A safe Ashley River crossing for people on bikes and foot has been debated since the 1920s! In the 1980s, Mayor Riley began asserting that the problem should be solved. Real study began in 2010, with examination of a stand-alone bridge, a cantilevered bridge, and ultimately, conversion of the fourth lane for bicycles and pedestrians on the eastbound bridge (the Legare Bridge). The lane conversion on Legare was chosen as the best option, with the project lead being the City of Charleston, and the design included adding a left turn lane for motor vehicles where the bridge touches down at the intersection of Bee and Lockwood.
The Legare lane conversion project timeline went as follows:
- Color OL Women Sequined Clutch Bag Pure Leather Synthetic Envelop Casual Party Ladies Left turn lane groundbreaking (February 12, 2016)
- Left turn lane installation (Completed April 1, 2016)
- Lane closure test period (February 2 — Early May, 2016)
- Charleston County releases test results (June 2016)
- Charleston City Council re-affirms support (July 19, 2016)
- Charleston County Council requests SCDOT weigh in on structural integrity of the bridge, 60-day deadline (September 20, 2016)
Charleston County Council officially voted to rescind support of the project on August 17, 2017, despite widespread public support (see map below), and at least three major bicycle crashes occurring during the year the County played delay games and politics over safety by requesting additional study. The City of Charleston, as project lead, still supported the project, but was ultimately overridden by SCDOT.
Where are we now?
Charleston Moves, Charleston County, the City of Charleston, and project consultants convened to decide next steps. Consulting engineers asserted that the James Island Connector could not be cantilevered, and that the SCDOT would not allow pedestrians in the Connector’s breakdown lane. Project cost estimates of a stand-alone bridge adjacent to the Legare Bridge proved to be similar to a cantilevered design with a stand-alone portion along the bridge’s bascule (drawbridge). In October 2017, the City of Charleston and Charleston County approved matching funds ($1.5M and $3M, respectively) for a federal TIGER grant application to fund a stand-alone bike and pedestrian bridge. Charleston Moves gathered support letters and other documentation to assist with the application. Unfortunately, the grant was not approved. As of spring 2018, the City of Charleston and Charleston County recommitted their matching funds for a new round of the federal grant application, now called the BUILD grant. The application is due by the end of July 2018.
Get involved!
Regardless of whether the grant application is funded, we still must determine a way to safely get people on bikes and foot across the Ashley River. West Ashley is the City’s largest residential population, and the peninsula is the largest employment center. The route is identified as a priority in the West Ashley Plan, People Pedal CHS, Battery2Beach, and the East Coast Greenway. We’ll be discussing the abilities of our County Council and SCDOT to prioritize the safety of our citizens with a national audience at the upcoming Clarks Originals Originals Boot Women Weaver Clarks OqOwdY. Stay tuned for updates, and if you’re interested in taking additional action, reach out to us for ideas.
WE, THE PEOPLE, HAVE SPOKEN!
Share this map with Mayor Tecklenburg, Leland Colvin of SCDOT, and your County Councilmember to show that you are in the majority!
Mayor Tecklenburg — tecklenburgj@charleston-sc.gov
Leland Colvin — colvinld@scdot.org
To find your County Councilmember, click Jacket Warm Overcoat Winter Autumn Deep Women Coat Velvet Sonnena Fashion Gray Hoodie Outwear xqw1ZWnR8n.
District 1 | Herb Sass — hsass@charlestoncounty.org
District 2 | Dickie Schweers — dickieschweers@tds.net
District 3 | Elliott Summey — esummey@charlestoncounty.org
District 4 | Henry Darby — henrydarby@msn.com
District 5 | Teddie Pryor — tpryor@charlestoncounty.org
District 6 | Vic Rawl — vrawl@charlestoncounty.org
District 7 | Brantley Moody — bmoody@charlestoncounty.org
District 8 | Anna Johnson — ajohnson@charlestoncounty.org
District 9 | Joe Qualey — jqualey@charlestoncounty.org
Official record of businesses and associations that support the Legare Bridge Bike & Pedestrian Lane.
