Few opponents in evidence at Johns Island forum
Tony Blake grew up on Johns Island and recently retired and moved back after
working for Motorola in Florida and Chicago for 35 years.
The James Island Connector terminates at Folly Road, where it would connect
to I-526.
Blake remembers "when there were just two traffic lights and two stop signs"
on Johns Island. It's all changed now, he conceded. Though many of his
fellow islanders oppose continuing Interstate 526 from West Ashley to Johns
Island and possibly onto James Island, Blake said he believes it's a
necessary project.
But which version of the proposed interstate extension is best? Blake and
many others who examined details for "reasonable alternatives" displayed
Tuesday at a S.C. Department of Transportation forum at St. John's High
School were uncertain.
"I am trying to digest what they've got here," Blake said while viewing six
possible routes and combinations of interchanges for the interstate project.
"It seems like they got everything right," he said.
He said it's important to do something to relieve traffic and congestion
because the island will continue to grow. His wife, Sandra Blake, said she's
totally new to the island but is convinced the project can solve some of the
problems she has driving to and from shopping areas and into downtown
Charleston.
DOT Project Manager David Kinard attended the meeting, at which two sets of
colorful maps illustrated options for routes and also a plan for a
lower-speed parkway across Johns Island to James Island. He said DOT will
gather public input until June 5 and hasn't tried to determine where input
thus far might be leading.
If you go: The next forum is 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at James Island
Charter High School, 1000 Fort Johnson Road.
MORE INFO:
Project maps and information are available at the S.C. DOT web site.
About 116 people had signed in at the St. John's event by 6:30 p.m.
Opponents of the extension have been numerous at previous forums, but few
were in evidence Tuesday. Josh Martin, program director for the Coastal
Conservation League, which opposes the project, said he believes there's
still a chance it won't happen.
"It's always possible to stop it," he said.
Martin said the league is disappointed DOT did not include its proposal for
area highway and intersection improvements as an alternative to an extended
I-526. He said league and DOT officials will confer soon, and DOT will be
asked how and why its proposal was dismissed.
"There are still a lot of questions as to their methodology," Martin said.
Another who attended the forum opposed the extension, but for completely
different reasons. Rich Thomas, who just moved to Johns Island from Houston
and before that, Boston, said traffic problems here are nothing compared
with where he's been.
"We have no traffic problems here," Thomas insisted. He said the longest
he's ever been detained by traffic on the island is less than six minutes.
"Traffic doesn't compare. There is no problem, relatively speaking," he
said. He said traffic on the island could be improved with new traffic
signals, better timing of signals and some turning lanes.
Previous story:
Love it or hate it, I-526 stirs passion, published
05/01/09
Chris Cannon, chairman of the Johns Island Council, a citizens group, said
it took him more than 25 minutes recently to get past a wreck on Maybank
Highway. I-526 offers a needed third alternative for exiting and entering
Johns Island, he said.
Some officials and residents of Kiawah and Seabrook islands said the highway
should be linked to a proposed island-crossing road to serve Kiawah and
Seabrook and the lower part of Johns Island.
Seabrook Island Mayor Frank McNulty said the Town Council last week approved
a resolution supporting any I-526 plan with an interchange on Johns Island,
as long as the plan includes a cross-island highway.
Kiawah Island Town Councilmen Alan Burnaford, who said he was speaking as a
resident and not as an official, said the proposed cross-island road "is the
only way to relieve traffic on Maybank Highway." He said the I-526 extension
plus a cross-island road would aid not only Seabrook and Kaiwah residents
but also the 11,000 people who work there each day.
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