TSPLOST plans to improve sidewalks, trails; addressing Savannah area mobility

Laura Nwogu, Savannah Morning News
·3 min read

In 2018, Bike Walk's Executive Director Caila Brown helped lead a study on the city's sidewalk network that revealed it would take 300 years, based on the schedule at the time, to build sidewalks on the more than 73% of streets without them.

With the potential passage in November of a countywide Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST), referendum that timeline may be shortened significantly.  Approximately $50 million has been earmarked for sidewalks and bike trails.

How TSPLOST works: Voters will be asked to increase sales taxes for transportation projects

Pedestrian-related crashes are trending: Traffic calming help still a ways off.

How can that stop?: These intersections in Chatham County have the most pedestrian crashes

"That original number was within the City of Savannah with the previous budget priorities for the capital budget ... so this is really expanding on that," Brown said.

Here's what you need to know.

Thunderbolt has plans to add sidewalks along Shell Drive.
Thunderbolt has plans to add sidewalks along Shell Drive.

TSPLOST referendum

At the bottom of Chatham County voters' general election ballot is a referendum seeking enactment of a Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. If approved by majority vote, TSPLOST would mean an additional 1% sales tax on goods and services sold within Chatham County to be collected for the next five years. TSPLOST revenue can only be used for transportation-related projects.

A team of Savannah Morning News journalists examined the major roads, bridges, trails sidewalks and other infrastructure to be improved using TSPLOST dollars.

Roads: West Chatham arteries to be widened

Interchanges: Interstate 95 exits get upgrades

Flyover: President Street railroad tracks to be addressed

Trails and sidewalks: Tide to Town trail network gets infusion

Which sidewalks?

According to officials, improving and expanding sidewalks and bike trails is a priority, not only for safety and health reasons but also to provide alternative transportation options for those without vehicles and to reduce automobile emissions.

More than $20 million in TSPLOST funds is earmarked for sidewalks. The City of Savannah will invest $18 million to expand sidewalks and perform maintenance..

Three other municipalities will also use TSPLOST money for sidewalks, as will Chatham County. Bloomingdale will expand its sidewalk network along U.S. 80, the city's main thoroughfare. Thunderbolt plans sidewalk improvements along Shell Road, College Road, Mechanics Road and River Drive. Garden City will invest $300,000 in sidewalks within its limits.

Chatham County will use its sidewalk money in Isle of Hope, investing $1.5 million in the densely populated residential area.

The sidewalk behind Johnson High runs along Shell Road, but ends before the residential area begins.
The sidewalk behind Johnson High runs along Shell Road, but ends before the residential area begins.

Which trails?

Momentum continues to build for the Tide to Town urban trail system. The initiative is aimed at building and connecting nearly 30 miles of protected walking and bicycling trails throughout Chatham County.

The broad embrace of trails is evident in the wide range of trail projects on the TSPLOST list. Savannah, Garden City, Bloomingdale and Chatham County all designated money for trails, including the Truman Linear Park Trail, the centerpiece of the Tide to Town network.

A bicycle rider takes the Truman Linear Park Trail toward Lake Mayer.
A bicycle rider takes the Truman Linear Park Trail toward Lake Mayer.

How will TSPLOST affect the Truman Trail?

The next phase of the Truman Linear Park Trail is slated to be under construction at the end of 2022 and take upwards of 18 months to complete.

The new section will pick up where the last phase ends at DeRenne Avenue near Jenkins High School.

Police Memorial Trail runs along the Truman Parkway toward the overpass at East 51st Street. The next phase of Tide to Town will connect from the end of the trail to the start of the Truman Linear Park Trail.
Police Memorial Trail runs along the Truman Parkway toward the overpass at East 51st Street. The next phase of Tide to Town will connect from the end of the trail to the start of the Truman Linear Park Trail.

As for the other trails and sidewalks included in TSPLOST, officials said most of the decisions on timelines would be discussed and planned once the tax is passed.

What do mobility advocates have to say?

Savannah's District 4 Alderman Nick Palumbo, an advocate for alternate modes of transportation throughout the city, said TSPLOST is turning the page on mobility improvements.

"For a city that's famous for its pedestrian and cycling culture, there's a lot of room to grow and a lot of opportunities for us to do a better job of helping people connect to their everyday destinations."

Laura Nwogu is the quality of life reporter for Savannah Morning News. Contact her at LNwogu@gannett.com. Twitter: @lauranwogu_

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Chatham TSPLOST plans to tackle mobility with sidewalks and trails