OF, UH, DISCUSSED THESE, BUT AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE IMPROVEMENTS HERE IN HOW WE WOULD LAY THIS OUT.
YOU CAN SEE THE CHANNELIZED MOVEMENTS PROVIDING GENEROUS CROSSING LOCATIONS AND GENEROUS CROSSING WIDTHS HERE, UH, FOR THE CROSSWALKS, UNIFORM STAMPING OF THOSE CROSSWALKS, WHICH HAS ALREADY BEGUN COORDINATION WITH S-C-D-O-T AND THAT DIRECTIONAL SIGNALIZE CROSSING DOWN THERE AT SEA TURTLE PLAZA.
WITH THAT LEFT COMING IN, ALL OF THESE THINGS BEGIN TO ENHANCE THE SAFETY.
UM, ARE YOU ADDING PAVEMENT OR TAKING A PAVEMENT OUT TO THESE, THESE GREAT QUESTION.
I'M ACTUALLY TAKING PAVEMENT OUT.
AND SO ONE OF THE POINTS I DIDN'T, I FAILED TO MENTION IN MY NOTES HERE IS THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY ALSO IMPROVING BECAUSE OF THE WAY YOU'RE SETTING THESE MEDIANS UP.
YOU'RE ACTUALLY ENHANCING YOUR STORM WATER BY REMOVING IMPERVIOUS SURFACE.
SO THERE'S A SORT OF A DOUBLE-EDGED BENEFIT FROM THIS.
NOT ONLY PEDESTRIAN AND CLASSICAL AND, AND MOBILITY SAFETY.
WE ALSO HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AS WELL IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION.
HOW MANY CARS TRAVEL THROUGH THIS AREA ON A DAILY BASIS? UH, YOU'RE IN THE UPWARD 30,000 VEHICLES PER DAY.
I CAN GET YOUR PRECISE NUMBER, BUT THAT'S POWER.
THAT'S WHERE I, THAT'S WHAT I WAS.
WE MENTIONED, I SHOULD, I FAILED TO MENTION THIS AT THE BEGINNING.
YOU'LL SEE THESE OPTIONS LAID OUT.
OPTION ONE, OPTION TWO, OPTION ONE OBVIOUSLY IS THE ONE THAT WE FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT.
AND OPTION TWO ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE CONSIDERED.
I MENTIONED TO YOU EARLIER THAT WE DID CONSIDER SOME ROUNDABOUTS TO THESE LOCATIONS.
AND TO BE VERY HONEST WITH YOU, THE REASON THAT WAS CONSIDERED IS FOR ONE OF OUR PRIMARY REASONS IS SPEED PRODUCTION ROUNDABOUTS DO DO THAT, BUT THEY ALSO PROVIDE INCREDIBLE MOBILITY, UH, AND KEEP TRAFFIC MOVING THROUGH THERE.
SO WE DID RECOMMEND THAT WE DID PRESENT THIS TO S-C-D-O-T.
THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY RESERVATIONS.
[00:55:01]
A SERIES OF ROUNDABOUTS THROUGH HERE WHERE WE LOOKED AT PALMETTO, UH, NORTHRIDGE AND OF COURSE, AT SEA HURDLE PROVIDING THAT MOBILITY AND ACCESS AS WELL.OUR CONCLUSION, OUR CONCLUSION WAS TO ACTUALLY GO WITH SOMETHING THAT WAS A LITTLE MORE UNIFORM ON THE CORRIDOR, WHICH IS WHAT I JUST RECOMMENDED WITH OPTION ONE, WHERE WE HAVE THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS AT THOSE LOCATIONS.
THE REASON BEING IS THAT WE DO SLOW TRAFFIC WITH THIS.
WHAT WE FIND THOUGH IS THAT PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IS NOT AS STRONG CROSSING AT A ROUNDABOUT AS IT IS AT KNOWING THAT WE HAVE OVER FOUR FATALITIES, THREE OF WHICH INCLUDED PEDESTRIANS AT THIS LOCATION.
AND SO WE WAITED, I I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOUR CONCLUSION IN THAT REGARD, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT HILTON HEAD IS WELL KNOWN FOR CIRCLES.
AND THEN SECONDLY, IT DOES SLOW TRAFFIC AND IT HAS A PLACE, IT'S A PLACEMAKER, ABSOLUTELY IS A PLACEMAKER.
SO I I THINK THAT THERE BALANCE IS TO BE MADE THERE.
UM, CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT CAN STILL BE DISCUSSED.
IS THERE, IS THERE AN OPTIMUM PLACEMENT OF THE CROSSWALK COMING OFF OF A ROUNDABOUT? WELL, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT IN, IN THIS DRAWING THAT'S UP THERE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE ALSO A, A RECTANGULAR RAPID FLASHING BEACON CROSSING AT THAT LOCATION AT NORTHRIDGE.
UH, THE TROUBLE THAT YOU FIND IS THAT THERE IS AN OPTIMUM SPACING THAT IS RECOMMENDED FROM FHWA.
YOU PROBABLY HAVEN'T MEMORIZED IT.
UH, BUT IT'S NOT CLOSE WITHIN THE CIRCLE.
SO YOU BEGIN TO GET OUTSIDE OF THE CIRCLE, YOU'RE WITHIN 40 TO 50 FEET OUTSIDE OF THE CIRCLE.
UM, WHAT HAPPENS THOUGH IS THAT IF DRIVERS ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION, THEY'RE GONNA COME, ESPECIALLY EXITING.
THEY'RE GONNA COME OUT OF THAT AND THEY'RE NOT, THEY MAY NOT SEE THE PEDESTRIAN IF, EXCUSE ME, I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THE WEEDS, BUT, BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA WHERE YOU HAVE A CIRCLE OPPORTUNITY MAY NOT BE WHERE THE OPTIMAL CROSSING FOR PEDESTRIANS AND THEY MAY GET A DEDICATED LIGHT.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE ACTUALLY ON SCREEN IS THAT THE DEDICATED CROSSING WOULD BE AT NORTHRIDGE, NOT NECESSARILY WE ARE PROVIDING IT AT ALL.
I, I I WILL TELL YOU THAT BOTH OF THESE OPTIONS, UH, WORK, THEY WORK GREAT.
BOTH HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO S-C-D-O-T.
THERE WAS NO HESITATION ON EITHER.
UM, AND SO THESE WERE SOME SCHEMATICS WE SHARED WITH THEM.
YOU CAN SEE KIND OF THE CONFIGURATIONS IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL HERE.
UM, THESE ARE NOT THE TRADITIONAL CIRCLES THAT YOU DO HAVE ON THE ISLAND TODAY.
THESE ARE MODERN ROUNDABOUT DESIGNS.
WHAT YOU'VE GOT ARE MORE OF A ROTARY DESIGN COUPLE THAT ARE STARTING TO POP UP THAT ARE MORE MODERN.
SO THESE, UH, ARE A LITTLE MORE, UH, INTUITIVE FOR DRIVERS AND PEDESTRIANS, BUT YOU CAN SORT OF SEE THE SPACING AWAY FROM THE CIRCLE AS YOU LOOK AT THE CROSSING LOCATIONS THERE, UH, AS THEY WERE LAID OUT.
SO LET ME JUMP TO THE, TO THE CONCLUSION HERE, RIGHT? SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE PROS AND CONS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH SIGNALIZE INTERSECTION, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CONFLICT POINTS TO THE SAME LEVEL AS A ROUNDABOUT.
I THINK THAT WAS ALREADY EXPRESSED IN SOME OF THE COMMENTARY WE'VE HEARD TODAY.
UM, AND THEY DON'T NECESSARILY CONTROL SPEEDS AS GREAT AS A ROUNDABOUT.
UM, BUT THEY DO HAVE A LOT OF BENEFITS.
UH, THEY ARE A HIGHER LEVEL CONTROL FOR PEDESTRIANS, WHICH IS A VERY LARGE CONCERN FOR US.
UM, AND THE WAY WE'RE CHANNELIZING THIS, WE'RE TAKING OUT SOME OF THE UNSIGNED CONFLICTS, UH, WITH THAT SYSTEM ROUNDABOUTS AGAIN, UM, THEY PROVIDE A GATEWAY AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER.
UM, THERE IS SOME FATIGUE ON THE ISLAND ASSOCIATED WITH ROUNDABOUTS.
UM, AND THEN THE CLOSE SPACING OF MULTIPLE ROUNDABOUTS 'CAUSE WHAT WE HAD SHOWN THERE, UM, TO THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS.
WHILE THAT SPACING DOES WORK, I'VE MODELED IT, UH, AT TIMES WHEN YOU MAY HAVE SOME, UH, OVERSATURATED CONDITIONS, IT COULD BACK UP INTO SOME OF THOSE INTERSECTIONS.
YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS A SIGNALIZE INTERSECTION.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT THIS POINT, STILL WORKING THROUGH ALL THE FINAL DETAILS, THOUGH AGAIN, BOTH OPTIONS DO WORK.
UH, DO THE ROUNDABOUT OPTIONS REQUIRE ANY MORE RIGHT OF WAY? SLIGHT BIT OF RIGHT OF WAY ON THE SIDE STREETS.
YOU, THE WAY WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY WAS DESIGNED ORIGINALLY WITH A VERY LARGE RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, YOU CAN FIT EITHER OF THESE OPTIONS IN THERE.
IT'S REALLY JUST THE SIDE STREETS AND HOW YOU TIE IN.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REALLY SMALL AREAS.
THE MAIN CIRCLE FITS WITHIN YOUR EXISTING RIGHT OF WAY, WHICH YOU DON'T FIND THAT OFTEN ON CORRIDORS IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
JUST ONE THING, AND I THIS IS GREAT.
THIS IS GREAT TO HEAR YOUR, SOME OF YOUR THOUGHTS ON ROUNDABOUTS FIRST SIGNALIZE INTERSECTION IN, IN A STRETCH OF ROAD, RIGHT? WHERE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INJURED AND KILLED IN AN AREA THAT DOESN'T, WE WOULDN'T THINK ABOUT A
[01:00:01]
ROUNDABOUT OR A SIGNALIZE INTERSECTION.SO I THINK THE EXERCISE THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP DOING IS ONE, I, I DON'T WANT TO JUST THROW OUT THE ROUNDABOUTS, BUT I'M, I'M MORE INTERESTED IN WHAT'S THE MOST EFFICIENT AND MOST SAFE ENHANCEMENT.
HAVEN'T DOVE COMPLETELY DEEP INTO ALL THOSE DETAILS YET, BUT IT, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE SOME OF YOU WOULD, IT SOUNDS LIKE SOME OF YOU WOULD LIKE US TO CONTINUE TO EXPLORE A ROUNDABOUT OPTION AND NOT JUST GO ALL IN MOVING TOWARDS THE SIGNALIZE INTERSECTION.
THERE, THERE, THERE MAY BE OTHER PLACES ALONG THE CORRIDOR THAT COULD INTRODUCE A TRAFFIC CIRCLE BENEFICIALLY, AND SO THEN IT BECOMES A THEME.
SO THAT'S ALL I'M TRYING TO, AS LONG AS IT'S NOT A TURBO.
I JUST THOUGHT RATHER THAN, JONATHAN, THAT'S FOR YOU.
ONE OTHER QUESTION IS, DOES THE MID ISLAND DISTRICT CALL FOR SIGNALS VERSUS ROUNDABOUTS? I, I DON'T KNOW AT THAT SPECIFIC.
WHEN WE LOOKED AT THAT, WE, WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO IMPROVE THE, THE ROADS FOR, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE AND VEHICLES, BUT WE DIDN'T DIVE INTO INTERSECTION TREATMENT.
I DON'T THINK WE THROW AWAY ROUNDABOUTS.
SO IT JUST, JUST CURIOUS IS, IS THERE A COMBINATION OF THESE TWO THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY WORK AS WELL? ABSOLUTELY.
I'M SURE YOU HAD TO THINK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT.
WE, WE HAVE AS YOU'RE GOING THROUGH IT.
BUT IT'S NOT HERE FOR A REASON.
UH, WE'VE, WE'VE LOOKED AT HYBRID SCENARIOS WHERE, UM, MR. JAMES BROUGHT UP, YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE A KEY STRATEGICALLY PLACED ROUNDABOUT COMING IN FROM EITHER DIRECTION THAT WOULD BEGIN TO SLOW TRAFFIC DOWN.
AGAIN, CONTEXTUALLY CREATING A A PLACE HERE IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
UH, IT SETS THE TONE AND, AND THE ROUNDABOUT DOES THAT MORE EFFECTIVELY THAN A SIGNAL.
THAT PLACEMENT AND HOW IT INTERACTS WITH YOUR EXISTING SIGNAL SYSTEM IS VERY KEY.
SO YES, WE'VE LOOKED AT THAT AND WE CAN ELABORATE MORE ON THAT, UH, AT YOUR, THAT YOU'RE LIKING.
I WOULD WEIGH IN ONE LAST TIME ON THE ROUNDABOUT VERSUS SIGNALIZE INTERSECTION.
I'M, I'M FIRST PEDESTRIAN BICYCLIST SAFETY FIRST, AND I WANNA SEE A SCHEMATIC OF HOW A ROUNDABOUT WOULD DEAL WITH PEDESTRIAN AND, AND BICYCLIST CROSSING.
THIS IS THAT SUMMARY GRAPHIC I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE 2 CENTS IN ON THE, OH, I'M SORRY, THE ROUNDABOUT AHEAD, ALEX.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WAS A UNWRITTEN RULE OR JUST SOMETHING THAT I'VE OBSERVED HERE ON HILTON HEAD, VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT NOT HAVING TRAFFIC SIGNALS.
I WOULD DESCRIBE AS SIDE STREETS OF THE AREAS THAT WE HAVE INTERSECTION SIDE STREETS, WE DESCRIBE A ROUNDABOUT.
SO I DON'T WANNA CLOSE THE DOOR IN THE ROUNDABOUT DISCUSSION, BUT MORE INCLINED TO SAY THAT WE KNOW THAT WE WILL HAVE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY NEEDS ON THE SIDE.
STREETS AND ROUNDABOUTS TO ME PROBABLY WORK A LOT BETTER THAN SIGNAL INTERSECTION AS FAR AS BALANCING THE THOROUGHFARE VERSUS ACCESS.
I MADE MENTION BEFORE OF TAKING ALL THOSE ELEMENTS AND PUTTING 'EM TOGETHER INTO A PERSPECTIVE.
TAMMY, I, I'M SORRY, MS. BECKER.
SO IT, IT, IT IS SIMPLY A GRAPHIC THAT SHOWS THE INCREASE WIDTH OF, OF, OF THE MEDIAN, UH, BUFFER BETWEEN THE TRAIL SYSTEM AND A, AND A CONSISTENT TRAIL SYSTEM ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD.
WHEREVER WE HAVE VEHICLE PEDESTRIANS SLASH BICYCLE CROSSINGS, WE HAVE STANDARD CROSSWALK SO THAT EVERYONE RECOGNIZES THE, THE INHERENT CONFLICT AND THEN ROBUST PLANTING DOWN THAT MEDIAN AS WELL AND CREATING THAT SIGNATURE FOR THE MID ISLAND.
UM, THAT'S PARKWAY, UH, THREE.
PARKWAY TWO IS, UH, ANOTHER SEGMENT THAT WE'VE GONE INTO A DEEPER DIVE ON.
PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING, SPECIFICALLY ON THE MAIN STREET PORTION AND NOT LOST ON ANYONE HERE.
IT'S REDUCING ALL THOSE CONFLICT POINTS AND THE VARIOUS MODES OF TRAVEL.
AND ALSO ESTABLISHING, CONTINUING TO REINFORCE THE, THE IDENTITY OF MAIN STREET.
IT'S A, UH, IT'S A, IT'S A RETAIL DESTINATION.
IT'S A RESTAURANT, UH, AND OFFICE DESTINATION.
WE THINK IT, SO THIS SEGMENT CONNECTS TO THE, ON THE LEFT IMAGE, CONNECTS TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE LEFT IMAGE AND SHOWS A PORTION OF THAT AS IT,
[01:05:01]
AS IT MARRIES UP WITH THE SEGMENT WE JUST DISCUSSED.AND IT GOES, UH, ALL THE WAY TO THE WEST, DEPENDING ON YOUR ORIENTATION ON THE ISLAND OR THE NORTH TO, UH, TO WILBORN.
SO IT'S A VERY KEY SEGMENT FOR SURE.
AND THE TOWN HAS JUST RECENTLY TAKEN OWNERSHIP OF, OF THE OTHER PORTION OF MAIN STREET.
AND THERE ARE NEED NEEDS FOR, SO THIS IS THE STUDY AREA, AND IT ISN'T JUST MAIN STREET AND, UH, PARKWAY TOO, BUT IT'S ALSO THE CONNECTING STREETS BETWEEN THOSE TWO.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF MISSING TEETH FROM A PEDESTRIAN STANDPOINT AND BICYCLE STANDPOINT ON MAIN STREET.
AND, UH, BRINGING THAT CONSISTENCY TO THAT, THAT AND THESE CONNECTING STREETS.
YES, I THINK THE, THE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY IS GONNA BE KEY ALONG THESE STREETS, PARTICULARLY, YOU KNOW, WITH THE SCHOOLS ADJACENT TO IT.
UM, AND ALSO JUST FORMALIZING WHERE EACH MODE SHOULD BE WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY AND MAKING SURE THAT THOSE MODES KNOW WHERE THERE SHOULD, SHOULD BE, WHERE TURNING MOVEMENTS HAPPEN ALONG THERE AS WELL.
UM, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS WE CAN LOOK AT PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS, WHETHER IT'S A RAISE CROSSING ON SOME OF THESE TO RFB HAWK, FORMAL SIGNALIZE INTERSECTION.
THERE'S A WHOLE HOST OF THINGS WE CAN DO ON THESE CORRIDORS TO REALLY BEGIN TO ENHANCE, UM, NOT ONLY THE SAFETY AS I'VE SPOKEN ABOUT, BUT ALSO THE COMFORT OF ALL THESE USERS BECAUSE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT ALONG THIS AREA AS WE HAVE SEVERAL SCHOOLS HERE AND THINKING ABOUT STUDENTS ACCESSING THE SCHOOLS, NOT JUST WITH THE BUS TRIPS, UM, TO THEM AS WELL, BUT I THINK OF, UM, HIGH SCHOOLERS AND ACCESSING JOBS.
NOT EVERY HIGH SCHOOLER HAS A CAR.
HOW DO THEY GET TO JOBS, UM, WITHIN THE AREA.
SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, AGAIN, THINKING ABOUT THOSE TRANSIT OPTIONS, ACCESS TO SCHOOL, UM, AND CREATING OPPORTUNITIES, UM, OUT FREELY AND COMFORTABLY THROUGHOUT THIS SPACE.
PARTICULARLY WITH ALL THE SCHOOLS LOCATED RIGHT HERE.
I THINK IT'S GONNA BE CRITICAL TO MOVE FORWARD, UM, IN TERMS OF, UM, INTERSECTION, LOOKING AT, UM, TAKING AWAY THESE RIGHT TURN LANES AND REALLY KIND OF SIMPLIFYING THAT INTERSECTION.
AGAIN, THAT HELPS WITH, UM, THE SAFETY ASPECT OF PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLES CROSSING.
UM, AND ALSO EXPECTATIONS FOR DRIVERS OF WHERE THEY SHOULD BE AS WELL.
UM, AND NOT SLOWING THOSE SPEEDS.
AGAIN, WE TALKED ABOUT SPEEDS, BUT REMOVING THOSE SPEEDS SLOW AND VEHICLE MOVEMENT INTENTIONAL.
ALSO, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, MAIN STREET IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REINFORCE WHAT I THINK IS A PRETTY ATTRACTIVE CHARACTER.
IT'S, IT'S A FAIRLY NARROW STREET.
IT'S GOT, UM, PRE COVER FOR THE MOST PART ADJACENT TO IT.
I THINK WE WANT TO TAKE FURTHER ADVANTAGE OF THAT THROUGH THE LANDSCAPE.
LET THE, LET THE GREEN ENVIRONMENT COME INTO THE, INTO THE STREET, CREATE MORE, UH, ATTRACTIVE AND WALKABLE STREET ENVIRONMENT.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE ARE PLACES WHERE WE, WE HAVE NO WALKING AT ALL.
AND TO BRAND THIS AS BEING A SPECIAL PLACE AMONG A FEW SPECIAL PLACES ON HILLHEAD ISLAND, WHICH AGAIN, SO THAT HAS BEEN THE FOCUS OF MAIN STREET, UH, FROM WILBORN UP TO, UH, HOSPITAL, UH, AND ALL OF THESE INTERSECTIONS IN BETWEEN.
AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE MOVEMENT OF MAIN STREET AS IT MEANDERS THROUGH.
ONE THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT THERE'S NOT ANY CONSISTENCY TO THE WIDTH OF THE RIGHT OF WAY AND THE PUBLIC DOMAIN THAT WE HAVE FOR MAIN STREET.
AND, UM, UH, SOME OF THESE SIDE STREET CONNECTIONS AS WELL.
WE'VE GOT THE LUXURY, IF YOU WILL, OF EASEMENTS, UM, UH, TO THE, TO THE WEST AND SOUTH OF WHOOPING CRANE, UH, WHICH WE'LL TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF.
GIVES US MORE, UH, ROOM FOR, UH, SECTION AND FOR PEDESTRIAN COMFORT.
AND IT GETS MORE NARROW AS YOU GO TO NORTH MAIN STREET SIDE.
STREETS VARY FROM TIME TO TIME.
SO WE'VE GOT SOME SEGMENTS AND SECTIONS THAT BRIAN MENTIONED.
WE REALLY HAVE A LOT OF LIMITED, UM, SIDEWALKS PATHWAYS THROUGHOUT THE AREA.
WE HAVE SOME PATHWAY ON THE NORTH SIDE OF WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY, BUT THOSE SIDE STREETS DON'T HAVE ANY BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES NOR INTO THE, INTO THE ADJACENT COMMUNITY.
SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE CONSIDERATIONS, NOT ONLY TAKING IN ACCOUNT THAT RIGHT AWAY THAT IS AVAILABLE, BUT THINKING ABOUT USER COMFORT ALONG THAT STREET, ACCESSING THOSE BUSINESSES.
CROSSING WERE, WERE THERE TO HAPPEN THINKING OF THE SCHOOL AGE TO THE HIGH SCHOOL KID AND THE PARENTS AND EVERYBODY IN BETWEEN.
UM, NOT ONLY ACCESSING THE BUSINESSES AND THE WORKERS THROUGH THERE, BUT REALLY THINKING ABOUT
[01:10:01]
HOW DO WE APPLY, UM, A DESIGN THAT'S BOTH CONTEXT SENSITIVE TO WHAT'S HAPPENING ALONG THERE, BUT ALSO, UM, TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE RIGHT OF WAY THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE WITHIN, UM, REDUCING SPEEDS AND, UM, IMPROVING CONNECTION ACROSS MAIN STREET.AND LET'S DIVE INTO SOME OF THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING, UM, WORK THAT HAS BEEN PREPARED.
UM, AND AS BRIAN MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'VE GOT INCONSISTENT RIGHT OF WAY WIDTHS AND EASEMENTS ALL THROUGHOUT BOTH SEGMENTS HERE.
