Portion of Maybank Highway could see safety improvements

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - On Tuesday morning, a part of Maybank Highway could be one step closer to getting safety improvements.

The Charleston County Transportation Committee is expected to vote to approve funding which would go towards a crosswalk on Maybank Highway near the Pour House and the Terrance Shopping Center.

This area is known to be dangerous for people crossing from one side to the other. The South Carolina Department of Public Safety says at least six people have been hit, and either severely injured or killed, in this area in the last five years.

A group called Charleston Moves put out a petition and has been working for years to make the entire Maybank Highway corridor safer.

“Charleston County is the most unsafe place for people on bike and on foot and we really need to start getting these streets to be sane speeds, sane for people, enjoyable for people especially since there’s a lot, particularly on Maybank, that people enjoy," Executive Director of Charleston Moves, Katie Zimmerman, said.

A representative from the City of Charleston said the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) completed a road safety study that recommended a dedicated pedestrian crossings along Maybank Highway as a priority. The County Transportation Committee (CTC) is being asked to fund the design and installation. Right now, there are two rendering options that have been presented but the final design won’t be worked out until the money is allocated and work begins. The city expects the design to include a dedicated median space, a dedicated crosswalk and rapid flash beacons.

The meeting is planned for Tuesday at 11 a.m.