After years of debate about improving traffic on Maybank Highway on Johns Island, Charleston County Council on Thursday narrowly rejected a proposal to move ahead with plans to address the road. The council had been asked to let county staff proceed with studies and planning needed to improve Maybank Highway from the Stono River bridge to River Road, improve the River Road intersection, and establish a network of new streets. Previous story: Institute offers its traffic solution, published 3/12/2009 The majority of council, led by Councilman Paul Thurmond, decided that traffic on Johns Island should be studied more broadly before settling on a plan to improve Maybank Highway. Thurmond has been the leading proponent for a new parkway across the island, to speed traffic to and from Kiawah and Seabrook islands. Thurmond said that, regardless of improvements to Maybank Highway, the roads on Johns Island lack the capacity to carry all the traffic. "There are two ways to address capacity, and that is to widen roads or build new ones," he said. "I think we have to have something in place to address capacity before we approve any of this." Councilman Elliott Summey asked if that "something" Thurmond wants in place is the proposed Sea Island Parkway. Thurmond said he's not wedded to any one solution. Councilman Victor Rawl said he doesn't like Charleston's concept of planning for development first, then dealing with roads later. The city had given a presentation to County Council earlier in the evening on Charleston's Johns Island Plan, which calls for developing a network of new streets as new developments are created. Joined by Councilman Teddie Pryor, Thurmond, Summey and Rawl voted down the recommendation to proceed with the Maybank Highway plan. On the losing side of the vote were council members Colleen Condon, Joe McKeown and Dickie Schweers. Councilman Curtis Inabinett, who represents Johns Island, was absent from the meeting along with Councilman Joe Darby, so the outcome of the vote could change if council revisits the issue at a meeting Tuesday.

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