Major streets in Columbia’s Five Points to be narrowed to boost pedestrian safety
The South Carolina Department of Transportation has OKed a $4.8 million plan to narrow sections of Harden Street and Devine Street in Columbia’s Five Points from four to two lanes in an effort to make the area safer for pedestrians and more attractive to potential businesses.
The plans call for a number of initiatives on Harden Street and Devine Street through the urban village near the University of South Carolina. They include improved pedestrian crosswalks and signaling, pedestrian bump-outs at intersections, more medians limiting left hand turns and other measures, including the narrowing of Harden and Devine streets.
A previous study by the agency showed that a three-block stretch of Harden Street from Blossom Street to Gervais Street is the most dangerous in South Carolina for pedestrians and bicyclists. Also, the Blossom Street/Devine Street corridor through Five Points came in at No. 10 on the list.
The plan has the backing of the Five Points Association and the village’s state legislators, Rep. Seth Rose and Sen. Dick Harpootlian, both Democrats.
“This is a historic place, not just for Columbia, but for all the entire state of South Carolina,” Rose said. “This project can help spur its economic growth and solve a major public safety concern.”
The DOT study showed that the 0.44-mile-long Harden Street corridor had 12 car-pedestrian/bike crashes during the study period from 2013 to 2017. That’s a rate of 27.3 crashes per mile.
The 2.42-mile-long Blossom/Devine Street corridor, which runs from Huger Street to Holly Street in Shandon and also includes a block of Harden Street, had 16 crashes for the same period, or 6.6 crashes per mile.
Of more concern is that most of the Harden Street crashes — eight — occurred from midnight to 3 a.m., state officials said. That’s a time when Five Points is flooded with young people, mostly college students who have been partying in the village’s numerous bars.
The other peak time, around lunch, had three collisions.
The other hot spots for pedestrian safety in the the state include two locations around Myrtle Beach and six locations in the greater Charleston area.
Five Points Association president Steve Cook, owner of Saluda’s Restaurant, said the narrowing project is backed “100 percent” by the merchants group.
The plan calls for the sidewalks along the street to be widened. The median could be widened, but on-street parking would remain. The widened sidewalks would be an enticement for new businesses, Cook said.
The village, and particularly Harden Street, is undergoing a transition as the liquor licenses of late night bars that cater mostly to college students are being challenged by neighbors, and some are closing.
The DOT’s director of traffic engineering, Rob Perry, said a public information meeting would be scheduled when the agency has plans and displays ready for the public to review and comment on. It could be held prior to Thanksgiving, he said.
“If not we’d wait and hold one after Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays in early 2021 to ensure good participation from citizens and business owners,” he said.
The first phase of the project would be $2.6 million for pedestrian improvements on Blossom, Devine and Harden throughout the village. It would be scheduled forcompletion in one to two years.
The narrowing project on Harden from Blossom to Devine, and Devine from Saluda Avenue to just past Harden, would be a second, $2.2 million phase of the project. That phase hasn’t as yet been approved for funding, Perry said.
“However, we will seek public comment on that concept as well when we hold the public meeting,” he said.
The money would come from the state’s annual allotment of Federal Highway Administration funds.