SO WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE MAIN STREET, UH, SECTION AND WE'RE ALSO GONNA TALK ABOUT NORTH MAIN SECTION.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA SEPARATE THOSE TWO BECAUSE THERE'S VARYING WIDTHS, THERE'S VARYING DESIRES THROUGH THERE.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT A COUPLE DIFFERENT TYPICAL SECTIONS ON THIS.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE APPROACHED THIS WITH, UH, AREAS WHERE WE HAVE BOTH AN EASEMENT PRESENT, UM, AND THEN AREAS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE THAT.
AND YOU CAN SEE IN THIS TYPICAL SECTION UP HERE, UM, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING HERE ARE NINE FOOT TRAVEL LANES, UM, AND THEN A SEVEN FOOT BUFFERED BIKE LANE ON BOTH SIDES.
UH, SO YOU GOT A TWO FOOT BUFFER WITH A FIVE FOOT, UM, BIKE LANE.
AND THEN OF COURSE YOU'VE GOT THE CURB GUTTER, WHICH WOULD BE PARALLEL TO THAT, TO THE TREE LAWN.
AND THEN, AND SHOWN ON BOTH SIDES WOULD BE A 10 FOOT PATHWAY, UM, THAT WOULD PROVIDE YOUR MOBILITY THROUGH THERE AS WELL.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE EXISTING EASEMENT THROUGH THIS SECTION OF MAIN STREET WHERE WE'VE GOT 50 FEET OF RIGHT OF WAY, WHICH IS OUR MINIMUM, AND THEN THE
SO THINKING ABOUT THAT AND WHAT THAT MAY LOOK LIKE, UM, JUST FROM A PERSPECTIVE STANDPOINT, YOU CAN SEE HERE, YOU CAN SEE THE BICYCLIST WITH THE PEDESTRIAN BUFFER.
UH, AGAIN, STANDARDIZED LIGHTING THROUGH THIS, THE TYPICAL 10 FOOT PATHWAY ON BOTH SIDES, THE TWO FOOT TRAVEL LANES, AGAIN, WANTING TO NARROW THAT DOWN.
UM, OF COURSE, UH, ENHANCING OUR CROSSINGS, UH, DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
UH, AGAIN, STANDARDIZING, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT DESIGN LANGUAGE.
STANDARDIZING YOUR CROSSWALKS IN THIS CROSSING LOCATION SO THAT DRIVERS AND PEDESTRIANS KNOW WHAT THEY'RE ENCOUNTERING.
SO OPTION TWO, SORRY, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE, THE NICE COLORFUL SLIDE
SO SOME PLACES ALONG AS THERE'S A LANDSCAPE MEDIAN, UM, IN VARIOUS, WITH VARIOUS WIDTH AND VARIOUS SHAPES THERE
UM, AND, AND SO IT LOOKS AS THOUGH SOME PARTS OF IT WOULD NOT HAVE LANDSCAPE MEDIAN AND SOME PARTS OF WOULD.
AND IT, AND, AND FOR BEST I CAN TELL THE ONES THAT WOULD ARE CLOSER TO THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE ON WHOOPING CRANE.
UM, SO, UM, THE NINE FOOT LANES, UM, I GUESS IT WAS NECESSARY TO TAKE OUT ANY OF THAT LANDSCAPE MEDIA, JUST FEEL LIKE THERE'S GONNA BE A LITTLE PUSHBACK FROM FOLKS WHO FREQUENT THAT AREA TO TAKE AWAY THE TREES IN THAT AREA.
UM, BUT I I, I RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME TRADE OFFS.
UM, AT SOME POINT, I GUESS WE'RE GONNA ASK THE QUESTION ABOUT STAKEHOLDER INPUT FROM FOLKS, UM, THAT PARTICULARLY LIVE IN, UM, FOUR OF US HERE THAT LIVE WITHIN THE GATED COMMUNITY OF HHP.
AND WE COME AND GO FROM THAT AREA A LOT.
UM, BUT REACH OUT TO, UM, MAYBE THE POA OR RESIDENCY AND ALSO THE MERCHANTS IN THE MAIN STREET AREA AND THE BUSINESSES ON THE OTHER SIDE.
SO AT SOME POINT, PERHAPS WE COULD TALK ABOUT WHERE WILL STAKEHOLDER INPUT COME FROM COUNCILWOMAN ONE, ONE OF THE TRADE OFFS.
I, UH, I, I TAKE YOUR POINT VERY WELL.
BELIEVE ME, WE LOOKED LONG AND HARD AT THAT.
WE DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD BE, UM, MORE USEFUL TO ALL USERS IF WE TOOK THAT GREEN SPACE IN THE MIDDLE.
IT'S TOUGH TO MAINTAIN, TOUGH TO GROW PLANTS IN.
PLANTS DON'T TYPICALLY GROW MEDIANS AND PUT THAT OUTBOARD, IT'S NARROW THE STREET AND LET'S PUT THE GREEN, LET'S PUT THE TREES, LET'S PUT THE LIGHT FIXTURES IN THE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE ENVIRONMENT AND MAKE THAT MORE WALKABLE AND AUTOMOBILES IN THE INDUSTRY.
I, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT TRADE OFF AND THAT WHILE SOME SENSE IS TAKEN AWAY AND MORE IS GIVEN BACK.
BUT I THINK I'M HEARING FURTHER QUESTION ON THAT, RATHER THAT WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY AS A STATE OWNED ROAD HAS TO BE MINIMUM OF 11.
HOW DOES THE NINE COMPARE WITH WHAT THE LANE IS RIGHT NOW? GOT INCONSISTENT VARIABLE WIDTHS OUT THERE.
UM, IT, IT VARIES FROM SOME PLACES.
UM, YOU KNOW, OVER 12 FEET, DOWN TO 10 FEET IN SOME SPOTS WHERE YOU HAVE THE MEDIANS COME IN.
SO THIS CONSISTENCY THAT KIND OF GETTING RID OF THAT ACCORDION EFFECT THAT'S OCCURRING, UM,
[01:15:01]
THE CONSISTENT LENGTHS THROUGH HERE, YOUR EFFECTIVE WIDTH IS LARGER THAN WHAT THIS REALLY IS.SO THIS REALLY GETS TO, WITH THE TWO FOOT BUFFER THERE, YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING AT ABOUT AN A 11 FOOT TRAVEL LANE.
SO IT, IT WILL BE LARGE ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE, YOU KNOW, DELIVERY TRUCKS AND PARTIAL TRUCKS THAT NEED TO COME THROUGH THERE.
BUT THE MARKINGS FOR A NORMAL VEHICLE COMING THROUGH THERE, IT'S GONNA FEEL A LITTLE BIT TIGHTER.
THEY'RE GONNA DRIVE A LITTLE BIT SLOWER.
SO THIS IS HOW WE CAN TRANSLATE THAT LANGUAGE BACK TO IT.
AS BRIAN WAS SAYING, THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING STREET.
IT'S REALLY ONE OF THOSE STREETS YOU DO WANNA DRIVE SLOW ON.
IT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE STREETS I WAS ACTUALLY MORE INCLINED TO GET OUT OF MY CAR AND WALK.
UH, 'CAUSE IT WAS AN INTERESTING STREET, UH, GIVEN HOW IT MEANDERS THROUGH THERE AND WHAT WAS GOING ON.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE, UH, ATTEMPTED TO DO WITH THE NINE FOOT LANES THROUGH THE AIR PLUS THE GUTTER WIDTH.
IT STILL GIVES YOU AN EFFECTIVE 11 TO ACCOMMODATE LARGER VEHICLES.
WOULD YOU KIND OF PLAYED A LOWER SPEED LIMIT ON HERE, LIKE 25 OR SOMETHING? OH, ABSOLUTELY.
YOU WOULD BE SOMEWHERE IN THE 25 MILES PER HOUR AT THE HIGHEST POSTING TO, YES SIR.
UM, YOU ARE SHOWING A 50 FOOT RIGHT OF WAY, SEVEN FOOT FOUR FOR TREE LAWN AND SO ON.
WHAT'S IN THAT SPACE AT THIS POINT ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ROAD? IS THAT VEGETATED? IS THAT A SHOULDER? WHAT IS THAT? YEAH, SO A LOT OF THINGS HAVE TO HAPPEN IN THAT SEVEN FOOT TREE LAWN, RIGHT? SO THE LANDSCAPING GOES IN THERE, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE UTILITIES THAT GO IN THERE.
UM, COMMUNICATIONS NEED TO GO IN THAT SPACE.
SO IT, IT IS LISTED AS A TREE LAWN, BUT IT REALLY KIND OF SERVES AS A MULTIPURPOSE AREA FOR THAT, UM, TO MOVE UTILITIES.
UM, YOU CAN DO SOME OF THAT UNDERNEATH THE PATHWAYS IF YOU NEED TO AS WELL, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU'RE AT.
THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT THERE'D BE A 10 FOOT PATHWAY EASEMENT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD TO BE CLEAR CUT FOR A PATHWAY, CORRECT.
AND THROUGH THAT, CARTER, UH, WITH THE BUSINESSES, UH, FOR THE LEFT HAND TURNS OR THEIR LEFT HAND TURNS BEING TAKEN OUT, UH, WELL, I GUESS THERE'S NO MEDIAN ANYMORE, NEVERMIND
UM, EXCEPT FOR CLOSER TO THE WHIPPING CRANE CIRCLE, UH, THERE, THERE EXISTS A LEFT HAND TURN WHEN YOU COME OUT OF THAT CIRCLE, UM, AND TURN RIGHT ONTO MAIN STREET TO GO, THEN LEFT INTO THE SHOPPING CENTER, MAINTAIN LEFT TURN LANES AT KEY LOCATIONS LIKE THE ONE YOU JUST DESCRIBED.
UH, FOR THAT REASON, I THINK THAT IF IT'S NOT POINTED OUT SOMEWHERE, I THINK, AND MAYBE I, I KNOW THERE'S SOME OTHER, UM, DIAGRAMS OVER HERE.
SO MAYBE PARTICULARLY POINT THAT OUT FOR FOLKS ABOUT GOING TO THOSE PLACES.
VERY GOOD POINT THROUGH THERE.
UM, SO ANOTHER QUESTION, IF I COULD, OF COURSE IS THE RIGHT OF WAY ON SOUTH MAIN STREET AS WIDE AS THE RIGHT OF WAY ON NO MAIN STREET, NO IT'S NOT.
SOME OF THESE THINGS CAN'T BELIEVE THEY HAVE TO TAKE SOME LAND.
SOME OF THESE THINGS CAN'T BE IMPLEMENTED.
AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT AS WE GET INTO SOME OF THE, THE OTHER SLIDES ON THOSE.
NO, NO, I, I LOVE THE INITIATIVE HERE.
UM, AND SO OPTION TWO, UH, AGAIN ON THE MAIN STREET SIDE, SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ON THE LOWER SECTION THROUGH HERE, THIS IS ANOTHER OPTION, UM, ESSENTIALLY WHERE WE WOULD TAKE OUT THE ON STREET, UM, THE BIKE LANES OUT THERE, WE WOULD PUT IN 10 FOOT TRAVEL LANES WITH A TWO FOOT TYPICAL, UH, CURB AND GUTTER.
UH, AND THEN YOU SEE FITTING THIS IN, UH, WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY THERE, THAT VARIABLE TREE, LAWN UTILITY SPACE THROUGH THERE.
SO THAT'S GOING TO, UH, ADJUST AS WE HIT THOSE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE TIGHTER RIGHT OF WAY, UH, AND WIDER RIGHT OF WAY DEPENDING ON THE CURVATURE OF THE ROADWAY.
AND THEN A 10 FOOT PATH WOULD GO IN THE EASEMENT ON BOTH SIDES.
NOW, THE PATH WOULD ALSO FACILITATE BICYCLES AND PEDESTRIANS AT A 10 FOOT WIDTH.
UH, SO YOU WOULD HAVE THAT SEPARATED, UH, MOVEMENT FROM THE VEHICLES TO THE OUTSIDES OF THAT.
AND THIS IS A REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE OF WHAT THAT MAY LOOK LIKE.
AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE, THE COMMON, UH, TYPOLOGY THERE THAT I'VE DESCRIBED EARLIER.
UM, BUT OVERALL, UM, YOU DIFFERENCE KINDA WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE OVERALL SEGMENT.
MAIN DIFFERENCE IS YOU TAKE OUT THE BY LANE, UM, ON THE ROAD AND YOU ADD ONE FOOT TO EACH DRIVE, AND THEN YOU ADD, UH, WIDTH TO THE TREE LANE, OR SORRY, TREE, LAWN.
UH, THAT TREE LAWN VARIES IN WIDTH DEPENDING ON WHERE WE'RE AT.
AND IT GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE SEPARATION BETWEEN THE, THE TRAIL AND THE, AND THE MOVING LANES OF TRAFFIC.
AND THE, THE STREET IS JUST FOR AUTOMOBILES AT THIS JUNCTURE.
AND, AND THAT BICYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS USE THE PARALLEL TRAILS.
AND RIGHT NOW THERE'S A, WE'VE BEEN, UH, IMPROVING THE SIDEWALK, UM, ON, ON THE SIDE CLOSEST TO 2 78 IS THE BEST WAY I CAN DESCRIBE IT.
'CAUSE IT VARIES AS WHETHER YOU'RE GOING NORTH, SOUTHEAST, OR WEST, I THINK.
UM, BUT THERE'S NO SIDEWALK ON THE OTHER SIDE,
[01:20:07]
WHY WOULD YOU PUT THIS, UM, BEHIND THE FIRST OPTION THAT WE JUST, WHAT IS, WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THIS ONE BETTER? WE WERE GONNA ASK YOU THE SAME EXACTLY.
SO, UM, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, BOTH OF THEM WORK RIGHT, UM, WITH OPTIONS.
UH, THERE'S BEEN SOME DESIRE, UH, FOR ON STREET BICYCLE, UH, MOBILITY, UM, PEDESTRIANS SEPARATE.
UM, AND SO THAT KIND OF WAS THE REASON FOR OPTION ONE FALLING INTO THERE.
MAY I ADD TOO, BECAUSE I ASKED THE SAME QUESTION, I HEARD ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS AND SOME, SOME APPRECIATED PATHWAY OFF, OFF THE ROAD LIKE WE HAVE IN OR ISLAND VERSUS BIKE LANES ON THE ROAD.
UM, AT THE LAST WORKSHOP, AND I, I ASKED THE SAME THING I ASKED SEAN THE OTHER DAY, WHAT'S DIFFERENT OPTION ONE, TWO, LIKE ONE BETTER THAN TWO? IT'S NOT, IT'S SIMPLY, SIMPLY DIFFERENT MENU ITEM, BUT THE END OF THE DAY, MAIN STREET 'CAUSE OF THE BUSINESSES ARE, IS, IS HAS A HIGHER POTENTIAL TO BE MUCH MORE WALKABLE THAN, THAN NOT, RIGHT? A LOT OF OUR PATHWAYS ARE USED BY BIKES, E-BIKES NOW, AND BIKES AND PEOPLE, AND IT'S LESS WALKING AND MORE BIKING.
MAIN STREET WHEN YOU'RE PARKING AND WALKING IN THE NEXT SHOP OR PARKING AND WALKING TO LUNCH, IT, YOU START, YOU START, IF YOU'RE A TRAFFIC ENGINEER AND, AND YOU'RE A GOOD ONE, YOU'RE GONNA TELL YOUR MUNICIPALITY AS A CLIENT TO SAY, SEPARATING THOSE FOLKS FROM GOING FAST ON A BIKE DIFFERENT THAN THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE WALKING SOMEWHERE SEPARATE THEM.
THAT THAT'S WHAT A TRAFFIC ENGINEER TELLS US.
AND THAT'S THE BIG DIFFERENCE.
AND IT'S ABOUT WHAT OUR APPETITE IS IN TERMS OF HOW WE WANT THAT STREET TO FUNCTION IN THE FUTURE.
MAYOR, I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL WHEN WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT.
I KNOW THERE'S SOME FOLKS HERE FROM THE BIKING COMMUNITY THAT CAN PROVIDE US WITH, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, TOOL DESIGN BEING A PART OF THIS GROUP, UM, SO THAT WE HAVE THE EXPERTISE IN PEDESTRIAN BICYCLISTS, BUT I THINK OUR LOCAL BICYCLISTS CAN ALSO HELP US IN LOOKING AT THESE OPTIONS ALONG THIS WAY.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THEIR COMMENTS.
I GUESS THE REASON I LIKE THIS ONE IS BETTER AND WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN, UM, PREFERENCES WITH REGARD TO AESTHETICS, BUT FOR ME THE AESTHETICS OF THIS IS FAR MORE, UM, LESS, UM, UH, MARKINGS IN THE ROAD, ET CETERA.
IT JUST, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT NORTH MAINE AGAIN.
UM, YOU'RE GONNA SEE TWO SIMILAR KIND OF APPROACHES TO THIS.
UM, SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES BEING, SOME OF THE, THE, THE SCALE AT WHICH WE DO SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS AND THE, THE MOST NOTABLE HERE IS THE, THE TREE LAWN AND THE PATHWAY.
UM, AND WHAT THAT SHOWS IS WE'VE GOT, AGAIN, NINE FOOT TRAVEL LANES.
WE HAVE A SEVEN FOOT BUFFER BIKE LANE, WE HAVE A TREE LAWN, AND THEN WE HAVE A PATHWAY.
THAT TREE LAWN THOUGH, UM, CONTRACTS A LITTLE BIT DOWN TO A FIVE FOOT SEPARATION.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT AN EIGHT FOOT, UM, PATHWAY ON BOTH SIDES.
UM, SIX FEET ON EITHER SIDE, OUTSIDE OF THE RIGHT OF WAY WOULD BE NECESSARY TO PUT IN EASEMENT OR PROPORTION OF THE TRAIL OR THE SHARED USE PATH THERE, UH, TO MAKE THAT WORK.
UH, ALL THE OTHER ELEMENTS ARE SIMILAR AS TO THE SOUTH.
SO THIS WOULD BE NORTH MAIN STREET BETWEEN WHOOPING CRANE AND HOSPITAL CENTERS.
THAT'S SORT OF THAT NORTHERN SECTION, IF YOU WILL, THAT LOOKS LIKE, UM, AGAIN, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE TRANSLATION OF HOW THAT WOULD BE.
AGAIN, VERY SIMILAR SCALES, A LITTLE BIT TIGHTER THROUGH HERE.
SO THE ELEMENTS BECOME A LITTLE BIT TIGHTER, UM, FROM A TRAIL STANDPOINT AND FROM FREE LONG QUESTIONS ON THIS SEGMENT.
FOR OPTION ONE, IT SAYS THERE'S A PROPOSED EASEMENT, AND I THINK I READ SOMEWHERE, THE OTHER OPTION IS TO REDUCE THE BONE ON 64.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT AS WE LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS ON HOW WE TRY TO FIT THIS THROUGH HERE.
SO IF WE GO TO OPTION TWO, UM, YOU SEE A, A MUCH, UH, MORE COMPACT SEGMENT THROUGH HERE.
AGAIN, THE BIKE LANES ESSENTIALLY MOVE TO, UH, SHARED PATHWAYS.
UM, FIVE FOOT TREE LONG, EIGHT FOOT, BUT THIS FITS WITHIN, DOESN'T REQUIRE AN EASEMENT.
UM, SO REALLY, UH, IT DOES COME DOWN TO YOU ARE COMBINING SOME OF THE MOVEMENTS VERSUS SEPARATING THAT, THAT THE TRADE OFF IS YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN EASEMENT TO FIT THE, UM,
[01:25:01]
BOTH FUNCTION THE SAME WAY.IT'S JUST THEIR GOALS, HOW THOSE ARE PUT TOGETHER.
UM, AND THEN THIS IS KIND OF THAT VISUAL INTERPRETATION OF WHAT THAT MAY LOOK LIKE, UM, FROM THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS AGAIN.
AND ONE MORE OPTION WHEN WE GET JUST MORE CONVOLUTED, RIGHT? LET'S GET OPTION THREE IN HERE TOO.
SO, UM, AGAIN, ON NORTH MAIN STREET YOU CAN SEE THIS IS, UM, BASICALLY, AGAIN, ALL THE ELEMENTS ARE THE SAME.
IT'S REALLY THE, THE THREE OPTIONS ARE HOW DO WE DIVIDE THIS UP IS THE SIMPLEST WAY OF SAYING THAT.
UM, TWO TRAVEL LANES AT NINE FOOT.
WE'VE GOT A BUFFER BIKE LANE, IT'S SEVEN FOOT A CURB GUTTER, AND THEN WE HAVE A, UH, WHAT I CALL A UTILITY STRIP IN THERE, UM, WHICH IS GONNA BE VARIABLE WIDTH THROUGH THERE.
IT'S ROUGHLY TWO FEET AS SHOWN ON THE, THE EXAMPLE HERE.
AND THEN WE KEEP THE PEDESTRIANS TO THE OUTSIDE WITH THE FIVE FOOT SIDEWALK STILL ACCOMPLISHING THE SAME MOBILITY.
IT'S HOW DO YOU WANT TO DICE THAT OPTIONS? THIS ONE THOUGH, JUST LIKE OPTION TWO FITS WITHIN THE EXISTENCE REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE OF WHAT THAT MAY LOOK LIKE.
AND YOU'LL SEE IN SOME PLACES, UM, AS SHOWN HERE, UM, IT, IT'S TOUGH TO GET GRASS TO GROW IN A TWO FOOT STRIP.
SO THAT EFFECTIVE WIDTH IS REALLY ABOUT SEVEN FEET DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU'RE AT WHEN YOU DO HAVE SOME OF THOSE UTILITIES.
SO THAT WOULD BE SOME SORT OF TEXTURED, UH, HARDSCAPING THROUGH THERE.
SO JUST REAL QUICK, GOING BACK TO EARLIER COMMENTS WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT INTERSECTIONS AND ROADS TO TRAIN THE EYE TO SEE THINGS THE SAME WAY.
SO WOULD IT BE YOUR OPINION THAT ON THESE, BOTH ON THE, ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CIRCLE, THAT THEY WOULD BE THE SAME, MEANING THAT EITHER THE PASS WOULD BE, EXCUSE ME, BIKE PASS WOULD BE ON THE ROAD OR SEPARATE? THAT WAY YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO ALTER BETWEEN THE TWO.
YEAH, JUST, JUST WANNA POINT THAT OUT.
LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, IF WE MOVE PAST TYPICAL SECTIONS, LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF OUR FOUR DOORS THEMSELVES.
A COUPLE OF GENERAL QUESTIONS ON HOOPING CRANE, UH, PARDON ON MAIN STREET, UM, EVERY DRAWING SHOWS LIGHTING STANDARDS.
ARE THEY PULLED BY S-C-D-O-T OR ARE THEY LOCAL DECISIONS? WELL, IN THIS CASE ON MAIN STREET, THIS IS YOUR STREET, SO YOU'D CONTROL WHAT THAT IS.
GENERAL COMMENT, UM, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE DEVELOPED AN ATTITUDE TOWARDS LIGHTING ON HILTON HEAD, WHERE, HOW AND SO ON.
AND SO I THINK THAT HAS TO BE IMPORTANT PART OF DISCUSSING AT THIS POINT.
