COLUMBIA, S.C. — City leaders and lawmakers are focusing on enhancing safety along Assembly Street in downtown Columbia for both drivers and pedestrians.
Macayla Anderson, a University of South Carolina student, described the situation as "not safe; not safe at all."
She added that navigating Assembly Street in the heart of Columbia often feels like a high-stakes game of the old arcade game Frogger.
"Up, down, left, right, a million times," she said. "You never know. Yeah, we sprint across this intersection,"
According to the South Carolina Department of Transportation, six lanes of traffic separate the Vista and Main Street, making it one of the most dangerous intersections in the state.
"I find sometimes it's very dangerous, and they need to do something about the traffic movement," said Columbia resident Patrick Mhigula.
City and state leaders are collaborating to make crossing Assembly Street a less daunting task.
Tyler Bailey, a Columbia City Council member, said the community desires connectivity between the Vista and Main Street districts. However, a finalized design for changes hasn't been determined. Bailey highlighted potential safety improvements, including enhanced sidewalks and medians, pedestrian bump-outs, and more efficient signal lights.
"So this is one of the priority projects we have on the city council," Bailey said.
With an estimated price tag of $16 million, addressing pedestrian safety downtown won't come cheap. The city has allocated $3 million thus far, with State Representative Seth Rose, whose district includes parts of Columbia, aiming to bridge the funding gap with state and federal grant dollars.
"I've lived in House District 72 for 20 years. And I want it to be more walkable and bikeable, and that's going to help our city grow and reach its full potential," Rose said.
Public input sessions are anticipated soon, with construction not expected to commence for another two years, Rose added.
Rose has secured millions of dollars for other road projects in the city, including in Five Points and on Devine Street. Work on the Five Points project is expected to begin sometime next month.