Long-sought pedestrian safety improvements are coming to Columbia’s Five Points
By April, work should be underway to make Five Points safer for pedestrians.
The energetic and eclectic university-adjacent neighborhood of Five Points is home to bars, restaurants, coffee shops and retail stores, all within walking distance of each other.
That’s part of the charm of the neighborhood, but it’s also become a problem.
The stretch of Harden Street in question ranked as “the number one worst crash problem (area) for pedestrians and bicyclists in the whole state,” Rick Reiff, a traffic engineer consulting on the project with the South Carolina Department of Transportation, told Columbia City Council members Tuesday.
“The question was, can we reduce the lanes on Harden Street and Devine and give that space back to pedestrians and bicyclists?” Reiff said.
That’s the goal behind new crosswalks, a more intentional traffic median and fewer vehicle lanes.
The long-sought safety improvements include the addition of bike lanes and crosswalks, and the reduction of vehicle lanes on Harden and Devine streets.
Specifically, the project will see Devine Street reduced from four lanes to three between Saluda and Harden streets, and Harden Street will go from four lanes to two between Devine and Blossom streets.
Cross walks will be added half-way up the block on the 600, 700 and 800 blocks of Harden Street. A pedestrian crossing from Groucho’s to Bar None, for example, would be able to cross in the middle of the block instead of going to an intersection.
Columbia City Council approved an agreement with the Department of Transportation for the project Tuesday.
Work is expected to begin by April and be finished by August, according to the Department of Transportation. No roads will be fully closed during the work, but temporary lane closures are expected, Reiff said.