UM, AND JUST A PERSONAL OPINION ON THE SECTIONS.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR BIKERS TO BE ABLE TO RIDE ON THE ROAD IF, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
I THINK THE SCALE OF OPTION THREE AT THE LAST PAGE FEELS MORE LIKE MAIN STREET THAN OPTION ONE, WHERE WE'RE GOING OVERBOARD WITH EASEMENT PERSONAL OPINION.
OH, AND WHAT ABOUT SIGNAGE? WE DON'T TALK ABOUT SIGNAGE.
IS THAT OUTSIDE OF S-C-V-O-T SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT? CORRECT.
WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THANKS FOR BRINGING UP LIGHTING.
THAT'S OUR, THAT'S THE STANDARD LIGHT FIXTURE THAT WE'VE PUT FORTH IN OUR SYSTEMS SECTION OF THIS DOCUMENT IN FRONT OF YOU.
WE'RE TAKING THOSE SYSTEMS AND BRINGING 'EM FORWARD.
AND PART OF THE SOLUTIONS, TO YOUR POINT, DAVID, WHICH YOU, UH, COUNCILMAN, WHICH YOU MAKE A GREAT POINT OF AN THAT IS LIGHTING.
WE'RE, WE'RE A, WE'RE A DARK SKIES COMMUNITY, AND I THINK WE'VE GOTTA BE VERY CAREFUL WITH OUR LIGHTING.
THIS IS DOWN LIGHTING, IT'S, IT'S ON A, IT'S ON A MASK ARM.
IT'S GOT REAR CUTOFF, BUT THIS IS A WALKABLE STREET.
WE NEED TO PROVIDE SOME LIGHT.
I'M, I'M NOT RESISTING THE IDEA, BUT, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE CAREFULLY.
I'M JUST SAYING POLITICALLY WE BETTER HAVE OUR ACT TOGETHER WHERE AND HOW WE DOING IT.
I ADD ONE MORE SLIGHT HUMOROUS SITUATION ABOUT LIGHTING IS THAT WHEN SOME LIGHTING CAME UP BEFORE THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD HERE, UH, WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WAS CALLED AUDUBON LIGHTING.
I ASSUME THAT WAS AUDUBON, LIKE THE BIRDS WAS ALTO BOND LIKE THE HIGHWAY IN GERMANY.
SO MY PREFERENCE IS THE BIRD TYPE LIGHTING AND NOT ANY, RIGHT.
UH, SO LET'S, LET'S UH, TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER KEY CORRIDORS, UH, THAT CONNECT INTO, UH, TO MAIN STREET HERE.
[01:30:01]
AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT WILBURN AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT MUSEUM STREET.UM, I'M GONNA SHOW YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE.
BUT AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, FOCUSING IN ON WILBURN, IT'S ONE OF THE KEY STREETS THAT'S, UH, PROVIDES ACCESS TO YOUR SCHOOLS.
YOU'VE GOT ALL THREE OF YOUR SCHOOLS IN ONE LOCATION, HEAD OVER THERE ANYTIME BETWEEN AND HOURS OF TWO, UH, PM TO 5:00 PM YOU'VE GOT CONGESTION, YOU'VE GOT IN THE AFTERNOON, IN THE MORNING TIME, YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE WALKING, YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE RIDING BIKES, YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE DRIVING THERE.
UH, AND SO WILBURN AS IT EXISTS TODAY REALLY FUNCTIONS, UH, UNDER A CONGESTED SCENARIO.
AND SO WHAT WE'VE RECOMMENDED IS, UM, FROM MAIN STREET, KIND OF COMING DOWN TO WHERE, UH, INTERSECTS WITH WILLIAM HILL PARKWAY WOULD BE TO ENLARGE THAT SECTION.
AGAIN, PUTTING IN NOT ONLY JUST MOTOR VEHICLE, UM, LINEAGE THERE WITH DUAL LEFTS THROUGH AND A RIGHT.
AND THEN TWO RECEIVING LANES ON THE INBOUND.
ALSO PROVIDING FOR, UM, THE PATHWAYS AS WELL TO CONNECT UP TO THE CENTRAL PATHWAYS.
THAT WOULD BE ON WILLIAM PARKWAY.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE RIDING, YOU'VE GOT THAT CONNECTIVITY, UM, THAT WILL HELP TO REDUCE CONGESTION.
IT'LL ALSO HELP TO FLUSH THIS INTERSECTION.
UM, AND THEN PROVIDING FOR, UH, WHERE WE CURRENTLY ONLY HAVE TWO CROSSWALKS, UH, AND IF YOU'VE EVER LOOKED AT THE CROSSWALK, UH, THAT'S ON WILBURN.
UM, YOU ARE ESSENTIALLY THE WAY IT'S LAID OUT TODAY, PEDESTRIANS COME OUT ALMOST INTO WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY AND THEN CUT ACROSS AND THEN CUT BACK IN.
UH, IT IS A VERY UNSAFE CONFIGURATION.
SO, UM, CHANGING THAT UP, REMOVING THE CHANNELIZED MOVEMENTS THAT ARE OUT THERE TODAY, WHICH TRAVELING UP 2 78 S-C-D-O-T HAS ALREADY BEEN REMOVING ALL OF THOSE FREE FLOWING MOVEMENTS, PROVIDING THAT FOURTH, UH, THIRD AND FOURTH CROSSINGS THAT ARE OUT THERE ON ALL SIDES TO MOVE TRAFFIC IN AND AROUND THAT AREA.
TYPICAL SECTION OF WHAT THAT MAY LOOK LIKE.
JUST KIND OF GET A SCALE FOR THAT.
AGAIN, THESE ARE 10 FOOT TRAVEL LANES.
WE WOULD DO A MORE NARROW, UH, TURN LANE IN BETWEEN THEM.
IT'S STILL WIDE ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.
YOU SEE A TREE LAWN OF EIGHT FEET AND THEN 10 PATHWAYS ON EITHER SIDE.
IT DOES REQUIRE US TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF A, UM, UH, EASEMENT NECESSARY ON, ON ONE SIDE JUST TO ACCOMMODATE THAT WE CAN LOOK AT, AND THAT REALLY COMES DOWN TO JUST HOW IT HAS TO ALIGN WITH THE OPPOSITE SIDE.
HOW TO MAKE THOSE ALIGNMENTS WORK OUT CORRECTLY.
INTERSECTIONS THOUGH? YES, MA'AM.
OH, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT, THAT, UM, I'M GONNA HAVE TO GO BACK AND WALK OVER THERE AND SEE WHAT THAT MISALIGNMENT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO, TO CHANGE THAT WITHOUT THE ADDITIONAL RIGHT OF WAY ON AN INTERIM BASIS? YOU'D HAVE TO REBUILD THE STREET ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET TO MAKE THAT WORK.
THAT'S REALLY THE ALIGNMENT, IT'S THE THROUGHPUT.
I'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF PLAY CROSSING AN INTERSECTION.
UM, WHAT I'M SHOWING HERE IS A IS A PERFECT ZERO OFFSET.
SO I'VE GOT ABOUT SIX FEET, HALF A LANE WIDTH I CAN DO.
SO WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO NARROW IT DOWN TO MAYBE IT'S JUST A FOOT OF EASEMENT THROUGH THERE AS THE SUBSTATION SIDE.
UH, SO I'M HOPING WE CAN GET A WILLING PARTNER TO HELP US OUT WITH THAT EASEMENT.
IT'S NOT EVER GONNA BE BUILT ON, SO.
I WAS JUST WONDERING ON AN ERRING BASIS IF WE COULDN'T STRAIGHTEN IT OUT A LITTLE BIT UNTIL THEN.
UM, SO THINKING ABOUT YES SIR.
HAVE YOU BEEN OUT THERE IN THE MORNING AND IN THE AFTERNOON WHEN OBAMAS ARE DROPPING OFF OR PICKING UP THE KIDS? ABSOLUTELY.
WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THAT BETTER THAN THE WAY IT IS NOW.
UM, THIS WAS ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT WITH JIM INITIALLY WANTING TO ENHANCE THIS DESPERATELY NEEDS IT.
PATTY, I HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING THE TRAFFIC CIRCLES.
AS A CAR PEELS OFF IN THE RIGHT LANE TO TAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN AND THERE IS A PEDESTRIAN CROSS CROSSWALK MAKES SENSE TO HAVE SOMETHING ADDED IN THE PAVEMENT IN ANTICIPATION OF THAT CROSSWALK SO THAT THE RIGHT HAND TURNING MOVEMENT IS MADE AWARE OF IT THERE BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY OF THEM, I THINK, YES, THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES, AND I ALSO THINK WITH THESE, UM, PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS, WE CAN ALSO RAISE THEM POTENTIALLY AND KIND OF PUT MORE EMPHASIS ON THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING THERE, BUT REALLY KIND OF GETTING THAT DEFLECTION REALLY TIGHT IS GONNA BE IMPORTANT AS WELL.
I'VE GOT A COUPLE OPTIONS HERE.
I, I MAY BE A LITTLE BIT OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL FIELD, BUT I THINK IT'S RELATIVE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE LOOKED AT THIS, I'M JUST PUTTING IT OUT THERE.
UM, BE BECAUSE OF THE, BECAUSE OF THE SCHOOLS BEING SUCH A HOT SPOT, SO I CAN APPRECIATE WHAT WE'RE DOING.
ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT TRAFFIC SORT OF DOWNSTREAM AS WE ARE LEAVING
[01:35:01]
ISLAND PARKWAY, THAT PROBLEM, UM, PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU'RE, UM, WESTBOUND WANTED TO TURN LEFT ON CROSS ISLAND PARKWAY.THERE'S THE STACKING THERE, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH ROOM FOR STACKING THERE.
SO, UM, AND I'M SURE THERE'S CRASH DATA TO SUPPORT WHAT I'M SAYING.
JUST CURIOUS, WAS THAT PART OF THIS EXERCISE OR IS THAT A LATER DATE? YOU CAN SEE INTERSECTION.
UM, SO FOR THE EASTBOUND MOVEMENT CURRENTLY THERE'S A SINGLE LANE TURN LEFT.
UM, THERE ACCOMMODATE TO REDUCE THAT STACKING THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE MORNINGS OUT ON WILLIAM VILLE PARKWAY.
AND TODAY THERE'S A TRANSITION ZONE.
THIS IS THE INTERSECTION WHERE YOU TRANSITION FROM TWO LANES WESTBOUND TO THREE LANES COMING OFF WILBURN IS THIS FREE FLOWING MOVEMENT.
UM, AND SO WHAT WE'VE LEFT HERE IS ONLY TWO THROUGH AND WE'RE DROPPING THAT RIGHT, UH, ON TO WILBUR.
SO THEY'LL HAVE A DEDICATED RIGHT TURN LANE STILL THE TWO WILL REMAIN ON
SO THAT HAS STARTED PART OF THIS.
SO HERE AT WILBURN MAIN STREET AND, AND BUS DRIVE, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY WE HAVE THE OFFSET INTERSECTION THAT'S OUT THERE AND THAT CREATES A LOT OF CONFLICTS.
THE, THEY'RE NOT SET UP IN THE NECESSARILY THE BEST ORIENTATION, UH, FOR HOW WE MOVE TRAFFIC.
YOU'VE GOT BUSES COMING IN UP THROUGH HERE, YOU'VE GOT PARENTS COMING UP, YOU'VE GOT WALKERS COMING OVER.
UM, AND SO WHAT WE HAVE RECOMMENDED HERE IS A ROUNDABOUT AT THIS LOCATION, SLIGHTLY LARGER ROUNDABOUT THAN WHAT WE TRADITIONALLY WOULD REQUIRE FOR A SINGLE LANE.
AND THE REASON BUSES YOU AN SG 40 AS WE CALL IT, TRYING TO NAVIGATE THAT DOESN'T HAVE, UH, THE ABILITY TO TURN AS EASILY, UH, SLIGHTLY WIDER LANES.
WE'VE GOT A DEDICATED LEFT COMING IN.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S OTHER ELEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, YOU COME DOWN NORTH, UM, YOU'VE GOT A LIKE LEFT ONLY ONTO MAIN STREET
BUT BUS DRIVE HAS BEEN REALIGNED SO THAT IT COMES IN ROUNDABOUT DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB OF ACCOMMODATING OFFSET GEOMETRY AND SKEWS.
SO WE CAN ACTUALLY PRODUCE THIS A LITTLE OR DEPENDING ON, UM, YOU KNOW, COORDINATION WITH THE, THE, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN SHIFT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
ROUNDABOUTS ARE VERY ADAPTABLE WHEN IT COMES TO THAT.
AND ADDIE MENTIONED EARLIER, THE CROSSINGS FOR THESE LOCATIONS DIVIDED, UH, THEY CAN ALSO ELEVATE THAT CROSSING THROUGH THERE.
ROUNDABOUTS DO SLOW TRAFFIC GOWN, BUT ALSO THAT JUST THAT SLIGHT VERTICALITY OF CROSSING OVER A RACE TRAFFIC.
NOTICE THAT THE CROSSWALKS ARE ONLY ON THREE SIDES OF THE INTERSECTION.
THERE'S NOT
WE WANTED TO KEEP THE PEDESTRIAN ON THE UPPER SIDE AGAIN TOWARDS THE SCHOOL VERSUS ON.
UM, AND THAT KIND OF FITS ALL ALONGSIDE THE SCHOOL PROPERTY AS WELL FROM THAT.
HAVE YOU BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING READY TO LOOK AT PLANS TO REDO A LOT OF THINGS OVER THERE.
ACTUALLY THEY'RE GONNA START HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
WE HAVE NOT HAD A CONVERSATION FOCUSED ON THESE OPTIONS.
UM, AND THEN THAT'S OUR NEXT STOP.
ONE OTHER QUESTION ON THE CIRCLE, LEMME SEE IF I CAN ANSWER THIS RIGHT OR ASK THIS, RIGHT? YOU SAID THAT THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE SLOWS TRAFFIC DOWN.
DOES IT ALSO HELP INCREASE THE MOVEMENT AND OR DECREASE THE TRA THE TIME TRAVEL? UH, IT, IT DOES FROM THE STANDPOINT OF ROUNDABOUTS ARE VERY KEEN AT BEING ABLE TO MOVE THINGS SLOWER BUT MORE EFFICIENTLY, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE TAKING OUT CONFLICTING MOVEMENTS THAT HAVE TO OCCUR AND IT'S UNIFORM, HOW IT FLOWS.
SO YES, TIME WOULD BE REDUCED.
THIS IN COMBINATION WITH THE, THE IMPROVEMENT WILBURN TO THE SOUTH WOULD MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
TRAVEL TIMES IN THIS AREA FOR PARENTS DROPPING KIDS OFF, MOVING IN, MOVING OUT.
I, I WOULD HIGHLIGHT THAT THAT'S BECAUSE WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT SLOWS TRAFFIC DOWN, WHAT DOES THAT INCREASE TRAFFIC COUNTERINTUITIVE.
THAT'S WHY I WAS, HOW DO I ASK THIS QUESTION?
UH, IN FACT IF YOU DEAL WITH, UH, UH, THE MSTA ARM OF N-C-D-O-T, MOST OF THEIR SCHOOLS THAT ARE BEING BUILT IN NORTH CAROLINA, THEIR ENTRANCES ARE BUILT WITH ROUNDABOUTS BECAUSE THEY'RE SO EFFICIENT, BECAUSE THEY'RE, THAT'S A, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD
[01:40:01]
POINT TO PUT OUT THERE AS WE WERE DISCUSSING ALL OF THESE CIRCLE OPPORTUNITIES.ABSOLUTELY ALEX ABSOLUTELY OF A, UH, CIRCLE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM, THEY, THEY COULD PROBABLY PAY FOR A LOT OF THIS WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THEY'RE SPENDING ON SECURITY TO SORT OF DIRECT TRAFFIC OUT THERE
UM, SO JUST DOWNSTREAM WHERE THE, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TRAFFIC AND THE HIGH SCHOOL TRAFFIC INTERSECT.
UM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THIS IN THIS DISCUSSION, BUT TO THE MAYOR'S POINT, AS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS LOOKING AT REDEVELOPMENT OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, THERE MAY BE SOME OPPORTUNITY THERE ON, ON THEIR PLANS.
ANOTHER OPTION, UM, JUST TO KEEP, UH, KEEP US MOVING ALONG HERE IS THE INTERSECTION.
UH, JUST LOOKING AT A FOUR-WAY STOP, UM, YOU KNOW, FOUR WAY STOPS CAN BE VERY EFFICIENT.
UH, NOT AS EFFICIENT AS A ROUNDABOUT OR AS A, UM, AS A TRAFFIC CIRCLE OR A SIGNAL LINES INTERSECTION.
BUT THIS COULD BE SET UP AS A EITHER A FOUR-WAY STOP OR AS A TRAFFIC SIGNAL IN THE FUTURE SHOULD BE WARRANTED.
YOU CAN SEE THE, THE, THE LINEAGE THAT'S ALL SET OUT HERE, UM, ACCOMMODATING LEFT ON EITHER APPROACH THROUGHS AND RIGHTS AND AGAIN, BUILDING IN WITH THAT ADDITIONAL, UH, RIGHT OF WAY TO THE SOUTH.
THIS IS A SMALLER FOOTPRINT, WHICH IS WHY WE SHOW THIS.
UM, THIS ONE HAS, UM, YOU KNOW, ADAPTABILITY FOR THE FUTURE.
YOU CAN RUN IT AS A FOUR-WAY STOP.
YOU CAN RUN IT AS A TWO-WAY STOP.
IT CAN BE SIGNALED IN THE FUTURE IF YOU DO NEED THAT.
UM, BUT IT TIGHTENS EVERYTHING UP FROM THAT STANDPOINT.
THE THIRD OPTION IS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, REALLY KEEPING THINGS AS THEY ARE TODAY.
UM, KEEPING THAT OFF, UH, OFF ALIGNMENT AS IT IS THE LEFTS DON'T OVERLAP.
UM, MEANING THEY'RE NOT CONFLICTING WITH EACH OTHER.
SO YOU DO HAVE A POSITIVE OFFSET FROM THAT STANDPOINT.
BUT AGAIN, THIS REALLY JUST, OTHER THAN THE PEDESTRIAN ENHANCEMENTS, OPERATIONALLY, THIS IS WHAT YOU'VE GOT TODAY DOESN'T REALLY GIVE YOU THE BENEFIT FOR LONG TERM.
THIS IS STILL PART OF THE DESIGN CONSIDERATION.
DON, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE TRYING TO GET FEEDBACK FROM COMMENTS, BUT THE CIRCLE IS CIVILIZED AND HOSPITABLE.
TRAFFICS LIGHTS ARE IN INJURED.
AND SO I THINK WE'RE HOSPITABLE ISLAND.
WE OUGHT TO BE, HAVE IN CIRCLES THE REASONS WHY IT'S NUMBER ONE HERE EXCEPT FOR THE OLD CIRCLE WHERE PEOPLE USED TO GET STUCK ON THE INSIDE
SO, UH, OF THOSE THREE OPTIONS, IT SEEMED LIKE OPTION THREE OUGHT TO BE OFF THE BOARD PRETTY QUICKLY.
UM, SO BETWEEN ONE AND TWO, UH, WHICH IS A SAFER FOR PEDESTRIAN CROSSING AND BICYCLIST CROSSING.
COMMON THEME FOR ME, OBVIOUSLY
NO, I THINK IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I THINK IT'S, UH, IN THIS SITUATION AGAIN CONTEXTUALLY, THIS IS, UH, UH, A LOCATION WHERE YOU ANTICIPATE THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC.
SO THE ROUNDABOUT, UH, WOULD WORK QUITE WELL AT THIS LOCATION.
YOU'RE COMING INTO A SCHOOL SYSTEM TRYING TO SET THERE THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE SAME ON WILLIAM HILL PARKWAY.
THE SCALE OF THIS IS MUCH SMALLER TOO.
SO YOU'RE ABLE TO SCAN THE INTERSECTION AT A BROADER PERSPECTIVE AND YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF TRAFFIC.
AND PEDESTRIAN PLUS, UNLIKE WILLIAM HILL PARKWAY, WE CAN ACTUALLY RAISE PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS HERE.
UH, NOT SOMETHING S-E-D-U-T ALLOWS US.
IS IT OUR STREET OR IS IT THE COUNTY STREET? THIS STREET IS OUR STREET.
WELL, WHICH STREET IT IS COMPLICATED.
WILBORN IS S-E-D-O-T UP UNTIL YOU GET INTO THE SCHOOL OR AFTER BUS DRIVE AT IT, IT TURNS AFTER AS YOU GET UP TOWARDS THE SCHOOLS.
SO THEN IT'S, IT STARTS UP BY THE, THE STOP SIGN UP BY THE HIGH SCHOOL.
'CAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT GIS, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM OWNS IT.
BUT THEN YOU TALK TO DOT, THEY'RE LIKE, WE OWN THIS.
THERE'S CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE TO OCCUR ON SCHOOL DISTRICTS SAY THEY OWN IT BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE, BECAUSE IF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS THEY OWN IT, THEN DOT WILL JUST GIVE IT TO 'EM.
AND IF THE DOT MAYOR, IF I COULD, IF, IF THE SCHOOL DOESN'T OWN IT AND THE DOT DOES, IT'S A SIMPLE LETTER TO ACQUIRE IT INTO OUR NETWORK TO MAKE THESE IMPROVEMENTS, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS IN THE ROUNDABOUT ARE, UM, NOT CLOSE TO IT, TO THE CIRCLE ITSELF.
UM, AND NOT, UH, NOT SO FAR AWAY THAT THERE'S ACCELERATION.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S CLOSER TO THE CIRCLE, BUT NOT TOO CLOSE.
[01:45:03]
SO IN ADDITION TO, UH, BUS DRIVE, WE ALSO LOOKED AT A VARIETY OF INTERSECTIONS ALONG WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY, UM, AS, UH, WHP TWO AND TRYING TO ENHANCE, UH, NOT MAKING MAJOR GEOMETRIC CHANGES AT THESE LOCATIONS, BUT AGAIN, FOCUSING ON HOW UH, EACH OF THOSE CONNECTING STREETS COMING FROM MAIN STREET WOULD BE SET UP.AND THEY INTERFACE WITH WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY AND FOCUSED ON TRAIL CONNECTIVITY, CREATING STANDARDIZED CROSSINGS, UNIFORM CROSSINGS OF WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY.
AND YOU CAN SEE, UH, AN EXAMPLE HERE AT MU MUSEUM STREET, WE SET THIS UP.
THIS IS A SIGNALED INTERSECTION.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY ACCIDENTS AND CRASHES I'VE SEEN IT SLIP LANE, ATIONS, UH, AND ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE PRIORITIZING PEDESTRIAN SAFETY THROUGH HERE, LET'S REMOVE THAT.
YOU STILL ACCOMMODATE THE MOBILITY THAT YOU NEED.
UH, BUT SETTING SOME OF THESE STREETS UP SO THAT IT FITS THE FOOTPRINT OF WHERE YOU'RE HEADED INTO, AGAIN, THAT DESIGN LANGUAGE TRANSLATING INTO WHAT YOU'RE APPROACHING BOTH FROM WILLIAM HILL AND PARKWAY AND INTO MAIN STREET.
SO I'M STARTING TO SEE THIS MORE AS A THEME THAT, BUT NOT JUST HERE, BUT ARE SLIP LANES GOING AWAY, PERIOD? ARE THEY ARE, YEAH.
