526 Funding- A Promise for Charleston County Transit Written, Remembered and Right to Keep.

I526 Funding- A Promise for Charleston County Transit Written, Remembered and Right to Keep.

Transit and the Margin of Victory- 

Transit was the issue which allowed the November 2016 Half Penny sales tax referendum to win support of the majority of Charleston County’s voters. Funding I526 through contracts and debt arrangements which could force or be used to force the sacrifice of transit funds to cover cost overruns for the road project would be such a fundamental breach of trust with the voting public that it would make passage of future, similar referendums across the entire state harder or impossible for years into the future. Local funding for major transit and road infrastructure projects in SC might become impossible to win.

Image, right- The Community Commitment to Transit with Thom Taylor, left and Millicent Middleton right on March 30, 2016.

It was clear in 2016 that without a significant benefit to urban areas such as downtown Charleston and North Charleston, voters in those areas (who wouldn't be getting new roads or green space near where they lived), would vote against the tax. To build a balance of benefits that the voters would approve, County Council promised they would use 600 million dollars from the tax to fund construction of a rapid transit system and to improve regular bus service. It was also clear from debate at County Council that including funding I526 from Half Penny Sales tax funds would be too unpopular to allow the referendum to pass.

When Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit discovered the contents of the ordinance and referendum question had been changed and specific funding provisions regarding transit had been deleted, we suspended our Transit Complete the Penny Campaign we had already begun at a cost of over ten thousand dollars. (County Council voted on a written text which wasn't read to the public at their August 2016 meeting.) Several other groups withdrew their support of the referendum entirely.

A Need for Better Transit- 

Charleston County’s need for better transit was and is dire. Businesses in our vital tourism and medical sectors are unable to hire and retrain staff. Local wage levels won’t support the cost of housing and transportation between work and the regions declining stock of affordable housing. Young families must accept commutes of an hour or more between locations like Boeing and Summerville to find an affordable home and reliable public schools. Our county has the highest rate of pedestrian and cyclist deaths in the State in part because Transit doesn't enable safe, practical trips between work, school, health care and home, forcing people on to roads at night and in poor weather in places where it isn't safe.

A 600 Million Dollar Promise- We agreed to resume our campaign of support for the referendum if County Council with the leadership of Coleen Condon passed a resolution committing 600 million dollars of half penny sales tax funds to transit. That resolution was adopted by council in early October, 2016 and we resumed our efforts to pass the referendum, ultimately winning Charleston County the fund necessary to build the state’s first rapid transit system and to substantially improve inadequate CARTA and Tri-county LINK Bus services.

As part of that campaign, we created the Community Commitment to Transit, a 3 x 5 foot document on which the resolution passed by County Council was set out. Beneath the resolution are the signatures of elected officials including then and current County Council Chairman Elliot Summey and Mayor Tecklenburg of Charleston attesting to their support of the resolution. Below that are the signatures of over 400 citizens stating that they will act with us to enforce that commitment by council and those other elected officials.

Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit is committed to the belief that every Citizen’s right to reasonable mobility should be respected. While it may appear to be simple minded and gullible on our parts, we do not accept the idea that achieving any goal desired through whatever chain of dishonestly and manipulation in politics possible is acceptable. We believe it is the right of ordinary citizens to expect their will, as expressed through their votes in response to the promises made by their elected officials, to be respected. That remains the foundation of public trust and government.

A Demand that  Promise be Kept- 

On behalf of the hundreds of citizens whose signatures are on this commitment and our 2100 supporters, we demand that any agreement for the funding of the construction of I526 preserve and segregate the funding promised in the October 2016 resolution to the purposes of building the rapid transit system and improving bus service set out in that resolution.

Road Projects- 

It is not our charge to attempt to direct which of the sprawl inducing road projects the over 1.5 billion dollars from the tax apportioned to roads should be spent on. We leave that effort to the drivers who continue to believe, despite 70 years of proof to the contrary, that more highways will mean less congestion.

The Community Commitment to transit at Best Friends Office. Executive Director William Hamilton will be available to the media on Wednesday, April 3 from 10 am to 4 pm at the offices of Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit at 171 Church St. Ste 160. Anyone wishing to arrange a viewing or place their signature in one of the remaining signing spaces is invited to call (843) 870-5299 or email wjhamilton29464@gmail.comwjhamilton29464@gmail.com to schedule an appointment.

