June 16, 2025 ![[Screenshot 2025-06-16 at 7.58.11 PM.png]] **After tonight's public meeting to review the Williams Street Extension plans, we believe this project will be a major win for a walk and bike friendly Columbia.** We need your help to make sure the city gets this right and builds the entire project for all to enjoy safely. Read on below... ### Suggested Comment *If you’ve read through our suggestions below and agree, **click or tap the copy icon in the corner and paste it into an email to [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]).*** **Deadline:** Monday, June 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM I support the Williams Street Extension and am excited about the protected bike lane, wider sidewalks, and better access to the Congaree River, Cayce, and West Columbia. This is a big step forward for the city. However, I urge the city to make safety improvements at the Greene and Huger intersection as part of this project. Huger Street acts like a highway, and Greene is already a main route for people walking and biking between the river and downtown. The current intersection is not safe or designed for the pedestrian and bike traffic it will see. Families and people of all ages deserve to get to Williams St and the future park safely. Please consider Cola Town Bike Collective’s protected intersection mockup and the proven safety benefits of this design. Also, lower the speed limit on Williams Street to 20 mph, narrow the travel lanes to 10 feet to slow traffic, and improve access with curb cuts and crosswalks at the Gervais Bridge, Gist, and Senate. Thanks! --- ## Why We’re Supporting This Project Columbia is on the verge of building a new part of our city that will prioritize safe access for all road users, including people on foot and on bikes. The Williams Street Extension includes a protected bike lane, wide sidewalks, and a roundabout with separated space for people walking and biking. It will create a direct, low-stress connection from downtown to the Congaree River, Cayce, West Columbia, and eventually serve as the starting point for a 40-mile greenway. This is a transformational investment in safe, active transportation. We wrote about it previously here: [[The Williams Street Extension May Be The Most Important Street Project in Columbia]] --- ## But One Piece Still Needs Work: the Greene x Huger intersection While Huger is signed at 35mph, it functions like a freeway. Drivers speed through, and crossing on foot or bike is dangerous. Greene Street is already one of the most-used pedestrian and bike connections between the river and downtown thanks to the [Greene Street bridge](https://www.gkdmetalfabrics.com/project/greene-street-bridge/) and access to USC, the Vista, downtown, etc. Strava Metro shows constant pedestrian and bike activity here, and the Williams Street project will only increase that. ![[Screenshot 2025-06-16 at 8.03.21 PM.png]] *This map has two layers -- intensity of blue to white showing how popular a road is to walk or bike over the last year, and then a weekly heatmap layered underneath.* *Notice the bright blue line on Greene St, showing the density of folks already walking & biking. How much popular will this get when Williams St is open? Greene x Huger needs to be as safe as possible.* This intersection is not equipped to safely handle the pedestrian and bike traffic it will see. That’s why Cola Town Bike Collective created a **protected intersection mockup** to show how the city can design a safer, clearer crossing for all road users. The design includes dedicated bike and pedestrian space on all sides, curb bump outs to make sure drivers yield to pedestrians, and other proven safety measures, all of which are in the same intersection footprint, minus the curb extensions. --- ### Concept of Greene x Huger Intersection ![[Protected intersection2.png]] **Current intersection at Greene x Huger** ![[Protected intersection1.png]] **CTBC's proposed protected intersection at Greene x Huger** Many cities across the US are beginning to use these to make all road users safer. - 🎥 [Watch a short explainer video](https://youtu.be/GJ-qwudnABA) from the City of San Luis Obispo on how protected intersections work. - [This is a wonderful longer-form article](https://www.ontheroadtrends.com/protected-intersections-solution-to-improve-road-safety/?lang=en) from ontheroadtrends.com on how they work. --- ## Additional Recommendations We urge the city to adopt this kind of treatment for Greene and Huger and also: - Lower the speed limit of the proposed Williams Street to 20 mph - Reduce lane widths from 11 to 10 feet to encourage safer driving (can we save some $ this way?) - Improve connectivity to Williams St with curb cuts and crosswalks at the Gervais Bridge, Gist Street, and Senate Street - We noticed Devine from Williams to the river only has an eastbound bike lane. We would like to see a protected lane on both sides, or at least a multi-modal path considered as part of the park development process. This intersection is the gateway into downtown and the new park. Let’s make it safe for people of all ages and abilities. ### Agree? Here's the Suggested Comment again! *If you’ve read through our suggestions above and agree, **click or tap the copy icon in the corner and paste it into an email to [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]).*** **Deadline:** Monday, June 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM I support the Williams Street Extension and am excited about the protected bike lane, wider sidewalks, and better access to the Congaree River, Cayce, and West Columbia. This is a big step forward for Columbia. However, I urge the city to make safety improvements at the Greene and Huger intersection as part of this project. Huger Street acts like a highway, and Greene is already a main route for people walking and biking between the river and downtown. The current intersection is not safe or designed for the pedestrian and bike traffic it will see. Families and people of all ages deserve to get to Williams St and the future park safely. Please consider Cola Town Bike Collective’s protected intersection mockup and the proven safety benefits of this design. Also, lower the speed limit on Williams Street to 20 mph, narrow the travel lanes to 10 feet to slow traffic, and improve access with curb cuts and crosswalks at the Gervais Bridge, Gist, and Senate. Thanks!