Columbia, South Carolina – There will be a public drop-in meeting on Wednesday, May 29th at the Earlewood Community Center from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, with remarks at 5:00 pm. Councilwoman Tina Herbert, City Planning and Engineering staff, and SCDOT staff will be available for questions. SCDOT began resurfacing River Drive in February 2024 as part of their routine maintenance. The City of Columbia’s Walk Bike Columbia Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan, adopted in 2015, recommends buffered bicycle lanes on River Drive between Sunset and Main Street.
The current resurfacing project will include striping to mark 11’ wide traffic lanes, allowing space next to the curb for the recommended buffered bicycle lanes. Narrowing the lane widths to this standard helps reduce speeding. The proposed lane changes do not reduce the number of vehicle travel lanes. Striping of the buffer, bicycle symbols, and signage will be added later.
If implemented, these will be the first buffered bicycle lanes in Columbia as recommended by the Walk Bike Columbia plan. The route will connect the Vista Greenway, currently in design, with neighborhoods in north Columbia, Broad River Road, and the Three Rivers Greenway. Active transportation routes offer alternatives for shorter trips that help reduce traffic congestion.
Multimodal transportation planning involves various City departments, including Planning and Development Services, Engineering, Public Works, CPD, and Parks & Recreation. This collaborative approach is essential for implementing the City’s pedestrian and bicycle master plan, Walk Bike Columbia, and recommendations of Columbia Compass, the City’s comprehensive plan. More information about multimodal transportation planning efforts can be found at https://planninganddevelopment.columbiasc.gov/.
For more information, please contact the Planning Division at 803-545-3222 or [email protected].