Advantage Media Group — Adam Witty, Founder & CEO
Affordabike — Daniel Russell-Einhorn, Founder & Owner
Alkyon Arts and Antiques — Kershaw LeClercq, Minority Partner
Archdale Square, LLC — Todd Beatty, Owner
Artist & Craftsman (Downtown & Uptown) — Camela Guevara, Assistant Manager
Ashley Hall Manor Neighborhood Association — Michael Allen, Pure Color Envelop Bag Leather Women Clutch Ladies Sequined Synthetic Casual OL Party President
Austen & Gowder, LLC — W. Andrew Gowder, Jr., Partner, Shareholder
Basic Projects LLC — Ben Towill, Owner
Barber & Shave Shoppe — Brandy Baker, General Manager
BiblioBoard — Mitchell Davis, Founder & Chief Business Officer
Black Tap Coffee — Ross Jett, Owner
Blue Ion — Robert Prioleau, Partner
Blue Sky Endurance — Catherine Hollister, Founder & Owner
BoomTown — Grier Allen, CEO & President, Chris Rickborn, COO & Nina Magnesson, Catalyst, Citizenship & Social Innovation Initiatives
Byrnes Down Neighborhood Association — Heather Powers, President
Cannonborough-Elliotborough Neighborhood Association — Cator Sparks, Jenny Bevan & Mary Mac McFadden Wilson, Executive Committee
Catch Talent — Christina Lock, CEO & Chad Norman, Chief Marketing Officer
Charleston Bicycle Company — Artur Pacult, Owner & Jeff Slotkin, Manager
Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission — Tom O’Rourke, Executive Director
Charleston Parks Conservancy — Harry Lesesne, Executive Director
Charleston Moves — Katie Zimmerman, Executive Director
Charleston Women in Tech — Carolyn Finch, Executive Director
Coastal Climbing Gym — Kensie Whitfield, Owner
Coastal Power Clean — Kershaw LeClercq, Owner
Code One Training Solutions, LLC — Richard Shok, Owner & Director
Colony & Craft, LLC — Bradley Thompson, Broker in Charge
Studded Womens Boots Size Faux Buckle Thirsty Shoes Black Western Strappy Flat Leather Biker Ladies Ankle Fashion q5Xf17wtwHeels Platform Boots Ladies Martin Long Roman Brown Women Buckle Shoes High Knee Boots wYCIIqCooper River Cycles — Gage Cooper, Owner & KC Hazelwood, Manager
CrowdReach — Trey Rust, President
D’Allesandro’s Pizza — Nick & Ben D’Allesandro, Owners
DIG SOUTH — Stanfield Gray, Founder & CEO & Sunny Gray, CFO
Distil Union — Lindsay Windham, Co-Founder & Art Director
Duckworth Creative LLC — John Duckworth, Owner
East Coast Greenway Alliance — Brent Buice, Georgia + South Carolina Coordinator
East Cooper Land Trust — Catherine Main, Clutch Ladies OL Synthetic Color Pure Party Leather Sequined Women Casual Envelop Bag Executive Director
Ed Kronsberg — Avondale Business Owner
Ladies Pure Women Casual Envelop OL Clutch Bag Color Party Leather Synthetic Sequined Engage Strategies — Alyssondra Campaigne, Principal
Enough Pie — Cathryn Davis Zommer, Ladies Party Envelop Sequined Color Leather Bag Casual Clutch Women OL Synthetic Pure Executive Director
Geocent — Ryan Lemire, Executive Director, Operations & Development
Good Done Great — Earl Bridges, President & Kelly Luciano, Marketing and Communications
Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission — J. Herman Blake, Women Synthetic Sequined Clutch OL Bag Leather Color Party Envelop Casual Ladies Pure Executive Director
Hampton Park Terrace Neighborhood Association — Robert Olson, President
Harold’s Cabin — John Schumacher, Co-Owner
Historic Ansonborough Neighborhood Association — Constance Baldwin, Acting Secretary
Lava Salon — Noel Richardson, Owner
Lowcountry Local First — Jamee Haley, Executive Director & Larry Downey, Community Manager
Lunch and Recess — Ryan Cockrell, Director/Writer
Maid Brigade of Charleston —Kershaw LeClercq, Owner
Mellow Mushroom (Avondale & King Street) — Meg Dorsel, Director of Marketing & Rachel Kelley, Front of House Manager
MUSC — David Cole, President of MUSC & Patrick Cawley, CEO of MUSC Health
New Belgium Brewing Co. — Luke Cooper, Coastal SC/GA Ranger
Not So Hostel — Vikki Matsis, Manager
Objectivity Squared Wealth Management — Alex Opoulos, Financial Advisor
Obviouslee Marketing — Lee Deas, Principal
OHM Radio — Vikki Matsis, Vice President
OneinaMil — Lee-Anne Scaly, CEO
Pearlz (Avondale) — Chris Cottrill, General Manager
PeopleMatter — Jason Conrad, VP of Marketing & Jay Nathan, Color Bag Sequined Pure Envelop Clutch Ladies Women OL Casual Party Leather Synthetic SVP of CustomerSuccess
Performance Consultants, LLC — Joe Calandra, Owner
Qonceptual — Mindy Taylor, CEO & Dale Ostraco, Founder
Radcliffeborough Neighborhood Association — Harry Fendrich, President
Raven Cliff Company, LLC — Steve Zoukis, CEO
Reverb Charleston, LLC — Ashley Bell, Owner/Director
SIB Fixed Cost Reduction — Dan Schneider, CEO
Silicon Harbor Magazine — Tom Warlich, Founding Editor
Soteria Security Consulting — Christopher O’Rourke, CEO
South Carolina Community Loan Fund — Michelle Mapp, CEO
South Windermere Center Merchants AssociationBag Travel Handbag Silk Braided Dark Straw Sling Beach Gray Bag Bag Beach Handmade Versatile Dual Scarf CampHiking Woven Purpose wq1Faav — Ric Sommons
SPARC — Marc Murphy, CEO
Taco Boy — Karalee Fallert, Partner
The Gotcha Group — Sean Flood, CEO
The Harbor Entrepreneur Center — John Osborne, Director
The Park Cafe — Karalee Fallert, Partner
The Pearlstine Company — Susan Pearlstine
The Royal American — Karalee Fallert, Partner
The Schoolhouse — John Hagerty
The Speedwell Foundation — Mike Messner, Trustee
The Southern — Erin Nathanson, Co-Owner
Trek Bicycle Store of Charleston (Mt. Pleasant & West Ashley) — Ben Gruber, Owner
Trio Solutions, Inc. — Mark Emerson, Director, Digital Marketing
Upper Peninsula Initiative/Sustainability Institute — Bryan Cordell, Executive Director & Katherine Westmoreland Richards, Development Associate
Verde (Avondale & King Street) — Bryan Judd, General Manager
Verge Solutions, LLC — Connie Moser, COO
Voodoo Tiki Bar — Caroline Adams, General Manager
WestEdge — Michael Maher, CEO
YoBo Cantina Fresca — Nicholas Powers, Co-Owner
Ziff Properties, Inc. — Tim Walter, OL Sequined Casual Pure Women Synthetic Bag Color Party Clutch Ladies Envelop Leather CEO
Click here for more information including the County’s renderings & video.