THE, AND THE REASON BEING IS IT'S, I CAN'T TELL YOU THE NUMBER OF STUDIES I'VE BEEN THAT HAVE WHERE STATE FARM, ALLSTATE HAVE PAID ME TO GO OUT AND LOOK AT AN INTERSECTION AND THEY HAVE PUT MONEY UP TO THE STATE TO SAY, WE PAY SO MUCH MONEY A YEAR FOR CRASHES HERE.
WE'LL PAY TO REMOVE THIS IF YOU'LL PERMIT IT BECAUSE IT'S ACCIDENT CLAIMS. AND THEY DON'T WANNA DO THAT.
AND SO SLIP LANES ARE NOTORIOUS FOR THAT BECAUSE YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS, YOU THINK THERE'S A GAP.
YOU START TO GO LIKE THAT, YOU JAM ON THE BRAKES, THE GUY OR GAL BEHIND YOU HITS THAT, THAT'S A CLAIM.
IT COSTS THEM MILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR.
SO BY OFFSETTING THAT, BY REMOVING IT, YES, PLEASE TAKE 'EM AWAY.
ANYTHING I SAY IS GONNA BE ANECDOTAL EXCEPT FOR THE FREQUENCY WITH WHICH I GO MUSEUM STREET AND TAKE A RIGHT TURN TO GO TO CROSS ISLAND, WHICH IS ABOUT DAILY.
BUT ANYHOW, I SEE A LOT OF KIDS AND SOME OF 'EM, YOU KNOW, MIGHT BE GOING TO WORK OVER AT WALMART, BUT THEY CROSS FROM, UM, OVER BY CIO, THE ITALIAN RESTAURANT.
UM, COMING FROM THE MUSEUM STREET SIDE TO PEMBROKE.
AND I KNOW THERE ARE ADAPTIVE SYSTEM NOW RECOGNIZES CYCLISTS IN PEDESTRIANS THERE.
BUT, BUT THAT'S AN AREA THAT I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT.
UM, AND, AND SOME FOLKS WHO ARE WORKING, UM, I SEE THEM CROSSING OVER THERE.
I GUESS THEY'RE GOING TO WALMART TO WORK OR THEY'RE COMING.
UM, THEY'RE COMING FROM WALMART HAVING, UH, BEEN SHOPPING THERE.
SO THAT PARTICULAR PEDESTRIAN CROSSING ON THE SIDE WHERE THERE IS ONE NOW, UM, I THINK THAT'S A LOOK REALLY CLOSELY AND MAKE SURE WE'VE COVERED EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE THAT AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.
LOOKING AT MUSEUM STREET, I MENTIONED THIS EARLIER, UM, UH, THAT TRANSITIONAL STREET IN BETWEEN MAIN STREET AND WILLIAM HILL PARKWAY, SETTING THAT DESIGN LANGUAGE UP, YOU CAN SEE HERE NINE AND A HALF FOOT TRAVEL LANES, KEEPING THAT CENTER TURN LANE BUSINESS ACCESS IS STILL IMPORTANT.
UM, ONE SIDE OF THE STREET WE'VE GOT IN THE EXISTING EASEMENT, A 10 FOOT, UH, TREE LAWN.
THE OTHER SIDE WE'RE PROPOSING A SIX FOOT TREE LAWN WITH A 10 FOOT PATHWAY.
UM, AND WITHIN THE EASEMENT THAT'S THERE TODAY, UM, AGAIN MOVING, JUST AS YOU MENTIONED THERE, UM, COUNCILWOMAN TALKING ABOUT PEDESTRIANS MOVING DOWN THROUGH THERE, SAFE SPACE WITHIN, UH, BUT FOCUSING IT ON THE SINGULAR SIDE.
UM, AND THEN STILL PROVIDING LOCAL ACCESS FOR ALL THE BUSINESSES WITH THIS SECTION, HITTING THAT WITHIN THE EXISTING RIGHT.
UM, THEN WE MOVE TO CENTRAL AVENUE TO EXCHANGE STREET.
YOU CAN SEE HERE, UM, AGAIN, JUST HOW THIS BEGINS TO CONNECT WITH, WITH ALL OF THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT THIS UP AS WELL.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE PLANTED MEDIANS THAT WE HAD.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THIS ON THE EXAMPLE HERE.
AGAIN, PROVIDING THAT LEFT TURN LANE WHERE IT'S NECESSARY FOR THE VILLAGE.
WE'VE GOT LEFT TURNING TRAFFIC COMING IN THERE.
ALSO PLANTING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THERE.
UM, WE'VE GOT RRFB CROSSINGS AT KEY LOCATIONS LIKE MERCHANT STREET, UM, AND THEN, UH, AND AS WELL AS DOWN AT CENTRAL AVENUE.
UM, WE'VE ALSO LOOKED AT, UH, HOW WE DIDN'T MAKE MAJOR CHANGES TO THE, UH, THE ROUNDABOUT THERE AT UH, WHOOPING CRANE, BUT WE DID STANDARDIZE SOME OF THE PAVEMENT MARKINGS THROUGH THERE AND LOOKED AT THE OPERATIONS OF HOW THAT WOULD INTERFACE.
UM, AND THEN LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE, UH, CROSSINGS AND THEN POTENTIALLY ROLLING THAT OR LIGHTING THOSE AS YOU'RE COMING IN, HIGHLIGHT THE PEDESTRIANS THAT WE'LL BE CROSSING.
'CAUSE BOTH OF THESE ARE SOMEWHAT REMOVED, AT LEAST ON WHOOPING TRAIN FROM THE CENTRAL CIRCLE.
SO, UH, YOU MAY NOT BE PEDESTRIAN BICYCLES CROSSING AT THOSE LOCATIONS.
JOHN, IN YOUR OPINION, IS THE CIRCLE OPERATING, UM, OPTIMALLY
[01:50:01]
AT THIS POINT? YEAH, FROM WHAT WE'VE SEEN AND OBSERVED OUT THERE, UM, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT SIGNAGE IS REALLY IMPORTANT AT THIS LOCATION.UH, THERE'S NOT A LOT IN PAVEMENT MARKING.
SO WE'VE MADE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PAVE MARKINGS WHEN WE, I OBSERVED THIS AND WE HAVE VIDEOS OF IT.
UM, YOU SEE DRIVERS NOT REALLY KNOWING WHERE THEY WANNA BE AND SO THEY'RE KIND OF WANDERING ACROSS LANES, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE GOING FROM, UH, WILLIAM HILL PARKWAY UP.
WHOOPING CRANE ONTO MAIN STREET WILL CUT ACROSS LANES.
UM, SO REALLY, YOU KNOW, FOR A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY YOU COULD PUT SOME PAVEMENT MARKINGS OUT THERE AND JUST SOME GUIDE SIGNS.
UM, I I WOULD SAY DRIVE IT EVERY DAY.
IT, IT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MORE SAFER ONES THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE THE SPEED LIMIT'S SLOWER AND YOU DO HAVE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GUESSING WHICH WHERE THEY'RE GONNA GO, BUT IT'S NOT AT THE SPEED THAT IF SOMEBODY IS GONNA JOLT OUT OR WHATEVER, THEY'RE GONNA GET HIT.
SO IT IS A, IT'S INTERESTING, PRESUMABLY THERE'S A CONVERSATION WITH HOLDING HEAD PLANTATION THAT NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE.
THAT WOULD INCREASE THE SAFETY, BUT THE VOLUME IS NOT AT A POINT WHERE YOU'RE BY ANY MEANS.
ON MERCHANT STREET AND HEY, IT MAY NOT HAVE HAPPENED THROUGH Y'ALL VISUAL STUDIES, BUT BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE LEAVING ON AIR PLANTATION RIGHT ONTO MAIN STREET, LEFT ONTO MERCHANT STREET, 'CAUSE OF THE WAY THAT MERCHANT STREET INTERSECTS WITH WILLIAM PARKWAY, CONFUSION AS TO IF YOU'RE TRYING TO GO LEFT OR RIGHT ONTO WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY AND THERE TIMES WHERE FOLKS HAVE ACTUALLY MADE A LEFT HAND ONTO WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY AND GOING DOWN THE WRONG WAY.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, IS, IS THIS GOING TO ADDRESS THAT AS WELL? YES.
SIGNAGE AND WAY FINDING, UM, JUST, WE EVEN HEARD OF SOME OF THAT OCCURRING, UH, UP AT WHOOPING CRANE.
A IT INTERSECTS THERE AS WELL, MISSING THAT RIGHT.
SIGNAGE IS IMPORTANT AS FAR, UM, FAR ON THAT.
AND IT'S THE ONE AVENUE, UM, IS WHERE MR. BOUND WAS TALKING ABOUT THE CROSSING, UM, THAT PEDESTRIAN BICYCLIST CROSSING THERE IS A LITTLE TOO CLOSE FROM THOSE TURNING LEFT, UM, OFF OF WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY ONTO CENTRAL AVENUE.
TURNED A LOT ABOUT FOLKS THERE BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE ACCELERATING IS MAKING THAT TURN AND I'M AFRAID OF ACCELERATION THERE AT THAT CROSS.
SO YOU CAN SEE WE DID A BLOW UP HERE.
WE'VE CHANGED THAT GEOMETRY A LITTLE BIT ON THE NEXT PAGE.
UH, AND I GOT IT UP ON THE SCREEN HERE TRYING TO, UM, PROVIDE THAT CROSSING AT A POINT WHERE IT'S NOT TOO FAR PAST THE RADIUS.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE THAT ABILITY TO SEE THEM AS YOU'RE COMING THROUGH AND NOT IN THAT ACCELERATION ZONE OR CONVERSELY IN THE DECELERATION ZONE AS YOU'RE COMING.
I I IT LOOKS LIKE WHERE IT IS NOW, BUT YOU SAY YOU'VE MOVED THAT.
'CAUSE WE, WE SAW THAT AS WE WERE OUT THERE.
UM, I COULDN'T TELL FROM THIS DRAWING.
UH, IT DOESN'T QUITE GET DOWN TO THE SCALE OF THAT.
UM, AND THEN LOOKING AT CENTRAL AVENUE, UM, THIS ONE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A CENTRAL, UH, TURN LANE ON THAT, BUT WE DO HAVE THE, AGAIN, CONSISTENT UH, TRAVEL LANES THROUGH THERE AT NINE AND A HALF FEET, UH, TREE LAWN.
AND THEN OF COURSE WE'VE GOT A PATHWAY, UH, OF 10 FEET ON THE EXTRA STREETS.
UM, AND IT PROVIDES THAT LOCAL MOBILITY, BUT GIVEN THE VOLUMES THERE, YOU DON'T NEED THAT TURN OUT THERE.
AND THEN LOOKING AT HOW IT COMES INTO, UM, THE INTERSECTION THERE, UH, WITH WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY, UM, KEEPING THE, THE RIGHT TURN LANE THERE, BUT CHANGING THE GEOMETRY OF HOW THAT INTERFACES WITH THAT SWEEPING, UH, LEFT TURN LANE IS GONE.
WE'VE NARROWED THE STREET DOWN STREET PROVIDING THAT TRAIL WITH A NICE GENEROUS SEPARATION AS YOU COME UP HERE.
UM, AND THEN FOCUSING THOSE PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENTS AT KEY LOCATIONS WHERE THEY'RE STILL VISIBLE, UH, AND NOT IN THE ACCELERATION ZONE.
MUCH CLOSER TO WOOD MILL PARKWAY.
UH, LOOKING UP HERE WITH MERCHANT STREET, YOU CAN SEE THE TYPICAL SECTION, UH, FOR THAT.
UM, VERY SIMILAR NINE AND A HALF TRAVEL LANES VARIABLE ALONG, UH, TREE LONG ON ONE SIDE AND OF COURSE A 10 FOOT PATHWAY FROM THAT STANDPOINT.
I ALREADY KIND OF MENTIONED THIS EARLIER, UH, AS I GOT INTO IT, WHOOPING CRANE CIRCLE, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT JUST WITH SOME OF THE, UH, LINEAGE AND PAVEMENT MARKINGS THROUGH HERE.
UM, SOME TYPICAL SIGNAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, THAT'S JUST DIRECTLY OUT OF
[01:55:01]
THE M-U-T-C-D.UM, WHAT THEY WOULD RECOMMEND FOR ROUNDABOUT, IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WHAT'S OUT THERE TODAY.
UH, AND THEN JUST PAVEMENT MARKINGS.
UM, NO MAJOR STRUCTURAL CHANGES OTHER THAN WHERE MAINE AND NORTH MAINE KIND OF INTO THE CIRCLE.
THERE'S SOME CHANNELIZING ISLANDS, BUT OVERALL CIRCLES OPERATING WELL.
UH, WHEN YOU COME OUT OF HHP AND MAKE THAT RIGHT TURN ON THE MAIN STREET, UH, YOU'RE SHOWING THAT, UH, CROSSING VERY CLOSE TO WHERE SOMEONE'S STARTING THEIR ACCELERATION AND YOU'VE GOT AN RRFB THERE.
SO IF I'M MAKING THAT RIGHT HAND TURN AND SOMEONE HAS JUST TURNED ON THAT SIGNAL, WHAT DO I DO? WELL, I'M HOPING THAT, UM, FACING OF THAT AND WHERE THAT'S AT, YOU SHOULDN'T BE IN A HIGH ACCELERATION ZONE THROUGH THERE BECAUSE YOU'RE AT A YIELD POINT FOR THE ROUNDABOUT.
AND THIS JUST GIVES YOU THAT VISUAL CHARACTERISTIC, UH, SIGNAL AT THAT LOCATION.
YEAH, I'M WORRIED ABOUT SEEING IT WHEN I'M MAKING THE RIGHT HAND TURN 'CAUSE I'M LOOKING FOR TRAFFIC COMING AROUND FROM MY LEFT.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT IS TO BE ABLE TO SEE IT.
A LOOK AT, UH, THE SPACING ON THAT.
WE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE LOCATION, BUT WE'LL TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THAT AS WELL.
SO LET'S MOVE UP A LITTLE BIT MORE AND LET'S COVER THE AREA FROM EXCHANGE STREET ALL THE WAY UP TO HOSPITAL CENTER.
UM, AGAIN, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE OVERALL IMPROVEMENTS HERE.
WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON A COUPLE OF THESE KEY INTERSECTIONS.
UM, AGAIN, IN EXCHANGE STREET, UM, I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA BEAT A DEAD HORSE ON THIS, BUT AGAIN, REMOVING THE RIGHT TURN LANE, THE SWEEPING RIGHT TURN LANES, FOCUSING HOW THE PEDESTRIANS MOVE THROUGH THIS AREA.
UH, CREATING A, A MORE FUNCTIONAL STREET ON EXCHANGE STREET.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THE TYPICAL SECTION THERE, LOOKING AT, AGAIN, TRAVEL LANES THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE AREA NINE AND A HALF FOOT.
THAT THAT SPOT RIGHT THERE IS ONE OF THE GOT MES THAT JUST DRIVES ME CRAZY.
AND, AND AS MY WIFE SAYS, IF YOU EVER SAW ME DRIVE, YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE IT WAS ME.
UM, BUT THE LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE LAWS AND IT JUST FORCES PEOPLE TO BREAK THE LAW WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THEY'RE GOING DOWN THAT ROAD, IT, CAN WE PULL THAT OUT AND GET IT DONE NEXT WEEK? PLEASE? WE'LL DO OUR BEST TYPICAL SECTION THERE.
I I I'VE MENTIONED ALL OF THESE.
UH, THE ONE DIFFERENCE ON THIS ONE IS THAT THE PATHWAY IS EIGHT FEET THROUGH HERE.
UM, AND WE CAN LOOK AT IF WE NEED TO, WE CAN SHIFT THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT, INCREASE THAT IF IT'S SOMETHING LIKE NINE FOOT TRAVEL LANES, UH, IN A DEDICATED TREE LAWN IN THIS AREA.
ANOTHER INTERESTING INTERSECTION.
UM, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SOLAR ECLIPSE.
SO IT'S NOT, IT, IT'S SOLAR ECLIPSE.
I THOUGHT SHE CALLS THE SOUL OF HER CLIPS.
SO, UH, AN INTERSECTION THAT, THAT REALLY DOES NOT GET A LOT OF TRAFFIC TODAY, UM, PER SE, BUT AUTOMOBILE PLACE, UH, IT HAD A A POINT AT SOME POINT, UH, IN THE PREVIOUS, BUT AGAIN, REMOVING THAT
[02:00:01]
SLIP LANE RECONFIGURING THE PATHWAY CROSSING LOCATION, UM, REALLY JUST KIND OF STANDARDIZING THIS HAS GOT ONE OF THOSE INTERESTING T INTERSECTIONS LAYERED RIGHT? MOVEMENTS THAT WERE DONE YEARS AGO.UM, TAKING THAT OUT, STANDARDIZING IT, PRODUCING THAT CROSSING, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST SETTING THIS UP FOR SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE OR ACCESS AT THAT LOCATION.
AND LIKE YOU SAID, FOR THE FUTURE, WHICH WAS MY QUESTION, UM, BECAUSE THE TOWN OWNS A PROPERTY THERE AND THAT ACCOMMODATE FUTURE, WHATEVER FUTURE USES THERE MIGHT BE.
UM, SO LOOKING AT MAIN STREET, AT HOSPITAL CENTER BOULEVARD, THIS IS, UH, UH, AN INTERESTING, EXCUSE ME, AN INTERESTING INTERSECTION AT THIS LOCATION.
UM, YOU HAVE A HEAVY MOVEMENT THAT'S CUTTING ONTO NORTH MAIN STREET.
UM, YOU'VE GOT SOME VERY UH, DIMINISHED SIGHT LINES AT THIS LOCATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS I'D RECOMMEND HERE, UH, AND THIS CAN BE DONE, UH, WITH JUST SIGNS, IS TO ESTABLISH AN ALWAYS STOP AT THIS LOCATION.
ONCE YOU GET COMFORTABLE DRIVING THAT, YOU'LL SEE HOW EFFICIENT THOSE ARE.
UH, IT TAKES AWAY THE GUESSWORK FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE TURNING FROM THE SIDE STREET AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE TURNING FROM THE SIDE STREET HERE.
UM, SO NARROWING THIS DOWN A LITTLE BIT, IT DOES OPEN BACK UP AS YOU COME BACK DOWN AROUND.
UM, BUT SETTING THIS UP SO THAT IT'S A SINGLE LANE APPROACH ON ALL SIDES, THAT PULSING OF TRAFFIC WITH AN ALLWAY STOP REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
YOU DON'T NEED LEFT TURN LANE, YOU STILL ACCOMMODATE THAT.
BUT THEN SETTING THIS UP TO PROVIDE FOR, UH, CROSSING LOCATIONS, UH, FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS THAT ARE ON OUR SHARED PATHS.
UM, AND THEN CLEANING THE VEGETATION BACK SO THAT THE SIGHT LINES ARE OPENED UP AND STARTED DOING SOME OF THAT ALREADY.
IT WILL, IT'LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON OPERATIONS.
YOU CAN SEE THE NEXT SLIDE HERE IS OUR, UH, JUST A TYPICAL SECTION OF WHAT THAT MAY LOOK LIKE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WITH 11 FOOT TRAVEL LANES, UM, AND THEN A GENEROUS, GENEROUS MEDIAN, UM, WHICH WE HAD THAT IN A LOT OF PLACES.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THAT DEDICATED TO PATHWAY THERE ON THE SIDE ADJACENT TO NORTH.
SO, SORRY, CAN YOU BACK UP ONE SLIDE? I HOPE IT DOESN'T MESS THINGS UP AGAIN.
UM, SO IF I'M ON NORTH MAIN STREET, UH, IT SAYS, UH, REMOVE RIGHT HAND TURN FROM MATRI ON HOSPITAL CENTER BOULEVARD.
SO YOU CAN'T TURN RIGHT TO GO OVER TO, UM, OUT.
IS THAT BEACH CITY? NO, YOU CAN STILL DO THE RIGHT.
WHY YOU STILL LIVE? UM, IT'S, UH, DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT PROPERTY ON MAIN STREET THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, SO THERE COULD BE INCREASED MOVEMENTS HERE.
NOT SUGGESTING A ROUNDABOUT HERE BECAUSE OF RIGHT OF WAY, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY TO DO THAT.
UM, IN THIS CASE, BECAUSE OF THE, THE POLARITY OF THE MOVEMENTS THAT'S ARE OCCURRING THERE, THEY ALWAYS STOP, ACTUALLY PERFORM JUST AS GOOD AS A
I'D ALSO ASK, YOU KNOW, FROM AN AMBULANCES STANDPOINT, IF THEY'VE GOTTA MAKE A TURN, IS IT BETTER TO MAKE A SHARP TURN OR A SLOW CURVY TURN? RIGHT? SURE.
IT DID RUN THAT DID RUN AUTO TURN.
UM, THE ALWAYS STOP WILL ACTUALLY HELP THAT FROM THAT STANDPOINT AS WELL.
GONNA PULL OUT, STOP AND THEN TAKE LEFT HAND TURN.
I, THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I NOTED AND I DIDN'T POINT THAT OUT, WAS THAT YOU'VE GOT SOME REALLY CRAZY PAYMENT MARKINGS OUT THERE TODAY WHERE IT'S NOT BIG ENOUGH FOR A CAR TO STACK, BUT YET YOU GOT STOP BARS THERE THAT SAY, I'VE GOTTA STOP.
AND UNDER SOUTH CAROLINA STATE LAW, UM, ACTUALLY TRANSFERS THE LIABILITY TO THE PERSON OR THE COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE THE STOP BARS THERE, 'CAUSE YOU'VE TOLD THEM TO STOP.
IF THEY GET INTO AN ACCIDENT, YOU VIABLE FOR THAT.
I GUESS MY THOUGHT WOULD BE THAT MAYBE THAT MEANS MORE THAN WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS ACTUALLY THE, THE MEDIA HERE ALWAYS STOP, TAKES AWAY THE, THE KNEE STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT, WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S CAUSING A WEIRDNESS OF DRIVERS ENTERING THAT.
SO YOU DON'T THINK ANYBODY WOULD GET CAUGHT HALFWAY ACROSS LIKE THEY DO NOW? YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET, YOU DON'T HAVE TO AT THIS POINT BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY TO GO, GO ALL THE WAY ACROSS.
WE ALSO, WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE POSSIBILITY OF A ROUNDABOUT THERE.
PRELIMINARILY TALKED ABOUT A ROUNDABOUT AT THIS LOCATION.
[02:05:01]
SIZE OF THE AREA, YOU COULD ACTUALLY DO, UM, MORE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD CIRCLE IF YOU WANTED TO TEST THAT OUT, WHICH WOULDN'T BE A FULL BLOWN ROUNDABOUT, BUT IT WOULD STILL GIVE YOU THE CENTER CIRCLE, PUT IT IN THERE, UM, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE RIGHT OF WAY THAT'S THERE, YOU WOULD NEED SOME ON THE NORTH MAIN SIDE FALLS HOSPITAL CENTER BOULEVARD ALL OVER THAT FALLS HOSPITAL CENTER BOULEVARD,BRIAN WAS ACTUALLY BEING NICE AND ASKED IF COUNCIL NEEDED A BREAK WHILE WE ENDED HAVING A SIDEBAR.
I THINK HOSPITAL CENTER BOULEVARD, JIM, DO WE FIRST I THINK WE OWN IT UP TO A CERTAIN POINT.
