For the next 20 years SCDOT has set their Vision, Goals, Objectives, Performance Management, and Funding Prioritization, and they won't rethink this for another 5 years. The Palmetto Cycling Coalition read through all 161 pages and formed a comment letter, in coordination with the SC Livable Communities Alliance. They need to hear from all of us. The deadline for comment is this Thursday, August 20th.
We suggest the following comment below
before August 20th.
"We applaud SCDOT in recognizing the value of multimodalism, for safe mobility, economic competitiveness, and community vitality. Further, we appreciate SCDOT's stated goals in forming partnerships, employing a data driven approach, establishing zero fatalities as the goal, and encouraging all possible funding sources.
The following we found in need of more attention:
1. Recognize the limitations of the survey, which is absolutely not a representation of South Carolina, based on demographics listed.
2. There should be a performance measure established for non-motorized users, under Mobility & System Reliability, which falls within SCDOT's legislatively prescribed duties.
3. Add that Non-motorized planning and project selection processes should be an Equity goal.
4. Set a target safety performance metric that flattens the curve in the near term, with reduction longer term, since various new Complete Streets policies are imminently arriving at SCDOT.
5. Congestion relief through widening alone is impossible and financially irresponsible. But it can be more cost effective if in tandem with implementing Pedestrian & Bike Master Plans and increasing transit service, reducing some trips and miles traveled via cheaper options.
6. Multimodal Performance Management can and should be more robust, through better use of data.
7. SCDOT should use 100% (not 50%) of its Transportation Alternatives (TAP) money from FHWA for its intended purpose, which would increase SCDOT's TAP share from $7.4 to $14.8 Million."
