MORNING NEWSBREAK | State transportation and Charleston have announced safety enhancement plans for Morrison Drive just a few months after two 20-year-old women were killed along the roadway.
Meanwhile in Mount Pleasant, advocates are calling for leaders to prioritize bike-pedestrian improvement plans in the area after a bicyclist died from injuries from a crash at the intersection of Rifle Range Road and Ben Sawyer Boulevard.
“It’s an epidemic nationwide, but it’s one that we have a solution for,” said Charleston Moves advocate Katie Zimmerman. “Everybody’s got to get on the same page and work together to make our streets and bridges safer for vulnerable road users so that we stop seeing these deaths and injuries.”
Mount Pleasant has been working on major infrastructure improvements such as the Mount Pleasant Way, a master plan for nearly 50 miles of multi-use paths to connect major parts of the town. It includes the intersection of Rifle Range Road and Ben Sawyer Boulevard.
But Zimmerman added much of the work from the project is still awaiting a firm timeline.
In Charleston on Morrison Drive, planned improvements include a pedestrian crossing installation between Morrison Yard and Sanders-Clyde Elementary School, a new traffic light at Johnson Street and a landscaped and raised median between Johnson Street and Cooper Street.
Officials say the median will make traffic entering Morrison Drive from Grace Bridge Street, Harris Street or Jackson Street right turn only. Work is expected to begin later this year, with an expected budget of about $1 million on the safety improvements, according to officials.
In other news today:
CP NEWS: Charleston Zine Fest returns for sixth year. On August 4, Charleston Zine Fest will celebrate its sixth anniversary at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, with people traveling from all over to attend and sell their zines (defined as small-circulation, print publications), ranging from poetry chapbooks to comics, instructional pamphlets, photography collections and more.
Parents sue Charleston Co. School District over alleged child abuse. A group of parents sued the Charleston County School District alleging four children attending Drayton Hall Elementary in West Ashley were abused by a special-needs teacher.
Charleston Co. continues to work on building affordable housing. The Charleston County Council will meet this week for its third and final vote on its affordable housing program.
Charleston airport still sees some delays following global outage. Flight delays and cancellations were still impacting travelers as of Monday afternoon at Charleston International Airport, but conditions are improving, officials said.
Sea walls on Isle of Palms may be back up for discussion. Beachfront property owners could get another chance at building a sea wall behind their homes as city leaders are set to consider lifting the ban on the structures for the second time this year.
S.C. Aquarium’s Julionfish Festival recognizes small fish causing big problems. You may have never heard of the Lionfish, but this invasive, venomous fish species is ravaging the Atlantic Ocean, and the S.C. Aquarium is ripe with answers about the small fish.
Charleston Co. quits composting program at schools. Charleston is one of the few places in South Carolina where commercial composting is possible. However, the Charleston County School district abruptly ended its composting program in March, catching some students, parents and local volunteers off-guard.
Lowcountry celebrates Americans with Disabilities Act. Cities across the country are celebrating the Americans with Disabilities Act this week.
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.