YEAH, THAT IT WOULD GO TO THE HOSPITAL.
I CAN, I CAN VERIFY IT WITH Y'ALL AND SEND AN EMAIL.
SO, UM, I KNOW THAT WHAT WE JUST SAW, YOU KNOW, TWO HOURS OF GOING THROUGH THIS, IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION, BUT, UM, FOR THE NEXT STEPS, BRIAN, IF YOU CAN ADVANCE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
YOU KNOW, WE'D REALLY LIKE TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK AND DIRECTION ON THE, UH, INTERIM IMPROVEMENTS THAT JIM TALKED ABOUT FOR SEGMENT THREE.
AND WE'D ALSO LIKE TO, UH, HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK AND DIRECTION FOR THE, THE TWO SEGMENTS.
SEGMENT THREE IS SEGMENT TWO AND MAIN STREET.
UM, YOU HAVE THE FULL CORRIDOR PLAN IN FRONT OF YOU THAT YOU CAN REVIEW OVER THE NEXT, UM, LIKE I SAID, 60 TO 90 DAYS.
I THINK WE ARE ANTICIPATING THIS COMING BACK TO COUNCIL FOR ADOPTION IN AUGUST.
UM, AND THEN AS WE GO THROUGH THE OTHER SEGMENTS, YOU KNOW, WE'D HAVE ADDITIONAL WORKSHOPS AS WE NEEDED.
AND THEN AS WE RECEIVE YOUR GUIDANCE FOR SEGMENT THREE AND SEGMENT TWO, WE WOULD, UH, REACH OUT AND GET ADDITIONAL STAKEHOLDER INFORM STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK FROM MPLEMENTATION SCHOOL DISTRICT, UM, WHOEVER WE NEEDED TO FOR THAT.
SO I KNOW SHAWN, SEAN'S GIVEN ME SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU JUST WANNA OPEN IT UP FOR GENERAL COMMENTS OR I CAN JUST ASK THESE TO, TO GUIDE THOSE.
WE HAVE FOLKS HERE TO MAKE COMMENTS.
WELL, LET'S, WELL LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO
[4. Appearance by Citizens]
THE, THE APPEARANCE BY CITIZENS FIRST, THAT WAY, UM, IT MAY SPUR A COUPLE.IT GIVES YOU A TIME TO TAKE A BREAK,
SO KIM, DO WE HAVE FOLKS THAT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TODAY FOR APPEARANCE BY CITIZENS? WE DON'T.
ANY APPEAR, ANY CITIZENS WISH TO SPEAK TODAY? YES, SIR.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, MR. ORLANDO TOWN, STAFF AND OUR FRIENDS FROM TOOL.
MY COMMENTS, UH, SPECIFICALLY ARE ABOUT THE MAIN STREET AREA.
I'M DISREGARDING THESE NOTES BECAUSE WHAT I HEARD TODAY WAS VERY ENCOURAGING.
I'VE LIVED ON THIS ISLAND FOR 14 YEARS.
I WAS A FIRST TIME PROPERTY OWNER IN 1980 ON HILTON HEAD.
LOVE WHAT THIS COUNCIL DOES FOR THIS ISLAND AND LOVED LIVING IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I BIKED 1000 MILES IN THE MONTH OF MARCH.
WERE ON THIS LITTLE ISLAND WHERE YOU ARE RESTRICTED FROM ENTERING GATED COMMUNITIES.
WE ALL HAVE FRIENDS THAT ALLOW US INTO THOSE GATED COMMUNITIES.
I LIVE ON THE INDIGO RUN SIDE AND PART OF INDIGO RUN.
TRY TO GET ACROSS WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY INTO HILTON HEAD PLANTATION TO MEET YOUR CYCLING BUDDIES.
WHEN YOU'RE GOING IN THAT GATE.
MUCH OF WHAT I SAW TODAY ADDRESSES MY CONCERNS.
I'M ON THE BOARD OF THE BOY, BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB FOR 13 YEARS.
THAT WHOLE CONCEPT OF THE CIRCLE AT WILBURN IS A GREAT IDEA.
I LIKE OPTION THREE FOR MAIN STREET.
I DON'T LIKE CYCLING WITH PEDESTRIANS WALKING.
AND I WOULD ALSO TELL YOU THIS, THAT AS A BOARD MEMBER OF THE KICKING ASPHALT BIKE CLUB, EX-PRESIDENT, COUNCILMAN ALFRED WAS PRESIDENT OF OUR BIKE CLUB FOR A WHILE.
[02:10:01]
A LOT OF THEM LIVE IN HILTON, HAD PLANTATION.ONCE THEY COME OUT OF THERE, WHERE IN THE HELL ARE THEY GOING? THEY'RE GOING ONTO MAIN STREET.
I WANT TO GET SOME BREAD AND MILK AND RIDE MY BIKE AND GO TO HARRIS TEETER.
IT'S A CRISIS WAITING TO HAPPEN.
IT'S A CASUALTY WAITING TO HAPPEN.
SO WHAT I SAW TODAY, I SAY TO YOU, THANK YOU.
THERE ARE GREAT OPTIONS THAT I THINK WILL ADDRESS THESE ISSUES THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.
AND ALL CYCLISTS FROM HILTON HEAD, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
ANY, HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT? MS. HUNTER, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE SOME FEEDBACK.
UM, AND I WANTED TO FOCUS ON MAIN STREET.
I AM NOT A HARDCORE BICYCLIST, UH, LIKE THE INDIVIDUALS IN HERE.
AND, UM, I'M JUST GONNA PROVIDE A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW.
I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING OR RIDING MY BIKE ON THE STREET WITH A, WITH A BIKE LANE.
AND THE REASON IS, THERE'S NO PROTECTION BETWEEN YOU AND THE CARS.
AND PEOPLE ARE SO DISTRACTED TODAY, WHETHER THEY'RE LOOKING AT THEIR PHONE OR THEY'RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH THEIR APPLE CARPLAY THAT'S NOT WORKING RIGHT.
UM, THAT THEY CAN TAKE THEIR EYE OFF THE BALL.
AND THAT STREET IS A VERY BUSY STREET.
UM, AND SO JUST FROM MY PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE, AND IF I HAD CHILDREN, UH, I'VE GOT GRANDCHILDREN.
UM, I WOULDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THEM BEING ON THE STREET EITHER.
I WOULD MUCH PREFER THEM TO BE ON A PATHWAY.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT I, UH, PARTICIPATED IN AS WE VISITED HERE, WAS THE BICYCLING ON THE PATHWAYS AND NOT ON THE ROAD.
SO JUST TO PROVIDE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
UM, AND THE OTHER THING THAT I NOTICED IS THE BEAUTIFUL CANOPY OF TREES ON MAIN STREET.
I MEAN, IT IS GORGEOUS AND THEY, THEY OVERHANG AND I'M JUST A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW MANY TREES WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE OUT TO BUILD OUT THIS PLAN.
'CAUSE IT IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL AND UNIQUE.
YOU WERE SLOW TO RAISE YOUR HAND.
SO I DON'T THINK YOU WERE GONNA SPEAK WITH US TODAY.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M FRANK BEL AND, AND, UH, I'D LIKE TO JUST SAY, UH, A MAGNIFICENT JOB.
YOU FOLKS, YOUR CONSULTANTS AND THE STAFF, PERIOD.
YOU DID A WONDERFUL JOB OVER A YEAR LOOKING AT A PROBLEM FROM CLEAN SLATE, PUTTING TOGETHER SOLUTIONS AND COMING UP WITH SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY ABSOLUTELY FIRST RATE.
SO I'M NOT GONNA SIT UP HERE AND NITPICK ANYTHING.
I'M JUST SAYING, YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
WHAT WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IS IF WE WANNA BE PLATINUM, IF I EVER SAW A STEP THAT'S A NECESSARY STEP TO BE PLATINUM, THIS IS IT.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE LOOKED AT THAT FOR YEARS.
NOT WE HAVE, BUT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED THERE.
WE'VE BEEN THERE AS A COUNCIL.
WE ACTUALLY WENT THERE YEARS AGO.
AND, AND SO WE FINALLY HAVE A SOLUTION.
AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO MOVE FORWARD AND PUT YOUR THUMBS UP AND SAY, LET'S GO AND LET'S GET THAT DONE.
BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT A TEMPLATE FOR US TO WORK WITH IN A LOT OF OTHER PLACES THAT'LL GONNA WORK ELSEWHERE WITHOUT REINVENTING THE WHEEL LIKE WE USED TO HAVE TO DO ALL THE TIME.
THE SECOND THING IS MAIN STREET.
I THINK THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT OF THINGS.
WE WANT IT TO BE A SAFE ROUTE TO SCHOOL FOR KIDS.
YOU KNOW, WHY DO THEY HAVE SIDEWALKS IN MAIN STREETS, YOU KNOW, AGAINST THE LAW TO RIDE BIKES ON.
THERE'S A REASON BECAUSE WE WANT TO GET PEOPLE TO WALK AND EXPERIENCE A MAIN STREET.
WE WANT KIDS TO WALK TO SCHOOL, START EXERCISING, GET GOING, BIKE LANES, GO TO ANY CITY.
HOW MANY THOUSANDS OF MILES HAVE BEEN BIKE LANE? THEY DON'T HAVE ANY PATHWAYS.
WE'VE TALKED TO THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THEY WANNA START, WHEN THEY BUILD THIS NEW HIGH SCHOOL, THEY WANNA PUT IN SOME PATHWAYS TO GET PEOPLE INTO THE SCHOOL AREA OKAY? AND IT'LL ALL WORK OUT.
SO, UH, I JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS STUFF.
THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB, A MAGNIFICENT JOB.
[02:15:01]
I AM.THEY'VE LISTENED TO US, THEY'VE REFLECTED IT, AND YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB.
THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
IT'S A STEP TO PLATINUM AND WE GOTTA MAKE SOME DECISIONS AND GET ON WITH IT, FOLKS.
ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? YES, SIR.
I'M CHARLIE QUIG AND, UH, I WANNA SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS, UH, THE SECTION OF WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY AND THE INTERSECTION WITH, UH, GARDNER DRIVE AND BEACH CITY ROAD, WHICH IS, WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT SPECIFICALLY TODAY, BUT IT'S, IT'S IN THE, IN THE SECTION OF THE CORRIDOR THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO THIS IS A LETTER TO THE EDITOR THAT MY WIFE WROTE TO THE ISLAND PACKET, AND IT WAS PUBLISHED ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO IN THE ISLAND PACKET.
I JUST WANT TO READ THIS LETTER TO YOU.
MAKE INTERSECTION SAFER IS THE TITLE.
WE LIVE A SHORT SEC, A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE LIBRARY AND ENJOY WALKING THERE.
CROSSING WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY FROM THE LIBRARY TO GARDNER DRIVE HAS BECOME VERY DANGEROUS DUE TO LEFT TURNING CARS THAT DO NOT STOP FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE LAWFULLY USING THE CROSSWALK AND THE TRAFFIC SLASH PEDESTRIAN WALK SIGNALS TO CROSS.
RECENTLY WHILE WALKING, WHILE WAITING FOR THE WALK SIGNAL, MY HUSBAND ALMOST, IT WAS ME BY THE WAY, ALMOST WAS HIT BY A DRIVER OF THE THIRD CAR THAT WAS GOING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION WHO DECIDED TO GO AROUND HIM RATHER THAN STOPPING AND YIELDING AS THE LAW REQUIRES THE DRIVER WAS GOING SO FAST THAT THE CAR WENT OFF THE ROAD.
I WAS BEHIND MY HUSBAND AND STILL HAD TO CROSS.
DRIVERS CONTINUED TO CROSS THROUGH AND AROUND ME.
INSTEAD OF STOPPING, I OBSERVED A TOTAL OF EIGHT TO 10 CARS THAT WERE, UM, CROSSING IN FRONT OF ME.
AND TO TOP IT OFF, WE HAD THE INDIGNITY OF ANOTHER DRIVER HONKING AT US, THOUGH WE WERE AS IF WE WERE WRONG, AND THAT THEY WERE, AND THAT THEY WERE WHEN THEY WERE CLEARLY NOT FOLLOWING THE LAW.
WE CANNOT CHANGE PEOPLE'S RECKLESS, CARELESS, AND LAWLESS BEHAVIOR, BUT WE CAN CHANGE TRAFFIC PATTERNS.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
CHANGES TO THE INTERSECTION CROSSING TO MAKE IT SIMILAR TO THE INTERSECTION WITH WILBORN AND JARVIS CREEK, WHICH WE DID TALK ABOUT.
SO THAT DRIVERS CANNOT TURN LEFT WHILE THE WALK SIGNAL IS ILLUMINATED FOR THE CROSSWALK.
HOW MANY MORE PEDESTRIANS NEED TO BE INJURED OR DIE ON OUR IDYLLIC ISLAND AT THE HANDS OF LAWLESS DRIVERS? AND AGAIN, IT WAS, UH, AUTHORED BY MY WIFE STEPHANIE QUIG.
GLAD YOU'RE HERE TO, UH, READ THAT TO US.
ANY HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT? OH, COME ON IT.
I'M LOUISE MILLER COHEN, AND I TOLD MYSELF I WAS HERE TO LEARN TO SEE WHAT THIS WORKSHOP WAS GONNA BE ABOUT TODAY, AND TO HEAR THE RESULT OF THE STUDY, WHAT THAT WAS BEING DONE.
SO I AM LEAVING THIS MEETING VERY PLEASED THIS EVENING.
AND, UM, AND I, I LIKED THE IDEA OF MEN.
I WENT DOWN MAIN STREET A FEW TIMES AND HIT THE POTHOLE.
AND I WERE MAD
IT, IT IS A BLESSING AND ALL ALSO THE, UM, TO SEE THE CARS TAKING THEIR REGULAR PATH.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THIS GREENERY AND THE SIDEWALK OVER THERE THAT SHOWS THERE ARE GONNA BE SOME PROTECTION FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO WALK.
SO, UM, MY HATS ARE OFF TO Y'ALL.
AND WITH THIS, I THINK WE SHOULD GO AHEAD AND, AND I STAND HERE HAPPY BECAUSE NO BLACK LAND IS GONNA BE TAKEN TO GET THIS DONE.
ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? OKAY.
SEEING NONE, UM, WHY DON'T YOU GO
[Items 3.a. - 3.c. (Part 2 of 2).]
THROUGH, UH, THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE AND THEN WE'LL, WE WILL OPEN UP FOR DISCUSSION.SO, UM, I'LL START WITH WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY, SEGMENT THREE, WHICH, UH, AGAIN, THAT'S THE NORTH RIDGE, WELL, BEACH CITY ROAD TO DILLON ROAD SECTION.
UM, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE INTERIM IMPROVEMENTS THAT GEM HAS APPLIED FOR WITH S-E-D-O-T.
SO KIM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE ABLE TO PULL UP THE PRESENTATION AGAIN, BUT THAT'S WHERE IT SHOWED SOME PROPOSED, UH, EITHER SIGNALIZE INTERSECTIONS OR ROUNDABOUTS THROUGH THAT AREA, OR MAYBE
[02:20:01]
EVEN A HYBRID OF THE TWO.UM, JONATHAN DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF EXPLAINING THE PROS AND CONS OF EACH 46 45.
SO I'D LIKE TO START THERE AND JUST GET YOUR FEEDBACK.
YOU KNOW, WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT, UM, DEDUCTION AND SPEED LIMIT IN THAT AREA.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT JIM WORKING ON THE RFPS, THE, UM, APPROPRIATE LIGHTING ALONG THE PATHWAYS, MAYBE IN THE PLANNINGS, THE END PAVEMENT, PUCK LIGHTING AT THE CROSSWALKS.
SO MAYBE WE START THERE AND JUST GET YOUR FEEDBACK AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE, I I'M GONNA ASK A SIMPLE QUESTION.
WHO THINKS WE NEED TO DO IT? WHO, WHO THINKS WE NEED TO, TO, TO, TO CONTINUE WITH, WITH THIS PROPOSAL? I'M JUST TRYING TO, TO GET A KIND OF A GAY NAY.
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE INTERIM IMPROVEMENTS? YES.
AND THEN SECOND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS.
SO INTERIM IMPROVEMENTS, THIS IS THE, WELL, YEAH, IT'S A DIFFERENT LINE.
SO WE CAN START WITH THE INTERIM IMPROVEMENTS AND THEN GO TO THE YEAH, WHY DON'T WE START THERE? YEAH, WE, WE PRETTY MUCH DID, BUT I THINK YOU'VE GOT THE HEAD NODS.
WELL THAT'S, I MEAN, I, I SEE, OH, GO AHEAD.
NO, NO, I DIDN'T SEE YOUR LIGHT ON, I APOLOGIZE.
I GUESS WHAT, WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR HERE IS THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ASKED AGAIN, BECAUSE BEFORE I EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT BEING ELECTED, I SAT OUT HERE WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS SAYING, WE HAVE A PROBLEM.
SO THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S THE COMFORT LEVEL THAT I'M LOOKING FOR TODAY.
IS THAT NOT BEING ASKED AGAIN.
NEXT STEP IS US GOING OUT THERE CELEBRATING IT.
I CAN GIVE YOU SOME CONFIDENCE THAT I, I, I DON'T WANT TO COME BACK AND ASK YOU AGAIN.
JIM HAS FULL DIRECTION TO PUSH FORWARD, RIGHT? THERE'S SOME PRELIMINARY WORK, THERE'S SOME STUDY WORK, AND THEN THERE'S A FULL ENCROACHMENT PERMIT TO SUBMIT.
IT'S UP THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH THICK.
WE ARE MOVING FORWARD ALONG, WE WERE ANTICIPATING AT LEAST A MAJORITY OF YOU THINKING THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA.
AND IF WE HAD TO SCALE BACK ON WHAT WE ASKED FOR, GREAT.
BUT IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE WE'RE SCALING BACK ON ANYTHING.
TAMMY, I WANTED TO TO JUST SAY THAT YES, I SUPPORT MOVING FULL SPEED AHEAD WITH REGARD TO, UM, THAT AREA.
AND, UM, ALSO IT'S BEEN MY OBSERVATIONS AS TRAVELING UP AND DOWN TO, UH, SEVEN, EIGHT AS I DO.
UM, PEOPLE WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANY OPPORTUNITY TO CUT THROUGH ANYWHERE THEY CAN.
'CAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO ELIMINATE THAT RISK.
WELL, PLANTING PERHAPS WITH BOARDS, UM, IS, IS TRULY IMPORTANT.
I JUST WANTED TO EMPHASIZE, WELL, I CAN'T VOTE NOW, BUT I NOD MY HEAD AND I GIVE A THUMBS UP.
THANK YOU TO OUR TRUE EXPERTS OVER HERE FOR ANALYZING WHAT'S HAPPENED, GIVING US REASONABLE SOLUTIONS.
I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE ALL IN, IN, IN A, IN AGREEANCE THAT, UH, THE WORK THAT JIM'S DONE NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
BUT THEN THE NEXT TALK WOULD BE, UM, JUST THE OPTIONS ONE AND TWO FOR THIS AREA.
DO WE WANNA LOOK AT, UM, SOME PROPOSED SIGNALS IN THIS AREA OR THE ROUNDABOUTS? UM, I BELIEVE, LIKE JONATHAN SAID, AND I'VE SAID IT EARLIER, THE GOAL IS SAFETY FOR ALL.
AND MAYBE IT TAKES A CHANGE IN THINKING AND SOMETHING DRAMATIC.
IF THE GOAL IS TO MOVE TRAFFIC, THEN MAYBE WE STAY WITH THE STATUS QUO.
UM, BUT SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE IF WE'RE GONNA INCREASE THE SAFETY FOR THE PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS IN THIS AREA.
SO, UM, HAPPY TO LEAVE THAT COUNCIL.
THOUGHTS? ANY DIFFERENCE IN THE COST? MORE COSTLY ROUNDABOUTS OR, UH, IN THIS CASE? UM, ROUNDABOUTS ARE GONNA BE SLIGHTLY MORE EXPENSIVE.
[02:25:01]
IT'S GONNA BE THE FINISH AND FIT OF EVERYTHING, BUT, UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU CONTEXT ON WHAT A, UH, SIGNALIZE INTERSECTIONS RUNNING RIGHT NOW, JUST TO SIGNALIZE IT, THAT'S THE HARDWARE WITH MASS ARMS, YOU'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 500 TO $600,000.THAT'S ABOUT A, UM, YOU DOUBLE WHAT IT WAS JUST ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.
THEY'RE INCREASING, THEY'RE GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE THEY'RE CLOSE, NOT EQUAL TO THE COST OF A ROUNDABOUT IN CERTAIN CASES, I THINK, I'M SORRY.
ONE OTHER THING TO CONSIDER IS THE RESILIENCY OF A ROUNDABOUTS DURING STORMS AND MAJOR EVENTS.
OTHER COMMENTS? ONE, ONE OTHER QUICK QUESTION OR COMMENTS.
UM, THE ADAPTIVE TRAFFIC SIGNAL SYSTEM, UM, DOES IT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE IF WE ADD TWO MORE SIGNALS IN THE STRETCH? OH, WE WOULD JUST ADD IT TO THAT SYSTEM INSTINCT IS THAT A TRAFFIC CIRCLE WILL BE A STRONGER STATEMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY BRAND, BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD ENOUGH INFORMATION THAT IT'LL WORK IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA OR WHAT ARE THE COMPLICATIONS AND SO ON.
SO I MEAN, I LIKE THE IDEA OF SLOWING TRAFFIC IN THIS AREA.
UM, I THINK ADDITIVE ELEMENT IN THAT AREA, BUT I'M NOT, I'M JUST NOT CONVINCED YET THAT FROM A, FROM AN ENGINEERING STANDPOINT, THAT IT'S OPTIMAL BECKER.
UM, SO I UNDERSTAND AND HEAR YOU, UM, ABOUT THE, UM, ADDITIONAL SAFETY ASPECT OF DOING THE SIGNALIZED, UM, CROSSINGS.
I JUST, UM, TEND TO AGREE WITH MR. AMES ON THIS IN TERMS OF ISLAND BRAND AND AESTHETICS, THE ROUNDABOUT.
UM, AND ONCE, AND I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S AN OFFSET YOU CAN TELL ME OF SLOWING THE TRAFFIC DOWN SO SIGNIFICANTLY, HAVING THEM PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO THE MOVEMENT THAT THERE'S, UM, SAFETY THAT WE CAN, UM, RELY ON.
DEFINITELY PREFER THE ROUNDABOUTS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? SO, SORRY.
UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT, I GUESS A HYBRID WHERE ONE MIGHT BE A TRAFFIC SIGNAL AND ONE MIGHT BE A ROUNDABOUT.
WHICH ONE WOULD THAT BE? WE WOULD END UP LOOKING AT THE SYSTEM AGAIN AND COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION ON WHAT THAT WOULD BE.
'CAUSE THERE IS AN OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS WE WOULD NEED TO RUN WITH THAT.
WE'VE RUN ALL OF THAT WITH ROUNDABOUTS.
I CAN SHARE THAT WITH YOU, COUNCILMAN.
UM, THAT SHOWS THE PERFORMANCE OF THAT.
WE CAN ALSO ADD IN THE HYBRID SCENARIO.
SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE THAT WOULD BE WITH THE SIGNALS.
