Back to the Future
The new traffic signal on Maybank Highway at Fenwick Hall Allee has caused a lot of frustration with Johns Islanders. The impact of this traffic signal has highlighted the traffic congestion issues around the Maybank/RIver intersection. Due to growth on the Island, especially around this intersection, the congestion will only get worse.
What is the solution for the traffic congestion issues at the Maybank/RIver intersection? We have known the answer since 2009 when the Maybank Highway Improvement Recommendation (the "Plan") was developed. Real solutions exist, they just have to be implemented. We are not lacking a Plan, only the political will to implement it.
The Plan takes a cohesive look at the Maybank/River intersection and Maybank Highway. The recommended improvements include:
- Add a second lane going off-island without removing the grand trees.
- Implement a network of roads to relieve congestion at the intersection.
- Add turn lanes on Maybank Highway between River Road and Main/Bohicket Roads to reduce delays.
The Plan does not look at these as discrete projects but rather as a cohesive effort to remedy our congestion issues. We can't just build one or two roads and assume our issues will be resolved. For example, the Northern Pitchfork is not the solution. The Northern Pitchfork, the Southern Pitchfork, a second lane off-island, a network of roads, and turn lanes on Maybank is the solution.
Do we have the funds? A portion of the 2004 half-cent transportation sales tax was allocated, but not yet spent, to relieve this congestion issue, so the funds should be available.
Will the Mark Clark Extension solve the congestion issues? Even if it is completed in 2035 as projected by SCDOT, the Mark Clark Extension will not solve the congestion issues at the Maybank/River intersection.
The solution to the congestion issues at the Maybank/River intersection has been known since 2009. We don't need more studies or plans. It's time to implement the known solutions!
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Please contact your City and County elected representatives to encourage them to work with the Johns Island community to implement a cohesive improvement effort to address our congestion issues now.
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Continue reading to learn more.
- What is the Maybank Highway Improvement Plan?
- What has been the progress implementing the Plan?
- What must we do to fully implement the Plan?
- Why is it important to implement the Plan?
- Who can you contact to tell them we need to implement the Plan?
Sidebars
- Are the funds available to implement the improvements?
- Will the Mark Clark Extension fix the congestion at the Maybank/River intersection?
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WHAT IS THE MAYBANK HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT PLAN?
In 2009, working with the Urban Land Institute, a joint City, County and community strategic Plan was developed for Maybank Highway. It is called the Maybank Highway Improvement Recommendation. If you are concerned about traffic on Johns Island, we encourage you to read the Plan.
There are four key recommendations in the Plan:
Establish a Street and Roadway Network: This includes building the Northern and Southern Pitchforks and roads parallel to Maybank Highway.
Widen Maybank Highway from Stono Bridge to River Road: This includes adding a second inbound lane and moving the outbound lanes at some distance to the south as shown in the graphic below. This permits a second lane to be added without removing the grand trees.
Improve the Maybank Highway/River Road Intersection: This includes dedicated left, through and right turn lanes on Maybank Highway and River Road.
Adopt the Primary Components of the Johns Island Community Plan: This plan was developed in 2007 by the City of Charleston and the Johns Island community. It takes a holistic approach ... land use, transportation, open space, economic development, ecology ... to address growth on Johns Island. On the transportation side, this plan includes providing dedicated left-turn lanes at key intersections to allow through traffic to proceed more efficiently and for attractive planted medians.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE PROGRESS IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN?
Charleston County setup a webpage describing the work they have performed regarding their Maybank Highway Improvement Project. We appreciate their progress, but much more needs to be done to fully implement the Plan.
The following is an assessment of the progress towards meeting the four key recommendations of the Plan.
Establish a Street and Roadway Network:
- The Northern Pitchfork is under construction but at Maybank Highway it does not line up with the Southern Pitchfork.
- The Southern Pitchfork is mired in disagreements and perceived funding issues. As currently envisioned, it does not line up with Cane Slash Road.
- The City requires developers to build roads parallel to Maybank Highway as land along Maybank is developed but the County does does not require developers to build the parallel roads.
Widen Maybank Highway from Stono Bridge to River Road:
- Inbound: The second lane was added.
- Outbound: A second lane has not been added and no improvements are planned.
Improve Maybank Highway/River Road Intersection:
- The intersection was improved but the implementation, especially coming on-island, needs to be improved and significant additional signage needs to be added.
Adopt the Primary Components of the Johns Island Community Plan:
- Many of the business and major crossroads along Maybank Highway do not have turn lanes resulting in backups. For example the Post Office and Sailfish Drive to not have left turn lanes into them. In general, turn lanes are added only when required by SCDOT for new developments.
- Planted medians have not been built.
- The lack of turn lanes, especially just west of the Maybank/River intersection, exasperates the backup of traffic during the evening commute.
WHAT MUST WE DO TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THE PLAN?
