Here are changes being considered for the Five Points road, pedestrian upgrades
Plans for improvements to a major corridor through Columbia’s Five Points shopping and nightlife district have been kicking around behind the scenes for years, but now it looks as if they are set to take a significant step forward.
The state Legislature approved $850,000 in the coming year’s budget that will go toward a sweeping pedestrian safety project in Five Points, according to state Rep. Seth Rose, a Columbia Democrat. That money will pair with $4 million the state Department of Transportation already has set aside for the project.
Last year, the state Department of Transportation commissioned studies that contemplated road safety in the Harden Street corridor through Five Points, and the feasibility of putting the area on a “road diet” that would increase pedestrian safety and walkability in the more than century-old hospitality district.
The plan for the road and pedestrian overhaul in the neighborhood is not yet finalized, and a public information meeting is slated for Aug. 3 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.
But here are a few things that are suggested for the project in a road diet feasibility study prepared for the Department of Transportation by engineering firm Kimley-Horn last summer:
• Reduce the number of traffic lanes along Harden Street from Blossom Street to Devine Street.
• Reduce the number of traffic lanes along Devine Street from Saluda Avenue to Harden Street.
• Install curb bump-outs at intersections to reduce pedestrian crossing distances and times.
• Implement an eastbound left-turn phase at the intersection of Harden Street at Blossom Street and at the intersection of Harden Street at Devine Street.
There also were a number of improvements suggested in the Harden Street road safety audit the Department of Transportation and Kimley-Horn published last year, laid out in short, intermediate and long-term time frames for the Five Points corridor.
Some of the short term improvements to be considered included evaluating rideshare pick-up and drop-off points for multiple locations, asking businesses to leave lights on at night to improve visibility, assessing trimming trees to improve lighting, and improving the sidewalks.
An intermediate improvement to consider would be median plantings or improvements that would discourage people from crossing the medians on foot. Improved lighting throughout the corridor is listed as a long-term suggestion for Five Points.
The audit also suggests re-marking and widening crossings and installing pedestrian crossing buttons at side street crossings, among other upgrades.
Parts of the Harden Street road safety audit showed the corridor is one of the most dangerous in South Carolina for pedestrians and bicyclists.
According to the audit, from Jan. 1, 2013, through Dec. 31, 2018, there were 232 vehicular crashes in that corridor and there was a “high frequency” of crashes involving pedestrians or bicyclists, which helped trigger the road safety audit. The audit noted, because of its commercial and entertainment uses, Five Points experiences a “high volume” of pedestrians throughout the year.
Of the 232 crashes reported in the audit, 17 of them involved bicyclists or pedestrians during that time period.
Rose said the Five Points road work has the opportunity to be a “transformative” moment for a district that has struggled with keeping businesses in place lately. There are more than 30 empty storefronts in the district.