THAT COMES DOWN TO MORE OF A SPACING, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE ENOUGH DISTANCE IN BETWEEN EXISTING SIGNALS THAN YOU DO WITH ROUNDABOUTS.
SO THINKING THROUGH THAT LOGICAL PACING AND THEN OVERLAYING ON TOP OF THAT, THE PEDESTRIAN ASPECT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE WOULD WANNA WORK ON TOGETHER COLLECTIVELY HERE, AND THEN COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION OF WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
IS THERE, UM, WITHOUT PULLING UP THE HEAT MAP, UM, WAS THERE ONE OF THESE INTERSECTIONS THAT HAD MORE INCIDENTS OF ACCIDENTS OR FATALITIES? THERE IS, UM, SPECIFICALLY, UH, AROUND WHERE THE OAKS IS IN NORTHRIDGE, THAT'S THE HOT ZONE THROUGH THERE.
UM, SO CONTROLLING THAT IN A MANNER THAT WORKS THE BEST IS, WOULD BE ONE OF THE PRIORITIES THERE.
AND ASSUMING THAT YOU HAD THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF DISTANCE, IF YOU ADDED A SIGNAL IN ROUNDABOUT IN THE OTHER LOCATION, I LIKE THE BLEND IF IT WORKS.
ALEX? YEAH, I, I'LL START WITH, UM, GREAT JOB WITH SORT OF BALANCING OF VOLUME AND ACCESS TO BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND TO INCLUDE THE, UH, THE RESIDENTIAL.
UM, I ALSO WANT US TO BE MINDFUL THAT, UH, SEA TURTLE AND NORTHRIDGE AT THIS POINT ARE NOT AS FUNCTIONABLE AS THEY PROBABLY CAN BE IN THE FUTURE FOR ROYAL PLAZA.
ONCE AN ANCHOR IS SET THERE, YOU WILL START TO SEE EVEN MORE ACTIVITY.
I I APPRECIATE THE ROUNDABOUT AESTHETIC FOR THE, IT BEING A PART OF OUR SIGNATURE.
[02:30:01]
MY MIND WHAT HAPPENS AT SEA PINE CIRCLE BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE RESIDENT AND COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY THAT HAPPENS THERE WITH THESE SO CLOSE TOGETHER.I'M, I'M STRUGGLING WITH THAT INTERNALLY TO, TO GET TO, TO THE POINT OF SAYING THAT MAY BE A VIABLE OPTION.
SO, UH, I GUESS FOR ME, I'M MORE INCLINED WITH SIGNALIZATION AND US REALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO THE ACCESS POINTS AND THE CROSSINGS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO MAKE THIS PLACE WORK.
I MEAN, TIMES WE'VE DONE SORT OF MOVEMENT IMPROVEMENTS AND BUSINESSES HAVE CLOSED BECAUSE OF IT, RIGHT? UM, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE EXACT OPPOSITE HERE.
UM, YOU DIDN'T HAVE AS MANY FATALITIES IN THIS AREA WHEN FOLKS ARE WALKING TO BIG STOCK TO GET A LOAF OF BREAD VERSUS ACROSS THE STREET TO DONALD GENERAL, RIGHT? SO, UM, B THAT'S THE MORE IMPORTANT PIECE.
UM, OTHER COMMENTS? CR UH, LOOKING AT THE, UH, COMPARISON ON PAGE 60, PROS AND CONS THAT STATED THERE.
PERSUADE ME, ROUNDABOUTS WOULD BE PREFERABLE.
I I CAN GO ANOTHER 10, 15 MINUTES
MY COMMENT IS, UM, I, I STATED A, UH, PREFERENCE ROUNDABOUTS, BUT I'M GONNA TO YIELD TO THE EXPERTS ABOUT WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO CONFIGURE THESE INTERSECTIONS.
UM, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS NOW OF ANALYZING OUR TRAFFIC FLOW FROM OFF ISLAND ALL THE WAY DOWN THE CINE CIRCLE.
THIS IS A MA ANOTHER MAJOR PROJECT.
HOW DOES IT IMPACT THE FLOW FROM HERE TO THE SEA PINE CIRCLE? HOW DOES IT IMPACT THE FLOW FROM ACROSS ISLAND TO THIS AREA AND VICE VERSA? UM, SO THERE'S, AND WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT HOME SENSE GETTING READY TO OPEN UP.
WE'VE GOT ALDI COMING IN AT, SO WE'VE GOT TWO NEW ANCHORS PLUS WHATEVER'S GOING INTO SAM'S CLUB, WHICH WILL BE IN THE NEXT YEAR.
SO, UM, HOW DOES IT ALL TIE INTO THAT GROWTH? AND, AND I APPRECIATE THE CIRCLE AND THE BRAND ELEMENT.
I AGREE WITH SEVERAL ACTUALLY, THAT I JUST, I NEED SOME MORE INFORMATION TO TRY TO DETERMINE WHAT IS THE BEST AVENUE AND, AND WHETHER THAT'S, THAT'S WORKING WITH THE LOCK MUELLER TO, TO CREATE THAT TRAVEL PATTERN FLOW OR, OR IF Y'ALL CAN DO IT YOURSELVES.
I, I JUST NEED, I NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, I DON'T WANT TO SEE A DELAY IN MOVING THIS FORWARD.
SO I, I THINK WE ALL FEEL THE URGENCY TO DO SOMETHING, BUT IT IS A MAJOR CHANGE AND, AND WE JUST HAVE TO HAVE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT IT MEANS FOR THAT WHOLE AREA.
UM, SO THAT'S ALL I GOT ON THAT FOR RIGHT NOW.
YOU'VE ALL, YOU'VE ALL, AND WHETHER IT'S A ROUNDABOUT OR A SIGNAL, I, I THINK BIG PIECE, OUR NEXT STEPS ARE ALL, ALL THE NOTES THAT WE'RE TAKING TO REFINE THIS CONCEPT BEFORE WE GO OUTWARD, RIGHT? TO GET SOME REAL STAKEHOLDER INPUT.
I THINK OUR STAKEHOLDER CAN PUT ON MAIN STREET AS HILTON HEAD PLANTATION.
IT'S THE SHOPKEEPERS, THE, THE BUSINESS OWNERS.
THERE'S ALSO STAKEHOLDERS ON OUR WHOLE ISLAND THAT DRIVE THROUGH WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY, SEGMENT TWO AND THREE.
SO WHAT, MAYOR, I'M GONNA COMPARE SOME SIDE NOTES WITH YOU ON WHAT REAL STAKEHOLDER INPUT LOOKS LIKE, RIGHT? 'CAUSE SOMETIMES THE STAKEHOLDER INPUT ISN'T WHAT THE PROFESSIONALS AND EXPERTS ARE TELLING US.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, I THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH FROM YOU TODAY TO REFINE THESE SEGMENTS.
DO A LITTLE MORE, DO 'EM A LITTLE MORE WORK.
WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT MAIN STREET AS WELL, AND COME BACK TO YOU.
SO, SO FOR THIS SECTION, WHAT IS, I MEAN, THIS IS JUST SAYING, HEY, THIS IS THE DESIGN WE WOULD LIKE TO GO, RIGHT? AND THEN THERE'S THE FUNDING SIDE.
REALISTICALLY, HOW MANY, HOW MUCH TIME ARE WE LOOKING AT BEFORE SOMETHING COULD HAPPEN HERE? WE'RE ALL LOOKING AT EACH OTHER RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW, I'M EXACTLY, WELL THAT'S, WE, WE'VE, WE ARE MONTHS IN THE MAKING OF JUST THE PRELIMINARY ENCROACHMENT PERMIT INFORMATION.
THAT'S, THAT'S MONTHS IN THE MAKING, NOT A COUPLE MONTHS.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT MAIN STREET, $10 MILLION.
THIS, WE'RE LOOKING AT 6 MILLION.
YEAH, YOU'RE YOU'RE LOOKING AT LEAST $6 MILLION FOR THIS, PROBABLY CLOSER TO 10, RIGHT? WE'RE, WE'RE, WELL, THAT'S WHERE I'M GOING
[02:35:01]
WITH THIS IS, IS HOW OUR DECISION AFFECTS WHEN IT'S GONNA HAPPEN.AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A MAJOR ISLAND EVENT, RIGHT? AND, AND WE THAT COMMUNAL INPUT, WHAT IS IT? HOW IS IT DONE SO THAT IT'S TRUE INPUT AND NOT, I'M NOT SAYING I, I I I, I'M SUGGESTING THIS, I'M NOT SAYING THAT AT ALL.
BUT, YOU KNOW, A REFERENDUM TYPE SITUATION WHERE THE COMMUNITY SPEAKS TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE FOR OR AGAINST I, THIS IS, THIS IS MAJOR AND THERE'S GONNA BE A VERY DECISIVE FIELD ON THIS.
UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE DOING IT RIGHT.
I THINK IN TERMS OF, UM, THE REASONS THAT WE ARE AT THIS CROSSROADS OF MAKING A DECISION SECTION HAS A LOT TO DO WITH EVERYTHING THAT WAS JUST DESCRIBED TO US IN TERMS OF HOW IT'S NOT WELL DESIGNED.
SO, WELL, I ALWAYS WANT TO HEAR FROM THE RESIDENTS ON ALL IMPORTANT THINGS.
THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT WE REALLY DO HAVE TO ADDRESS.
SO I DON'T WANNA PUT IT TO A THUMBS UP OR THUMBS DOWN.
UM, WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE SAFETY ISSUES.
UM, WE HAVE TO DO IT WITHOUT RISKING THE, UM, WHAT OUR ISLAND IS ALL ABOUT.
AND IN, I THINK THERE'S A DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT YOU'LL VISUALIZE AND THE IMPACT THAT YOU'LL HAVE FROM THE, UM, TRAFFIC SIGNALIZATION REPEATEDLY UP AND DOWN 2 78, WHICH TAKES AWAY FROM ONE OF THE GOALS THAT WE'VE HAD, WHICH IS TO CREATE MORE OF A PARKWAY FEEL, CREATE THAT SENSE OF PLACE THAT WE'RE ALL WITHIN SOMETHING SPECIAL.
AND THE ROUNDABOUTS, TO ME, WILL AT LEAST GIVE US THAT OPPORTUNITY TO NOT ONLY, UM, MAINTAIN THAT, BUT BUILD ON IT, REMOVE THE SAFETY ISSUES THAT NEED TO MUST ADDRESS.
UM, SO FUNDING IS CLEARLY IMPORTANT HOW WE GO ABOUT IT.
UM, SPECIFICALLY, UM, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, AND THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S EXACTLY MY POINT, RIGHT? IS AT WHAT TIME WOULD WE POTENTIALLY WOULD HAVE FUNDING IN PLACE TO MOVE SOMETHING FORWARD AND MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE VETTING IT AND UNDERSTANDING IT CORRECTLY.
YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE GREAT THING.
UH, YOU KNOW, THESE ROADS WERE NEVER DESIGNED FOR TODAY'S TRAVEL.
SO WE'RE ADDRESSING THE EIGHTIES, RIGHT? WE'RE ADDRESSING THE PAST FOR THE FUTURE.
AND THAT'S, AND WE'VE GOT IT WELL IN FUTURE LIVELIHOOD.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE, WE, WE HAVE MAYBE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THE MONEY MIGHT COME FROM, UM, WHAT FUNDING SOURCES WE WOULD LOOK AT.
YOU KNOW, THERE IS A REFERENDUM COMING UP IN, IN NOVEMBER, THANK YOU.
AND WHO KNOWS IF IT'S GONNA PASS OR FAIL, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT MONEY WOULD BE THERE OR NOT THERE? WHAT MONEY IS THERE POTENTIALLY, WHAT COULD DOT RING IN? I, I THINK THAT WE JUST NEED TO SEE SOME OF THAT SO THAT WE MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS IN THAT TIMING COORDINATES.
HEY ALEX, RAISE HIS FINGER FIRST.
I, I JUST HAD SOME ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS BASED ON YOUR COMMENTS, MR. MAYOR.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE BRINGING FORTH THE FACT THAT WE ARE WORKING OFF OF OLD MATERIAL, TRYING TO GO INTO A FUTURE PLACE AUTOMOBILE PLACE.
THAT ROAD, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW, USED TO BE THE END OF BEACH CITY ROAD.
NOW IT'S A PIECE OF PAVEMENT THAT NOBODY'S USING AS FAR AS THE FUNDING IS CONCERNED.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA THROW OUT THE IDEA.
SORT OF GET TO WORK ON DISCUSSIONS AROUND THE TIFF DISTRICT, WHICH WE SORT OF CONTROL OUR OWN DESTINY VERSUS WAITING ON OTHERS TO HELP US OUT IN THE AREA THAT WE KNOW WE HAVE ISSUES AND WE NEED TO IMPROVE, RIGHT? UM, YEP.
THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO, TO BRING FORTH, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED A LOT TODAY ABOUT, UM, HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THE, THE, THE CORRIDOR.
UM, BUT WHEN WE GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE AND QUESTIONS SORT OF TOUCHED ON TRANSIT, BUT WE JUST TOUCHING IT, WE HAVE TO BE VERY MINDFUL THAT, UM, WE ARE AT A POINT WHERE WE NEED TO START TO THINK ABOUT CHANGING THE ONE PERSON PER CAR ATTITUDE ON HILTON HEAD.
I THINK THAT PIECE ELEVATED, IF WE DON'T, IT WILL SORT OF BE IN THE SAME SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN NOW 20 YEARS FROM NOW, WHERE WE ARE SAYING, WELL, WHY
[02:40:01]
DIDN'T SOMEBODY THINK ABOUT ELIMINATING AUTOMOBILE PLACE VERSUS JUST LEAVING IT THERE, RIGHT? UH, SO I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS COUNCIL HAS TAKEN THE, THE LEADERSHIP ROLE AND SAYING, HEY, WE'VE GOT AN ISSUE.WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO GET OUT OF OUR BOX AS WELL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROPOSING THINGS DOWNSTREAM THAT MAKES SENSE FOR THE LOAD THAT IS ALREADY HERE, WHICH IN A LOT OF CASES WE CAN'T HANDLE.
'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PARKING SPACES.
UH, THERE'S, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH ROOM FOR, UH, BIKES AND PEDESTRIANS.
SO THE MORE WE CAN GET CARS OFF THE ROAD, I THINK THE BETTER WE'LL BE BROUGHT UP OVER TIME.
AND I HEARD IT SPOKE, SPOKE ABOUT IT IN TODAY A LITTLE BIT.
WHO OWNS WHAT ROADS AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO US IN TERMS OF WHAT WE CAN DO? AND I STILL THINK THERE'S VALUE, AT LEAST IN, UM, HAVING SOME INFORMATION, UH, GATHERED AND PROVIDED TO US AND WHAT IT WOULD COST TO OWN, IF NOT ALL THE ROADS, UM, CERTAIN PIECES, SEGMENTS OF THE ROAD AROUND THE, UM, ISLAND THAT MAKES OUR JOB.
UM, AS TO ADDRESS ISSUES THAT WE HAVE AS EASY AS IT SEEMS MIGHT BE OVER ON, UM, MAIN STREET.
SO, UM, WE CAN REDUCE SIDES OF, UM, UH, WITH, UH, ROADS, ET CETERA WHEN WE OWN THEM.
UM, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO KNOW WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE FOR US, UM, IN THE FUTURE FOR ADDRESSING ALL OF THESE TRAFFIC AND, UH, ROAD ISSUES.
AND I AGREE WITH THE IDEA OF PICKING UP THE, UM, DISCUSSION ON THE TIFF IN THIS AREA, UM, FOR FUNDING.
UM, I ALSO, UM, ALEX AND I HAVE BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS AROUND TRANSPORTATION.
THAT'S A PIECE OF, UM, WHAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO TALK ABOUT FOR YEARS NOW.
AND IT REALLY DOES NEED TO BECOME PART OF OUR CONVERSATION, NOT JUST A COMMENT ALONG THE RIGHT WAY AS A CONVERSATION.
WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE, UM, AND HOW THAT MIGHT HELP IN THE LONG RUN.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE IF THE BRIDGE WERE TO BE, UM, OPENED AND EXPANDED.
THOSE WILL HAVE DIRECT IMPACTS ON ALL THE THINGS THAT I WORRY ABOUT TO HOW WOULD WE MAINTAIN WORD WAS CIVILIZED.
UM, AND, AND I THINK CAREFULLY AT THAT.
SO THAT, THAT IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY ATMOSPHERE THAT WE'VE CREATED THAT REPRESENTS MR OFFER.
I WOULD HOPE THAT WHEN YOU COME BACK WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, QUESTION I'M CURIOUS ABOUT IS WHAT SEGMENTS CAN BE DONE BY THEMSELVES WITHOUT IMPACTING OR REQUIRING US TO DO ALL
WE CAN DO THREE BEFORE TWO AND WE CAN DO MAIN STREET OR ANOTHER SEGMENT.
SO WHAT WE'RE PLANNING ON DOING IS DIGESTING THIS BOOK, BECAUSE THIS BOOK, TO ME, THIS BOOK MAKES SENSE REGARD THAT IT REALLY SETS THE TABLE FOR THESE VARIOUS, CALL THEM STREETS SCAPE SEGMENTS THAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DIGEST AND GIVE FEEDBACK ON.
WE PROBABLY HAVE EIGHT OR NINE DIFFERENT SEGMENTS.
I THINK WE CAN AFFORD TWO OR THREE OF THEM, ESPECIALLY IF WE REALIZE THAT SOME ARE IN A POTENTIAL TIF DISTRICT.
I DON'T WANNA GET OUT IN FRONT OF YOU.
I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ON HOW WE CAN FUND SOME OF THEM.
WE HAVE THE FUNDING FOR THE INITIAL ENCROACHMENT PERMIT WORK, RIGHT? THAT'S GOING TO MAKE AN INCREDIBLE DIFFERENCE AND SET THE TABLE FOR FUTURE WORK THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT.
UM, WE TEND TO COME BACK TO YOU ONE OR TWO SEGMENTS AT A TIME OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS.
OUR NEXT, OUR NEXT SEGMENT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT OBVIOUSLY IS WHAT ELSE IS REALLY IMPORTANT OUT THERE IS THAT IT'S THAT STRETCH THROUGH THE CHAPLAIN NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE YOU HAVE FOLKS CROSSING IN AND AROUND CHAPLAIN PARK AND AROUND SOME, SOME BLIND CURVES.
SOME, SOME IMPROVEMENTS ARE GONNA COST MORE THAN OTHERS.
WE HAVEN'T STARTED PRICING THIS OUT YET IN A TRUE OPINION OF PROBABLE COST.
BUT WE WILL, I I WILL SAY I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS RIGHT NOW, BUT I KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE A STACK OF DOLLARS
[02:45:01]
FROM DOT, MAYBE FRANCE JUST LIKE I DO, BUT, BUT PERHAPS WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY, RIGHT? BUFORT COUNTY WAS JUST A, A GOOD PARTNER IN THE FACT THAT THEY, BECAUSE WE ASKED, RIGHT? THEY DIDN'T JUST SHOW UP AND RING THE DOORBELL.WE ASKED AND THEY PROVIDED 3.2, $3.1 MILLION FOR THE ADAPTIVE TRAFFIC SIGNALS.
WE COULDN'T AFFORD THAT BY OURSELF WITHOUT THEM.
SO LET, LET ME THINK THROUGH THAT.
WHAT'S HELPING, WHAT'S HELPING US IS THIS YOUR OPINION AND POSITION ON THE STREETSCAPE ITSELF.
THE SOONER WE START STACKING THOSE UP, THE SOONER WE CAN START FINDING MONEY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO GO LOOK FOR YET 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW YOUR POSITION.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S HELPFUL FOR US TO LOOK BACK AT THIS LARGER BOOK ON THE PRIORITIZATION 64 THROUGH 65 PAGES AND, AND I UNDERSTAND WHICH ONE IS COMING UP NEXT.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE SCORE SHEET WAS HELPFUL TO ME TO SEE THE HIGH RANKING AREAS.
UM, AND I AGREE THAT FOR THE AREA THAT, UH, UH, COULD BE INCLUDED IN A TIF DISTRICT THAT'S, SAY EASIER TO FINANCE IS NOT REALLY A GOOD DESCRIPTION, BUT COMPARED TO WHAT MY HUSBAND'S ALWAYS ASKING ME COMPARED TO WHAT, SO COMPARED TO OTHER OPTIONS, IT'S EASIER.
UM, SO I, I SUPPORT THAT IDEA AS WELL.
UM, AND, AND FOR ME, ANY KIND OF IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE GEARED STRICTLY TOWARDS PUBLIC SAFETY ARE MY PRIORITY ONE.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, WITH REGARD TO STAKEHOLDER INPUT, I APPRECIATE A, YOU KNOW, TOP OF YOUR HEAD IDEA OF A REFERENDUM, BUT I THINK THESE QUESTIONS ARE A LITTLE TOO COMPLEX FOR THAT.
AND I THINK THE TOWN MANAGER AND HIS STAFF CAN COME BACK TO US WITH SOME IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO, UH, SET OUT A, A PLAN FOR STAKEHOLDER INPUT.
NOT MANAGE, BUT HOW TO PREPARE THE QUESTIONS TO RECEIVE INPUT.
UM, I DON'T WANT TO TRY TO ASK THE QUESTIONS MYSELF, BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE KEY QUESTIONS THAT WE NEED TO BE ASKING, UM, TO GET GOOD STAKEHOLDER, DAVID? APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, STAFF AND CONSULTANTS, UM, INCREDIBLE JOB, UH, WELL LAID OUT, WELL ARTICULATED.
UM, I HAVE TWO COMMENTS THAT RELATE MORE TO COUNCIL AND STAFF THAN CONSULTANT PRESENTATION.
UH, JUST A THOUGHT, UH, BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC CRISIS THAT WE HAD LAST WEEK, I WONDER WHETHER OR NOT ORLEANS ROAD, ARROW ROAD, UM, SORT OF THAT AREA AROUND SEA PINE CIRCLE OUGHT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE PALMETTO SEGMENT, BECAUSE CLEARLY WE HAD A EQUATION WHERE EVERYTHING WAS AT A STOP INCLUDED NEW ORLEANS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO, UM, THAT'S JUST A SUGGESTION.
UM, ALSO, I, I, I MAY BE IMAGINING SOMETHING, BUT I THINK THERE'S POTENTIAL TENSION AMONG US AS COUNSEL AND MAYBE COUNCIL WITH STAFF.
'CAUSE THERE'S A, THERE'S A CONFLICT BETWEEN ACCOMMODATING THE EVER INCREASING PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND, OUR QUOTE UNQUOTE TRADITIONAL AESTHETICS, STREET SCAPE, SIGNAGE, LIGHTING, AND OF COURSE THE ENVIRONMENT.
UM, AND I, I USE THE WORD TRADITIONAL BECAUSE WHAT IS TRADITIONAL FOR ME MIGHT NOT BE WHAT IS TRADITIONAL FOR SOMEONE ELSE.
SO TRADITIONAL FOR ME GOES BACK TO THE SEVENTIES.
SOMEBODY WHO'S BOUGHT PROPERTY, PROPERTY TODAY, TRADITIONAL, IS PRETTY MUCH NON-EXISTENT EXCEPT WHAT THEY'VE HEARD ABOUT HILTON NET IN THE PAST, UH, OVER.