Fourteen years later, we still have a long way to go to fully implement the Plan from 2009. If we have the political will, many of of the improvements listed below could be implemented in a relatively short time frame.
SHORT-TERM IMPROVEMENTS (< 6 months)
Maybank/River Intersection Signage
- Going off-island: Add signage to instruct drivers that both lanes on Maybank Highway can go straight at the traffic signal and to "zipper merge" after the traffic signal.
- Coming on-island: Add signage to highlight which lanes are for turning or going straight at the traffic signal. This will help with the current situation where cars are merging in the middle of the intersection.
Roads Parallel to Maybank Highway
- Update the County's zoning ordinance to require developers along Maybank Highway to build a network of roads as they develop the land. This will be consistent with the approach the City currently takes.
MEDIUM-TERM IMPROVEMENTS (< 12 months)
Maybank Road Restriping Coming On-Island
- Concurrent with opening the Northern Pitchfork later this year or early next year, restripe Maybank Highway so that for traffic coming on-island the left lane is dedicated to left turns and the right lane is dedicated to traffic going straight. See graphic below.
- Note that traffic wishing to access upper River Road can either take the Northern Pitchfork or they can use a short right turn lane near the River Road traffic signal.
LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENTS (< 3 years)
Two Lanes on Maybank Highway Going Off-Island
- Creatively add a second lane going off-island without removing any of the grand trees that are part of our tree canopy on Maybank Highway.
- This can be accomplished by moving the outbound lanes south so they run on the other side of the tree line. This would also result in a majestic median.
- Additional large diameter live oaks must be planted south of these lanes so there will eventually be a tree canopy on both sets of lanes.
Southern Pitchfork
- Build the Southern Pitchfork to relieve traffic at the Maybank/River intersection and reduce commute times for those coming from the southern portion of the Island as well as those coming from Kiawah and Seabrook Islands.
Intersection of Pitchforks on Maybank Highway
- Align the Southern Pitchfork with John Fenwick Lane at Maybank Hwy. This may require that John Fenwick Lane be realigned.
- Extend the Northern Pitchfork to this intersection and install a traffic signal there.
- Eliminate the traffic signal at Fenwick Hall Allee and prohibit left hand hand turns there to or from Fenwick Hall Allee.
Intersection of Southern Pitchfork on River Road
- Align the Southern Pitchfork and Cane Slash Road at River Road while avoiding the conserved land. This will require that Cane Slash Road be realigned.
- Install a roundabout at this intersection.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN?
Besides the obvious frustrations commuters experience, we must also realize that more development is coming to the area around this intersection. As shown in the graphics below, over 1,000 additional dwelling units (apartments, townhomes, or single family residences) are either under construction, planned, or contemplated.
At an average of two cars per household, these 1,000 additional dwelling units mean an additional 2,000 cars that could use this intersection every day. We can't wait for years to solve our congestion issues!
WHO CAN YOU CONTACT TO TELL THEM WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN?
Below is a list of your local elected offices (see here for a complete list). Call them. Forward them this email. Tell them you want a cohesive approach implemented now to relieve the congestion at the Maybank/River intersection.
CHARLESTON COUNTY
CITY OF CHARLESTON
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SIDEBAR
Are the Funds Available to Implement the Improvements?
The answer is "there should be".
In 2004 Charleston County residents voted in favor of a referendum for a half-cent transportation sales tax. This referendum did not list any Johns Island projects, but a subsequent 2006 Charleston County bond referendum listed the following Johns Island project: "Maybank Highway (SC 700) widening from proposed I-526/Mark Clark interchange to Bohicket Road/Main Road (S-20)".
As part of the design process, in 2007 the CIty of Charleston and the community developed the Johns Island Community Plan and in 2009 the City, County, and Community developed the Maybank Highway Improvement Recommendation.
As in most projects, the County sought additional funds from the State. SCDOT had initially said it would supply $15M for the project, but subsequently withdrew the offer. This did not absolve the County from their obligations under the 2006 bond referendum to make all the needed improvements.
There should be more than sufficient funds available to complete the project since the County recently used $75M in funds from the 2004 half-cent sales tax to fund a project that was not on the list of projects obligated to be completed. Any fiscally responsible entity would fund obligations before desires. Therefore it's difficult to comprehend that the funds are not available.
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SIDEBAR
Will the Mark Clark Extension Fix the Congestion at the Maybank/River Intersection?
The short answer is "no".
According to SCDOT, the completion of the Mark Clark Extension, if it is to happen at all, is at least 12 years out (2035). And even if it does get built, the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments (BCDCOG) traffic modeling shows that Maybank Highway, River Road, Brownswood Road and the access ramps will be at a standstill during rush hours. See a graphic of the BCDCOG modeling below.
We need to improve the greater Maybank Highway and RIver Road intersection now. The Mark Clark Extension will not solve the issues at this intersection.
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