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Transit Enabled Community around the old Navy Hospital

Safer grade separated transit access, a cultural incubator cluster and walk able environment policing will help make development of the area around the old Navy Hospital a success.

After very limited consultation with our membership within Best Friends of Lowcoutnry Transit came up with three major suggestions regarding the redevelopment of Rivers Ave. and McMillan, including the area round the old Navy Hospital, former Shipwatch Square and closed Kmart.

Grade Separated Transit Access- Keeping Riders Safe 

Map of Planning Area in N. Chas.

The Transit Hub and McMillian and Rivers needs grade separated access to bus stops and the BRT stop. Since this area will serve a large, dense population, including, ultimately whatever is build on the old Navy Base and connections from the West Ashley area, a lot of traffic can be expected. if affordable housing is included in the plan, a large population of senior citizens and disabled persons will be attempting to use these stops as well. It's not going to be efficient or safe for pedestrians to be crossing Rivers and McMillian on grade with ordinary vehicular traffic.

Spaces to transfer to and from BRT, regular bus service, rideshare and private vehicles (kiss riders) would need to be planned so that pedestrians can avoid crossing traffic lanes to the greatest extent possible.

Bus Stop, Mt. Pleasant, SC

Pedestrian overpasses should allow transit riders to access the BRT and bus stops going in the various directions without the danger of pedestrian / vehicle collisions. Nearby buildings could be connected directly to the hub from their second floors eliminating climbs up or down stairs and reducing the need for elevators.

It would be possible to bring the BRT up to an above grade station so that it avoids conflicts with traffic at that intersection as well, creating an above grade streetscape dedicated to rapid transit and pedestrians. This is an expensive option, but it would transform the region's mobility with a vastly better gateway experience to the community. Ordinary pedestrain overpasses would be functional at lower cost.

Cultural Incubator

Rising rent, parking and space costs are making downtown Charleston a less practical place for young creatives to establish themselves. Youth oriented cultural activities are also leaving the old City and becoming disbursed to suburban areas where they find their market.

Youth planning transit system

A modestly sized cluster of incubator spaces for artistic work, performance linked to nearby affordable housing could produce huge benefits for the area and N. Charleston. it would help transform public perception of the area. it could leverage large scale civic spaces in nearby existing Churches and the new library to support events which would support a positive cultural and civic life in the area. This would would reduce crime and attract economic activity.

All of this would be linked by the planned Bus Rapid Transit Line to the established performance spaces and tourism entertainment market in downtown Charleston. An actor, musician or stage technician could reach work at the Dock Street Theater or a downtown Hotel in 25 minutes without any need for a car.

Meanwhile, small, modestly scaled studio and performance spaces at McMillian would allow younger creatives to put on events there with a local focus at low cost. They could find affordable housing with walking distance. This would be accessible to young artists in the already existing surrounding communities as well.

The Bus Rapid Transit system would allow all of this to exist without the high cost of parking structures and parking access infrastructure. Audiences could access performances and exhibitions without the need for a car or dealing with the cost of parking as well.

We've seen projects like this in other cities. Most were built around performance spaces of 99 audience seats or less and bare bones studio space. Regular co working spaces were usually found nearby. I've been to one such space in Seattle- http://www.12avearts.org/ and another in Philadelphia where the entire complex, including three functional performance spaces was inside a former town house on a street with no parking.

Law Enforcement

Some sort of office of the policemen patrolling the area needs to be included. Since this is a walk able, transit oriented space, a significant part of police work will need to be done on foot. on a bicycle or by the use of smaller electric vehicles. It may be worthwhile to train officers in how walk-able, urban, transit enabled spaces are supposed to work. Cultivating the goodwill and understanding or residents and visitors in outdoor occupied spaces would help drive crime out of the area. The hundreds of pairs of eyes put on the sidewalk, transit stop and public areas by transit riders and residents can assist the police in keeping the area safe and successful.

Pendarvis Op Ed

State Representative Marvin Pendavis (iamge, right) wrote an Op Ed in the Charleston Chronicle dealing with redevelopment of this area in Fall 2018.

Other Issues, Affordable Housing

We understand that many other issues must be considered in this planning, including creating a significant amount of affordable housing for people in the area and those being priced out of living downtown, including those in our Hospitality and Food Service Industries.  We also understand that the quality and performance of the entire future Bus Rapid Transit line is important to this project. We've treated those issues extensively in other materials and did raise them with the planners at our interview. We also know that Metanoia and CAJM also brought up those issues.