SO, SO I, I AM, WE, WE HAVE A TEMPLATE FOR THINGS THAT WE'RE HEADING TOWARDS, BUT WHEN WE USE THE, UH, TERM TREE LAWN EXTENSIVELY AND GRASS BECOMES AN ACCEPTED FORM OF VEGETATION, ALL THE PLANS, I GET CONCERNED, UM, AMBIANCE OF HILTON HEAD ISN'T MANICURED LANDSCAPE.
AND SO THERE MAY BE APPROPRIATE PLACES TO HAVE THE LAWN FOR AESTHETIC REASONS
[02:50:01]
AND THERE MAY BE OTHER PLACES THAT ARE NOT.AND THEN SEC, SECONDLY, THERE MAY BE PLACES LAWN AND WON'T GROW, SO YOU BETTER BE AVAIL, UM, HAVING AN ALTERNATIVE.
SO LIGHTING, UH, WE KNOW THAT LIGHTING IS A POLITICAL HOT BALL IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I GO BACK TO WHAT I SAID BEFORE.
WE BETTER BE PREPARED TO SAY HOW WE ARE GOING TO UTILIZE LIGHTING AND IN WHAT, IN WHAT LOCATIONS SIGNAGE WILL GET TO THE ENVIRONMENT ISSUE OF HOW MUCH PAVING ARE WE GONNA PUT DOWN, UH, SO AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO I I, I HAVE THIS TURN INSIDE OF ME THAT THESE ARE TEMPLATES THAT ARE GOING TO BE INTERPRETED DOWN THE ROAD IN WAYS THAT I MIGHT NOT AGREE WITH.
I JUST WANT SEVEN MEMBERS OF COUNCIL TO BE SORT OF ON BOARD THAT, UH, IS A WAY OF LOOKING AT HILTON HEAD THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE.
UM, DAVID, I LOVE THAT COMMENT AND WHAT IT MADE ME THINK OF IN TERMS OF TRADITIONAL IS THAT MAYBE IT'S NOT ONLY MY EXPERIENCE, BUT I THINK YOU MAY HAVE HAD THIS AS WELL.
UM, WHEN YOU RUN INTO PEOPLE WHO ARE NEW TO THE ISLAND WHO START OR WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE, MAYBE NOT SINCE AS LONG AS YOU HAVE THE COMMON THEME THAT BRINGS THEM BACK TO THINKING ABOUT HOW THE ISLAND IS DESIGNED, UM, WHAT IT MEANS.
IT ALL REFERS BACK TO THOSE ORIGINAL CONCEPTS THAT YOU WERE A PART OF.
AND SO WHETHER YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR A SHORT TIME OR ANY OF LENGTH OF TIME SINCE THE BEGINNING, I THINK THOSE ORIGINAL CON CONCEPTS OR WHAT'S AT THE HEART OF EVERYONE'S THOUGHTS WHEN THEY THINK OF WHAT DOES HILTON HEAD MEAN AND WHAT SHOULD IT BE, UM, MAINTAINED AS SO YES, OVER THE YEARS THINGS HAVE CHANGED AND EVERYONE COMES IN AT A DIFFERENT POINT, BUT THAT CORE VALUE REMAINS AND THAT IS A HUGE TESTAMENT TO THE WORK THAT YOU AND ALL OF THOSE, UM, WHO WORKED WITH YOU AND CHARLES FRAZIER, UM, BROUGHT TO THIS ISLAND EXCEPT FOR THAT.
ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER COMMENT? CAN I, LET ME JUST SAY ONE THING.
WE HAD A SOMEWHAT SIMILAR CONVERSATION.
ANTHONY, ALEX ADDED A COMMENT ABOUT BEING RELEVANT AND THAT'S WHERE THE TENSION IS.
THERE, THERE MAY BE A DIFFERENT WAY OF LOOKING AT THE ISLAND TODAY, YOU HAVE TO RECOGNIZE.
AND SO I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS, BUT I'M VERY, I'M VERY CLEAR ON WHAT THE CORE VALUES WERE 50 YEARS AGO, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE CORE VALUES ARE SUBSCRIBED BY EVERYBODY WHO'S RUNNING A BUSINESS OR SO ON.
THERE'S TENSION THERE AND I JUST THINK WE HAVE TO BE AWARE OF IT.
IF I MIGHT REAL QUICK, JUST ASK, BECAUSE I THINK THIS CONVERSATION COULD GO ON FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION AT THIS POINT FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD ONTO THE NEXT, TO THE NEXT ITEM? WOULD YOU WANT US TO SAY INTERSECTION? I HAVE ENOUGH.
AND DAVE, DAVID HITS ON A, A GREAT POINT BECAUSE I, IT'S NOT JUMPING OUT OF THE BOOK, IT, IT'S, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO REINVENT, WE'RE TRYING TO RESPECT THE LANDSCAPE PATTERN AND THE FABRIC, BUT WE KNOW THAT SOME LIGHTING AND STIPING AND SOME INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS NEED TO HAPPEN.
'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S JUST DIFFERENT.
OUR TENSION ISN'T BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT DAVID'S TALKING ABOUT.
OUR TENSION IS FIGURING IT OUT AND NOT BECOMING ANYWHERE USA, BUT THIS MAY SAY THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE TO BE GIVEN A HEADS UP IN THE DIRECTION WE'RE HEADED FIGHTING.
WHY AS A, NOT ON THAT SUBJECT, BUT A QUICK TECHNICAL QUESTION ABOUT NEXT STEPS.
UH, BACK TO MR. BROWN'S QUESTION, ARE WE GONNA BE ASKED AGAIN ABOUT THE INTERIM IMPROVEMENTS? FIRST OF ALL, I THANK YOU TO THE COUNTY.
UM, I'M LOOKING AT THE STAFF REPORT, UH, FOR THE PUBLIC FACILITIES AND SAFETY COMMITTEE OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL, UH, THAT APPROVED AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND HILTON HEAD FOR WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY SAFETY AND PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS AREA.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN THE AMOUNT OF 600,000.
BUT MY TECHNICAL PROFESSION IS IF AN IGA AND INTERGOVERNMENT AGREEMENT IS REQUIRED, THEN UM, WE OUGHT TO PUT THAT ON OUR AGENDA SOON AS FINE.
[02:55:03]
WE'LL ADDRESS THAT.ONE LAST THING, AND I'LL BE QUIET.
I CANNOT LEAVE THE ROOM WITHOUT THAT.
REALLY DIDN'T SAY A LOT TODAY.
DARREN WRIGHT, HE DOESN'T EVEN NEED A LAST NAME ANYMORE, BUT DARREN IS STILL ON STAFF.
BUT WE HAVE JORDAN, DARREN, CARLA, JIM THERESA.
THEY ARE AN INCREDIBLE TRANSPORTATION TEAM IN THE MOMENT.
THEY'RE ON CALL AROUND THE CLOCK IN NIGHT AND WEEKENDS TO MAKE SURE THE SIGNALS ARE WORKING.
AND I JUST WANT TO REALLY, CAN CAN, CAN WE SECOND THAT MARK? 'CAUSE WE WORK WITH THESE FOLKS EVERY DAY.
I'LL MOVE ON TO, UM, SEGMENT TWO.
NO, THAT'S WHY I WAS TRYING'S, WHY I WAS TRYING TO MOVE IT ON
I'LL EXPLAIN TO BRIAN LATER WHAT JUST HAPPENED.
IT'S, IT'S THE ONE ON THE UNKNOWN.
IT'S THE BIKE LANES OFFER ON, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO DECIDE A SECOND 'CAUSE WE'RE COMING BACK TO YOU, BUT SOME DIRECTION HELPS.
ERIC, CAN I SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE BIKE LANES? UM, UM, THE, THE OPTION THAT INCLUDES BIKE LANES IS THE ONE I SUPPORT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO HAVE MULTI-USE PATHWAYS.
IT DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN'T RIDE YOUR BIKE ON THE MULTI-USE PATHWAYS, BUT, UH, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND OUR OPPORTUNITIES, UM, FOR THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO NOT BIKE ON THE MULTI-USE PATHWAYS FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
AND I RESPECT THAT AND I APPRECIATE, UM, THE FOLKS WHO CAME TO COMMENT ON THAT TODAY.
I THINK WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL AN ACTIVE CYCLIST COMMUNITY, UM, IN SOME OF THOSE WHO ALSO ARE WORKING AND PREFER NOT TO BE ON THE MULTI-USE PATHWAY.
AND, AND I THINK THAT, UM, I, I SUPPORT INCLUDING THE BIKE LANES AND I DON'T THINK I DO, I KNOW I DO
OPTION NUMBER THREE MAKES ME MORE COMFORTABLE THAT WE'RE GONNA RETAIN THE TREE CANOPY THAT'S SO IMPORTANT TO MAIN STREET.
YES, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SIDEWALKS RIGHT ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, BUT IN A SLOW SPEED SITUATION, UH, WITH NARROW, UM, LANES, I THINK THAT'S PLENTY SAFE.
UH, AND SO I, I'M LEANING IN THE DIRECTION OF BIKE LANES IN THE ROAD AND SIDEWALKS, UH, THAT CROSS SECTION THAT FITS INTO 50 50.
OKAY, TAMMY? SO MY CONCERN ABOUT THE BIKE PATHS ON THE ROAD, UM, REMAIN, UM, I THINK THAT IT, UM, AESTHETICALLY DOESN'T LOOK AS GOOD.
UM, I THINK THERE ARE, AS, UM, WAS POINTED OUT, UM, SAFETY CONCERNS, UM, POTENTIAL FOR SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THE BIKE LANE THERE.
UM, I DO HEAR EVERYONE ELSE AS WELL.
AND UM, AS A COMPROMISE OPTION THREE WOULD CERTAINLY FIT, UM, IN THE SCOPE AS DAVID POINTED OUT.
AND SO I'M, I WOULD BE WILLING TO GO ALONG WITH THAT WITH NO, UM, NO FURTHER COMMENT ON THAT PIECE OF IT.
UM, E-BIKES, WELL WHAT, HOW DOES E-BIKES FIT INTO ALL OF THIS? WILL THEY BE OUT ON THAT, UM, THAT BIKE PATH AS WELL? AND WILL THEY THEN BE RAISING THAT? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO CONTROL THAT? I SEE IT.
I SEE THEY'LL BE A
PARDON ME? HAVE A PLACE TO GO.
THAT'S WHERE GO ON THE BIKE PATH.
ON THE PATH ON THE BIKE LANES.
YOU DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO GO NOW, SO THEY'LL LIKELY TO GO ON STREET OR I KNOW, I UNDERSTAND.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING THE QUESTION.
YOU THINK IT'S PRO LIKELY THAT THEY'LL INCREASE THIS, UM, SINCE THEY'RE ON THE BIKE PATH? THAT MAY IT'S JUST A THOUGHT.
I DON'T REALLY NEED AN ANSWER TO IT.
I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT E-BIKES ARE, SHOULD ALWAYS BE CONSIDERED AND THOUGHT THROUGH HOW IT'S GONNA WORK.
MR. ALFRED, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF, UH, BIKE LANES IN THE STREET.
UH, AND IN ADDITION TO BIKE PATHWAYS ON THE SIDE, THAT IS THE SAFEST APPROACH.
MOST CYCLERS HAVE THE OPTION TO RIDE ON SIDEWALK LANE.
FAST BIKE RIDERS HAVE THE OPTION
[03:00:01]
TO RIDE IN THE STREETS.SO CONFLICT BETWEEN BIKERS AND PEDESTRIANS ON BIKE RIDING ON MAIN STREET FOR YEARS.
CARS, UH, RIDING IN THE STREET THAN I WOULD ON A PATHWAY, I WOULD SAY.
OKAY, MR. BROWN COMMENTS ABOUT BUYING ME A BIKE.
I GOT A COUPLE YOU CAN BORROW.
SO, UM, I I I'M YIELDING TO THE EXPERTS ON THIS.
IT SEEMS TO ME THE OPTION IS, YOU KNOW WHAT I LIKE TO ALWAYS DESCRIBE AS COMPROMISE, UM, YOU GETTING THIS PAY FROM VEHICLES, NEGOTIATE WITH PEDESTRIANS A LOT BETTER THAN THE FASTER RIDERS, WHICH WILL NOW BE IN THE STREETS.
SO UNBEKNOWNST TO ANYBODY IN THIS ROOM, I USED TO BE A AVID BIKE RIDER, UM, IN CHARLESTON WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE.
SO TRY RIDING YOUR BIKE IN CHARLESTON.
UM, YOU'RE REALLY FIGHTING WITH THE CARS.
UM, THE REALITY IS THAT, THAT WHETHER THERE'S A LANE THERE OR NOT, THE BIKERS ARE GONNA BE ON IT, PERIOD.
WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN? SO WHY NOT BE PREPARED FOR IT, ADDRESS IT.
UM, THE EDUCATION PIECE OF IT IS THAT THOSE BIKE LANES ARE FOR STREET BIKES, NOT FOR YOUR DAILY RIDE.
SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I I LEAVE IT UP TO THE EXPERTS TO, TO KIND OF DIRECT THAT.
BUT OPTION THREE, I'M, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH, UM, WHILE I'M MENTIONING EDUCATION AND IT WAS BROUGHT UP EARLIER, WHERE IS EDUCATION IN ALL IN ALL OF THIS, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT DIFFERENT STATE LAWS IN SOUTH CAROLINA WHEN IT COMES TO PEDESTRIANS AND CARS, THAT JUST CREATES A DIFFERENCE OF KNOWLEDGE, WHAT YOU'RE USED TO IN ONE PLACE.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THE SAME THING HERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THIS, UM, SIGNALIZATION IS DIFFERENT IN OTHER STATES AS WELL.
SO IT'S GOTTA BE CLEAR CUT AND CONCISE AS TO WHAT WE MIGHT MEAN BY WHATEVER SIGNALIZATION PROCESSES, TOOLS WE USE.
I SAW SOME UP THERE, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY MEANT.
UM, SO WE GOTTA MAKE, GOTTA MAKE CERTAIN THAT IT IS BLACK AND WHITE.
UM, BUT THE EDUCATION PIECE, YOU KNOW, HAS GOTTA BE A BIG PART OF THIS.
AND HOW WE UTILIZE THE KNOWLEDGE TO OUR CHAMBER, TO OUR RESORT GUESTS, TO OUR BIKE COMPANIES, TO EVERYBODY.
BECAUSE I WENT OUT TODAY, DROVE AROUND AND NOT ONE BIKER LOOKED EITHER WAY AT A STOP SIGN.
THAT BEGS THE QUESTION AS TO WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO TO STOP IT RIPPLE IN THE ROAD TO KEEP 'EM FROM GOING ACROSS.
IS IT A THREE OR FOUR POLE SYSTEM THAT MAKES 'EM GET OFF THEIR BIKE AND SLOW DOWN? TALKING ABOUT SAFETY, YOU GOTTA TALK ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF THE BIKERS AND THE PEDESTRIANS NOT LOOKING BOTH WAYS.
BRING THAT TO Y'ALL'S ATTENTION.
NOT LOOKING FOR A RESPONSE ON THAT, BUT JUST TO SOMETHING ELSE.
YEAH, JUST BRIEFLY ON EDUCATION AND, AND, AND FRANK CAN GIVE US MORE OF A LECTURE ON IT.
SO I I'LL TRY TO MAKE IT SHORTER THAN THAT.
UM, AND THAT IS FOR, UH, UH, BIKE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES.
UM, THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS LOOKS FOR EDUCATION.
UM, HE HAD BEEN FAILING IN THAT AND, UH, AND THE BIKE WALK CORPS HAS BEEN WORKING ON THAT.
UM, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT IS EXCELLENT IN HELPING OUT WITH EDUCATION OF KIDS.
UM, THE CHAMBER, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM TO TRY TO GET VIDEOS ON THEIR WEBSITE.
UM, THE, UH, THE BIKE RENTAL, UH, COMPANIES, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO WORK WITH THEM TO GET OUT MORE INFORMATION ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE EDUCATION, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE PROPER PROTOCOLS AND WHAT ARE THE SAFETY RULES, ET CETERA.
SO WE COULD STILL USE IMPROVEMENT, UM, IN ANYTHING THAT THOSE THREE GROUPS, THE CHAMBER, THE TOWN, UM, INCLUDING THE TOWN'S FIRE DEPARTMENT CAN AND BIKE WALK CAN WORK TOGETHER TO DO THAT, I THINK IS A GREAT THING TO DO.
UM, I KNOW FROM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF US DO WHITEWATER RAFTING AND, AND YOU HAVE TO WATCH A SAFETY FILM.
YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A SAFETY COURSE.
UM, I'VE TRIED TO ENCOURAGE THE BIKE, UM, UH, RENTAL COMPANIES TO REQUIRE SOMETHING SIMILAR.
THE PROBLEM IS MOST OF THOSE RENTALS ARE DONE ONLINE AND FOLKS, UH, RENT THEM ONLINE AND THEY'RE DUMPED OFF AT, AT WHERE THEY'RE STAYING.
UM, AND THEY NEVER SEE ANYBODY OTHER THAN MAYBE IF THEY SEE 'EM DUMP THE BIKE OR, YOU KNOW, BRING IT, BRING IT TO 'EM OR TAKE IT AWAY.
UM, BUT IF THERE WAS SOME SORT OF,
[03:05:01]
UM, VIDEO THAT COULD BE, UH, UH, AS PART OF THAT MENTAL AGREEMENT.SO YOU, YOU WATCH THE VIDEO, YES, PEOPLE MAY OR MAY NOT, BUT AT LEAST WE'VE TRIED TO DO THAT.
UM, SO ANYHOW, I, I THINK THERE'S SOME IMPROVEMENT, BUT THERE ARE SOME EFFORTS BEING MADE.
I I DIDN'T MEAN TO INSINUATE THAT THERE'S NOTHING BEING DONE.
SO I JUST, FRANK, I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT I, I KNOW Y'ALL ARE TRYING HARD AND, AND I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT I, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT STATEMENT FOR THE, FOR OUR CONSULTANTS.
AND I DIDN'T MEAN THAT I WAS TRYING TO BE INFORMATIVE.
YEAH, JUST WANNA BE CLEAR ON THAT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? RYAN? YOU GOT MORE QUESTIONS,
WELL, WITH, WITH THAT SAID GUYS, REALLY A GREAT JOB.
UM, Y'ALL HAVE PROVIDED A DOCUMENT THAT WE CAN REALLY WORK OFF OF AND IT REALLY IS JUST SO PACKED FULL OF INFORMATION, RIGHT? AND IT GIVES US OPTIONS AND THINGS TO LOOK AT THAT I DON'T THINK WE'VE REALLY HAD IN THE PAST.
SO I, YOU KNOW WHAT, THIS IS THE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE LOOK FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW, AND BECAUSE WE CAN MAKE GOOD DECISIONS OFF OF THIS.
ANY OTHER LAST COMMENTS? NO, I JUST WANNA SAY, ALRIGHT, WE ARE ADJOURNED.
THE OLD TOWN MASTER PLAN WAS DEVISED IN PROBABLY OR 2006, RIGHT AROUND THERE.
WE WERE STARTING TO SEE THE GROWTH AFFECT OUR SMALL TOWN COMING WEST OFF OF HILTON HEAD AND MOVING ITS WAY INTO BLUFFTON.
AND BLUFFTON WAS JUST THIS SMALL, SOMEWHAT OF A SQUARE MILE, BUT GROWING.
SO WE DECIDED TO PUT SOME MONEY AND A LOT OF OUR EFFORTS INTO WHAT IS CALLED THE OLD TOWN MASTER PLAN.
IT WAS ADOPTED IN 2006 AND IT REALLY IS A BLUEPRINT FOR ALL OF OUR POLICIES, IMPROVEMENTS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO THE GARVIN HOUSE IS BEHIND US.
IT'S THE, PROBABLY THE LAST FRIEDMAN'S COTTAGE THAT'S ON THE RIVER.
SO YOU LOOK AT IT AND PEOPLE THINK, TEAR IT DOWN.
WELL, AGAIN, IF YOU GO BACK TO THIS OLD TOWN MASTER PLAN, IT WOULD TELL YOU ENHANCE YOUR STRUCTURES, PUT YOUR TIME AND EFFORT AND YOUR MONEY INTO PLACES THAT CAN'T BE DUPLICATED.
MY WIFE AND I LIVE HERE IN BLUFFTON.
AND, UM, THIS HAS BEEN A, A, A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT SINCE ABOUT 2008 AND, UH, BEFORE THE RESTORATION AND RENOVATION STARTED.
AND, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN INTERESTED IN SEEING PROGRESS OVER TIME.
WELL, IT'S, IT'S VERY INTERESTING.
UM, THE, THE HAR THE HOUSE HAS BEEN CALLED THE GARVIN HOUSE FOR JUST KIND OF FOLKLORE VERNACULAR.
AND AS, UH, MELANIE MARKS MY WIFE, WENT THROUGH THE, THE GENEALOGY, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT HIS REAL NAME WAS CYRUS GARVEY.
BUT THROUGH TRANSFER OF DEEDS AND OTHER, OTHER, THE WAY PEOPLE WROTE THINGS THAT HIS NAME IS ACTUALLY CYRUS GARVEY.
AND AT TIMES YOU SEE GARVIN, AT TIMES YOU SEE GARVEY, BUT HIS REAL NAME AS YOU TRACK BACK HIS FAMILY AND SO FORTH IS, IS TRULY CYRUS GARVEY.
YOU KNOW, THE HISTORY SAYS THAT HE BUILT THE HOUSE IN 1870, SHORTLY AFTER, UM, YOU KNOW, HIS FREEDOM, UH, ON PROPERTY THAT BELONGED TO JOSEPH BAYNARD, WHO WAS A PLANTATION OWNER.
HIS SUMMER HOME WAS HERE ON THIS PROPERTY, BUT HIS PLANTATION WAS NEAR OR POSSIBLY IN THE BOUNDS OF PALMETTO BLUFF, THE DEVELOPMENT.
AND, UH, SOMEHOW CYRUS WAS ABLE TO WORK THIS LAND, BUILD HIS HOUSE IN 1870, BUT DIDN'T GET DEEDED THE PROPERTY UNTIL 1880 BY JOSEPH VAYARD.
UH, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THIS HOUSE AND HE WAS LIVING HERE AND THE VIEW THAT HE HAD, IT'S, IT'S AMAZING.
MY WIFE AND I GOT TOGETHER AND WE SAID WE HAVE TO BECOME PART OF THIS.
SOMEHOW WE HAVE TO COME TO COME DOWN HERE AND SPEND TIME HERE AND TRY AND FACILITATE AND BRING MORE AWARENESS TO THE FACT THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT, THIS IS HISTORY, AND HOW COULD WE HELP IT.
WELL, WHAT BRINGS US TO BLUFFTON IS THIS MAGNIFICENT HOUSE HERE, THE GARVIN HOUSE.
UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING AS, AS DIRECTOR OF THE PALMETTO TRUST.
I'M ALL OVER THE STATE WORKING WITH MUNICIPALITIES AND,
[03:10:01]
AND UH, COMMUNITIES, AND THIS HAS BEEN ON OUR RADAR EVER SINCE I CAME ON IN 2007.AND THIS WAS AN AMAZING STORY.
THIS FAMILY AFTER FREEDOM WE'RE ABLE TO BUILD THEIR OWN LIVES HERE IN THEIR OWN PROPERTY.
UH, THIS IS KIND OF A UNIQUE SITUATION 'CAUSE MOST OF THE PROPERTIES WE WORK WITH DO GET TURNED INTO PRIVATE HOMES.
THIS IS ONE WHERE IT REALLY IS GONNA BE LIKE A MUSEUM, UH, SITUATION WHERE THE PLACE IS SAVED AND THE COMMUNITY CAN PARTICIPATE IN LEARNING ABOUT IT AND THE TOWN CAN LEVERAGE IT AS PART OF THEIR HISTORIC CHARACTER THAT IS SO KNOWN IN BLUFFTON.
SO, WELL, BASICALLY WHEN WE TOOK OVER THIS PROJECT, THERE WAS A STABILIZATION PROJECT, WHICH BASICALLY MEANS WHERE THESE SIX BY SIXES, CRIBBING CARRIES A STEEL BEAM THAT PRETTY MUCH RUNS THROUGH THE LENGTH OF THE HOUSE.
SO YOU'VE GOT ONE HERE AND YOU'VE GOT ONE PRETTY MUCH THAT RUNS DOWN THE CENTER.
AND THIS WAS BASICALLY TO GIVE SUPPORT BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE THE STRUCTURE GOT TO THE POINT OF WHERE IT REALLY COULDN'T STAND BY ITSELF.
NOW THIS IS NEW PRODUCT, BUT WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE WERE ABLE TO SALVAGE ALL OF THE, UH, ORIGINAL FLOORING.
SO WE BASICALLY REMOVED IT FROM THE HOUSE, WRAPPED IT UP, DOCUMENTED IT, NUMBERED IT SO THAT IT CAN GO BACK DOWN IN THE SAME PLACE.
AND WHAT WE'LL END UP DOING IS PAINTING THE PLYWOOD FLOOR BLACK SO THAT YOU CAN'T SEE DOWN THROUGH THE CRACKS.
AND IT GIVES THE ILLUSION OF WHAT IT USED TO LOOK LIKE.
WE'LL INSTALL AS MUCH OF THE ORIGINAL STUFF AS POSSIBLE.
SO YOU CAN SEE IT'S NOT TOO HARD TO PULL DOWN.
BUT WE'LL TAKE THIS DOWN, PHOTOGRAPH IT, DOCUMENT IT, AND WE PUT IT BACK IN THE SAME PLACE.
THIS IS SOME OF THE ORIGINAL OLD BEAM, AND BASICALLY IT'S ANYWHERE FROM SIX INCHES TO SIX AND A HALF INCHES.
IT WAS ALL DONE BY AX AND BASICALLY, OR HAND SAW.
SO IT'S GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A STA OR A LITTLE BIT OF A WAVE HERE AND THERE.
SO WE'VE INTERLOCKED AND TIED IT IN.
WHEN WE DUG THE FOOTING, WE CAME ACROSS OF A LOT OF INTERESTING THINGS.
SO JUST VARIOUS BOTTLES, LITTLE BABY PERFUME BOTTLES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, PRECIOUS TO THEM BACK IN THE DAY.
AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE OLD ORIGINAL LIDS FROM THE CANNERY, FROM THE, UH, OYSTER FACTORY.
I KIND OF ALWAYS ENJOYED THE CHALLENGE OF LOOKING AT SOMETHING AND TRYING TO LOOK AT, OKAY, WHY DID THEY DO THIS? OR HOW DID IT DEVELOP INTO THIS? AND HOW IT PROGRESSED AND CHANGED.
AND JUST EVEN STANDING HERE, YOU NOTICE THAT THIS IS EXTERIOR SIDING.
SO THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE USED TO END HERE.
THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL BACK DOOR.
HAD A FRONT PORCH ON THE FRONT SIDE.
SO AS TIME PROGRESSED, THEY NEEDED MORE ROOM.
THEY BASICALLY JUST NOTCHED IN, ADDED TO THE FOUNDATION, BROUGHT A NEW ROOF OUT.
AND NOW THIS BECAME BASICALLY ANOTHER ROOM, BEDROOM, LIVING ROOM AREA, KIND OF A KITCHEN AREA HERE.
AND OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE NOT RUNNING DOWN TO HOME DEPOT AND LOWE'S, YOU CAN SEE THEY ACTUALLY JUST WENT DOWN TO THE BEACH, GOT SAND AND BASICALLY MIXED A SAND MORTAR.
AND YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE OYSTER SHELL PIECES IN IT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WHAT THEY WOULD DO IS BASICALLY BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT A HEAVY DUTY FOUNDATION LIKE WE HAVE NOW, AND THIS USED TO BE BASICALLY WHAT THEY WOULD DO IS TAKE A CYPRESS STUMP, HOPEFULLY CYPRESS BECAUSE IT WOULD LAST LONGER AND THIS IS 1870.
BUT THEY WOULD BURY THIS INTO THE GROUND AND THEN THEY WOULD START ALL OF THEIR HEAVY BEAM AND FRAMING AND BASICALLY SIT ON TOP OF THIS.
YOU HAVE MILESTONES EVERY DAY AND YOU THINK AFTER, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR CLOSE TO 30 YEARS THAT YOU KNOW IT, IT'S DIFFERENT EVERY DAY.
SO WE HAVE A STAIRCASE THAT WAS INTACT, SO INSTEAD OF HAVING TO REMOVE IT, WE KIND OF KEPT IT IN PLACE.
WE WORKED UNDER IT, AROUND IT IN IT.
AND I, WE TEMPORARILY SECURED THIS THING EIGHT DIFFERENT TIMES WHILE WE PUT THE FLOOR SYSTEM UNDER IT.
SO WHEN WE ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY TAKE SOMETHING OFF THE STRUCTURE, WE WANNA KNOW WHERE IT IS AND WHAT IT WENT.
SO WHAT WE WOULD DO IS WE WOULD PHYSICALLY REMOVE IT, PHOTOGRAPH, AND THEN WE WOULD GO AHEAD AND JUST LABEL THIS PIECE, WHAT SIDE OF THE HOUSE IT WAS ON, WHERE IT WAS AT.
AND IT BASICALLY GIVES US A GUIDE TO PUT THIS GIANT PUZZLE, YOU KNOW, BACK TOGETHER AGAIN.
MOST OF THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT ARE DONE, A RENOVATION, A REHABILITATION THAT ALLOWS THEM TO BE MODERN USE.
WE DO HAVE MODERN CODES THAT HAD TO BE IMPLEMENTED HERE BECAUSE OF ITS PUBLIC ACCESS.
UH, BUT EVERY EFFORT WAS MADE TO TRY TO ENSURE IT COMMUNICATED WHAT THESE PEOPLE HAD TO BUILD.
SO WE DIDN'T PUT IN THESE BIG BRICK PIERS UNDERNEATH.
UH, BUT EVERYTHING HAS WORKED TO GIVE THE AESTHETIC LOOK OF THE TYPE OF HOUSE THIS THING WOULD'VE BEEN WHEN IT WAS BUILT TO CAPTURE A POINT IN TIME TO CAPTURE WHAT IT WOULD'VE BEEN LIKE.
[03:15:01]
AGAIN, THIS IS A PIECE OF A BROADER PICTURE TO CAPTURE WHAT A FAMILY CYRUS GARVEY WAS LIVING IN HERE WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN IN THESE RECLAIMED WOOD AT THE TIME IT WAS RECLAIMED.IT COULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM HOUSES THAT WERE BURNED AFTER THE WAR ENDED AND PUT THIS TOGETHER WHERE HE LIVED.
AND THEN THAT'S WHY THE GENEALOGY AND THE HISTORY OF HIM AND HIS FAMILY IS SO IMPORTANT.
'CAUSE IT ISN'T JUST A BUILDING, IT'S A MAN AND HIS FAMILY IN A TIME OF OUR HISTORY WITH A BUILDING AND A COMMUNITY AT A TIME OF MOVEMENT.
AND SO YOU WANNA MAKE IT AS REAL AS POSSIBLE.
IT COMMUNICATES A TIME AND PLACE THAT NOT MANY PLACES DO ANYMORE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN, UM, IN THE LOW COUNTRY WHERE YOU HAVE SUCH DEVELOPMENT PRESSURES, USUALLY LITTLE WOODEN BOXES LIKE THIS GET DESTROYED AND LOST.
AND SO THIS COMMUNICATES SOMETHING, UH, POST CIVIL WAR, UM, POST ENSLAVEMENT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S ABOUT, IT'S ABOUT THESE PEOPLE SURVIVING AND OVERCOMING ENSLAVEMENT INTO A PLACE OF FREEDOM AND THEIR NICHE AND PROPERTY AND THEIR OWN HOUSE.
AND, AND THAT TRANSITIONAL STORY IS NOT TOLD ENOUGH IN THE STATE, AND WE'RE SO GLAD IT COULD BE DONE HERE.
THE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE AGAIN, AS YOU KNOW, IS WORKING IN ALL OF THE OLD LUMBERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE'RE TO THE EXCITING PART OF IT NOW WHERE WE'RE BASICALLY DONE WITH THE FRAMING, NOW WE'RE KIND OF PUTTING THE PUZZLE BACK TOGETHER.
YOU GET A FEEL FOR WHEN THEY ACTUALLY PUT IT TOGETHER AND YOU CAN SEE THEIR FRUSTRATIONS WHEN THEY RAN OUT OF A PARTICULAR SPECIES OF LUMBER OR SOMETHING TO USE AND THEY JUST CHANGED IT UP AND, AND STILL KEPT GOING AND PUSHED FORWARD.
I KNEW THE HOUSE WOULD BE HERE WHEN WE GET BACK.
JUST THE, THE METHODICAL WAY THAT WE PUT IT BACK TOGETHER.
MY BIGGEST CONCERN WAS THESE BEAUTIFUL OAK TREES THAT HAVE SURROUNDED THIS.
'CAUSE I DID COME DOWN HERE THREE DAYS AFTER THE STORM AND THERE WAS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN.
I COULDN'T EVEN SEE THE HOUSE.
I, I GOT DOWN THE ROAD AS FAR AS I COULD AND LOOKED AT THE HOUSE AND I WAS LIKE, OH MY GOSH.
IT JUST BLEW ME AWAY THAT THE THING WAS STILL HERE, HIGH AND DRY, NO LEAKS, NO NOTHING, NO DAMAGE.
AND THAT WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, LUCKY, VERY LUCKY.
IN NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR, I PRESENTED THE TOWN WITH OUR FINISHED REPORT.
UM, AND I KNOW THE TOWN IS PLANNING ON USING THAT MATERIAL TO PROMOTE THE, THE HISTORY OF THE, THE HOUSE THROUGH BROCHURES, THROUGH, YOU KNOW, SIGNAGE TO MAKE IT A TRUE DESTINATION FOR TOURISTS.
I THINK, I THINK WE HAVE TO APPLY THE BLUFFTON PRESERVATION SOCIETY FOR KNOWING THE VALUE AND, UH, OF THE HISTORIC INTEGRITY OF THIS HOUSE.
FOR THE TOWN IN THIS COMMUNITY AND IN THIS COUNTRY THESE DAYS IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH STRIFE AND THERE'S SO MUCH CONFLICT AND FRICTION TO ACTUALLY HAVE A COMMUNITY LIKE THIS SAY, THIS IS IMPORTANT.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO PUT OUR MONEY HERE, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO SHOW HOW PEOPLE OVER TIME DID WORK TOGETHER AND RESPECT EACH OTHER.
AND WE'RE RESURRECTING NOT ONLY A HOUSE, BUT REALLY A, A LEGACY FOR AN INDIVIDUAL THAT ROSES ABOVE A BIG CHALLENGING TIME.
HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THE LARGEST SHIPS IN THE WORLD COULD SAIL INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND, AND THAT'S WHAT GENERAL BOAT THE FRENCH EXPLORER SAID, SHOULD ALL THE SHIPS OF FRANCE NAY, ALL THE SHIPS OF THE WORLD COULD SAFELY RIDE IN ITS MOUTHS.
IT'S VERY DEEP AND VERY UNUSUAL.
AND IF YOU'RE A SAILOR AND YOU GO UP AND DOWN THE COAST ON THE INLAND PASSAGE, YOU COME INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND, YOU KNOW IT'S DIFFERENT.
IT IS 60 FEET DEEP IN THE MIDDLE OF PORT ROYAL SOUND, 30 FEET DEEP OVER THE BAR.
AND THE INTERESTING THING TO ME IS THAT THE SHAPE OF THE ENTRANCE HAS NOT CHANGED FOR 500 YEARS, MILLIONS OF SHELLS LEFT BY NATIVE INHABITANTS OVER THOUSANDS OF YEARS ATTEST TO THE BOUNTY OF ITS WATERS.
CLOVIS POINTS, WHICH ARE MORE THAN 10,000 YEARS OLD, HAVE BEEN UNEARTHED ON ITS SHORES.
INEVITABLY, THE NATURAL RICHES OF THE SEA ISLANDS SURROUNDING PORT ROYAL SOUND ATTRACTED THE GREAT EMPIRES OF THE 17TH AND 18TH CENTURIES.
FIRST, SPAIN ARRIVED IN 1521, THEN FRANCE CAME ASHORE IN 1562.
FINALLY, THE BRITISH CLAIMED THEM AS CAROLINA.
[03:20:01]
CHARLES, AFTER BARELY SURVIVING A DEADLY CLASH WITH THE NATIVE AMERICANS, THE SETTLERS DEMANDED PROTECTION FROM THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT.THEIR LOG FORD IN BUFORT TOWN HAD BEEN BURNED.
AND IT WAS IN THAT EARLY PERIOD IN THIS EARLY 1720S THAT THE PEOPLE OF BUFORT SAID, WE NEED A FORT TO PROTECT US.
SO THEY BUILT THIS TO PROTECT THE INLAND PASSAGE BEFORE IT GOT TO BUFORT, WHICH IS THE REASON FOR THE LOCATION OF WHAT EVENTUALLY BECAME FORT FREDERICK OR FORT PRINCE FREDERICK.
THE NEW FORT BEGAN TO TAKE SHAPE IN 1726 AFTER THE FAMOUS SETTLER COLONEL JOHN BARNWELL, BETTER KNOWN AS TUSKA AURORA JACK RETURNED FROM ENGLAND WITH THE INDEPENDENT COMPANY AFOOT A REGIMENT OF BRITISH REGULARS.
FOR THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS, FORT PRINCE FREDERICK, A SMALL STRUCTURE MEASURING JUST 125 FEET BY 75 FEET EXISTED AS A TYPICAL FRONTIER STYLE LOG AND EARTH.
AND FORT ARTILLERY STOOD AT THE READY TO SLOW ANY APPROACH BY THE SPANISH FLEET.
AS SOON AS THE FIRST WARNINGS FROM THE WATCH CANNONS AT THE MOUTH OF THE SOUND WERE FIRED, THE MILITIA WOULD BE DISPATCHED.
THE SETTLERS OF THE ISLANDS ENVISIONED SOMETHING STURDIER, A STRUCTURE THAT COULD OFFER THEM REAL PROTECTION IN TIMES OF TROUBLE.
BUT THE PEOPLE KEPT PETITIONING THE COMMONS HOUSE ASSEMBLY OF THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT FOR MORE MONEY TO FINISH THE FORT AND BILL IT MORE STOUTLY.
IN 1773, THE FRENCH HUNO SETTLER AND CONTRACTOR, JOHN DLA BEAR WAS HIRED TO DEVISE A MORE SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURE.
AND HE SAID, I'LL BUILD A FORT OF OYSTER SHELL AND LINE, WHICH IS WHAT WE SEE THERE TODAY.
AND AS IT WAS DESCRIBED IN 1733, IT WAS FIVE FEET THICK AND FIVE FEET HIGH.
THE FORT WAS NAMED FOR THE ELDEST SON OF KING GEORGE II OF ENGLAND.
SO FORT PRINCE FREDERICK, WHICH IS HIS FORMAL NAME, WAS BUILT IN 1726, COMPLETED IN 1733, PROBABLY ABANDONED BY 1740.
AND FOR THE FIRST SEVEN YEARS OF ITS EXISTENCE, 1726 TO 1733, IT WAS THE SOUTHERN FRONTIER OF ENGLISH NORTH AMERICA.
AND ALTHOUGH THE BRITISH OCCUPIED PORT ROYAL FOR A TIME DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, THE GREATEST BATTLE WAGED BY FORT PRINCE FREDERICK OVER THE NEXT CENTURY AND A HALF WAS WON WITH THE WEEDS AND THE WEATHER.
A PLANTER BY THE NAME OF JOHN JOYNER SMITH CAME INTO POSSESSION OF THE LAND EARLY IN THE 18 HUNDREDS, TURNING THE EXPANSE ABOVE THE OLD FORD INTO FIELDS OF COTTON TENDED BY THE ENSLAVED.
BUT ALL THAT CHANGED IN NOVEMBER OF 1861 WHEN UNION FORCES OVERCAME THE CONFEDERATE TERRITORY.
WHEN THE PORT ROYAL BATTLE OF PORT ROYAL SOUND HAPPENED IN THE FALL OF 1861 AND THE PLANTERS FROM THE BEAUFORT REGION, SKEDADDLED, AS THEY CALL IT, UM, THEY LEFT BEHIND BETWEEN EIGHT AND 10,000 SLAVES.
IT'S THE PEOPLE WERE SO JUBILANT, UH, WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY HEARD THE CANNONS GO OFF, BECAUSE THERE WERE ABOUT 55 SHIPS COMING INTO THAT AREA THAT THEY CALLED IT BIG GUN SHOOT DATE
AND WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY HEARD THE BIG GUN SHOOT, THEY, THEY SAID, FREEDOM IS HERE.
THE YANKEES ARE HERE, SO WE ARE FREE.
BUT THAT AREA ON THOSE BLUFFS ABOVE FORT FREDERICK IS, UH, WHERE THERE'LL BE CAMPS AGAIN THROUGHOUT THE WAR, AND THERE'LL BE EVERYTHING FROM ARTILLERY TO INFANTRY AND CAMPED BOTH WHITE AND BLACK TROOPS THROUGHOUT THE AREA.
THEY WILL BUILD A PIER OVER TOP OF THE WALLS OF FORT FREDERICK OUT INTO THE BEAUFORT RIVER OVER THE TOP OF OLD FORT FREDERICK STEP.
THE FIRST BLACK REGIMENT MUSTERED IN AS THE FIRST SOUTH CAROLINA OF AFRICAN DESCENT.
IT'S GONNA BE IN THE SUMMER OF 1862.
EVERYTHING SORT OF BEGINS TO CHANGE AND PERMISSION IS GIVEN TO BEGIN RAISING BLACK REGIMENTS.
AT THAT TIME, PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN SENT A MILITARY GOVERNOR TO PORT ROYAL GENERAL RUFUS SAXTON IS GIVEN PERMISSION TO BEGIN RAISING UPWARDS OF 5,000 BLACK TROOPS.
AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS HE DOES IS HE ORDERS THEM TO ASSEMBLE AT THE SMITH PLANTATION, AND THAT WILL BECOME THEIR CAMP AND EVENTUALLY IT WILL BE NAMED CAMP SAXTON IN HIS HONOR.
DOZENS OF MISSIONARIES, TEACHERS AND PHYSICIANS FROM THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE US ARRIVE IN SOUTH CAROLINA TO BEGIN A PROJECT THAT WILL COME TO BE KNOWN AS THE PORT ROYAL EXPERIMENT.
THEY ARE JOINED BY THE FAMED HARRIET TUBMAN,
[03:25:01]
WHO BROUGHT MANY PEOPLE TO FREEDOM WITH THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.SHE NURSED THE CIVIL WAR INJURED WHILE SHE SHOWED THE NEWLY FREED PEOPLE HOW TO WILLINGLY WORK IN A WAGE BASED SYSTEM RATHER THAN BEING FORCED TO LABOR UNDER THE THREAT OF THE LASH.
MISS LAURA TOWN ESTABLISHED THE PENN SCHOOL ON ST.
HELENA ISLAND, JUST A FERRY RIDE ACROSS THE SOUND FROM FORT FREDERICK, AN INSTITUTION THAT IS STILL IN OPERATION TODAY.
LINCOLN WATCHED THE EXPERIMENT WITH GREAT INTEREST, AND DURING THE SUMMER OF 1862 ANNOUNCED THE PRELIMINARY EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION.
IMMEDIATELY PLANS WERE MADE FOR AN ELABORATE CELEBRATION AT CAMP SAXTON FOR JANUARY 1ST, 1863.
THE DAY THE PROCLAMATION WAS TO BE SIGNED.
AND IT, IT WAS VERY ELABORATE.
UH, THEY WERE ROASTING 10 OXEN AND, UH, PREPARING TABLES FOR FOUR OR 5,000 PEOPLE TO COME DOWN TO IT.
OF COURSE, WHEN IT WAS READ AND AFTER IT WAS READ, SOMEONE SPONTANEOUSLY POPPED OUT WITH THE SOUND, MY COUNTRY TIS D AND JUBILATION TOOK PLACE.
BUT THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION WAS A HIGH POINT IN THEIR LIVES.
AT THAT TIME WHEN THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION WAS READ, THEY USED THAT FORT AS THE BASE FOR THEIR DOCK, YOU KNOW, AND THE DOCK WAS BUILT OVER THE TOP OF THE FORT AND BOATS CAME IN.
AND, BUT THERE IT WAS, I MEAN, IN GROUND, AT GROUND ZERO OF THAT EVENT.
AND, UH, THAT EVENT IS A SIGNIFICANT EVENT HAS EVER OCCURRED IN 500 YEARS OF HISTORY.
THIS COUNTY CERTAINLY, AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS IN THE STATE'S HISTORY, A DEVASTATING HURRICANE SHOOK THE SEA ISLANDS IN 1893, CAUSING MASSIVE DAMAGE.
MORE THAN 2000 PEOPLE DIED, YET THE ST STURDINESS OF THE FIVE FOOT TALL AND FIVE FOOT WIDE WALLS SAVED THE FORT FROM ANNIHILATION.
TODAY, IT STILL STANDS AS THE OLDEST TABBY STRUCTURE IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE WINTER OF 2015.
ARCHEOLOGISTS WORK TO EXCAVATE THE REMAINS OF FORT FREDERICK IN PREPARATION FOR THE DAY WHEN IT WILL BE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC BY LAND.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY YEARS, OLD FORT FREDERICK IS ALSO BEING GIVEN A NEW LAYER OF TABBY IN PREPARATION FOR ITS FUTURE.
AS THE ONE REMAINING AMBASSADOR TO WITNESS A PIVOTAL HISTORICAL EVENT, THE FORT'S MOST IMPORTANT JOB, AS IT TURNED OUT, WAS TO SERVE AS THE ACTUAL BRIDGE FROM THE WATERS OF PORT ROYAL SOUND, SUPPORTING PEOPLE AS THEY STEP TOWARD THEIR CELEBRATION OF FREEDOM.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
ONE IN THREE ADULTS HAS PRE-DIABETES.
THAT MEANS IT COULD BE YOU, YOUR DOG WALKER ON YOUR LEFT, YOUR CAT JOGGER.
WITH EARLY DIAGNOSIS, PRE-DIABETES CAN BE REVERSED.
TAKE THE RISK TEST AT, DO I HAVE PRE-DIABETES DOT ORG.