COLUMBIA, S.C. — Columbia city leaders are hoping to improve pedestrian safety along Assembly Street in downtown Columbia.
At its February 15th meeting, city council voted to allocate funds for a pedestrian safety project for Assembly Street, particularly between Pendleton and Lady Streets.
Council member Ed McDowell says the project is expected to cost upwards of $600,000. According to McDowell, the work will include improved sidewalks, medians and signal lights.
"This is all about safety," McDowell said. "Pedestrian safety cannot be a money issue. We have to do something similar to what we have now on Millwood ... Push the button, a light comes on, and of course, that causes traffic to stop, right then and there."
Six lanes of traffic on Assembly Street doesn't stop pedestrians from crossing. Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook agreed with council members, saying the pedestrian walkways connecting Main Street to the Vista are dangerous.
"We have injures related to pedestrian vs vehicle, some bruises, some occasional bone breaks," Holbrook said. "I think it's an issue, 100%. The flow of the roadway, the design of the roadways, the width of the sidewalks, that's all very important to pedestrian safety."
Hitesh Manglani lives in the heart of the city where he crosses Assembly Street regularly. He says he crosses at the Assembly and Lady Street intersection four or five times a week.
"There's a small sign that says please stop for pedestrians," Manglani said. "Most cars don't stop."
A walker, Manglani says improvements need to be made. Until then, he says he will continue to avoid the area.
"Most of the time instead of crossing this intersection, I go down to Gervais and then cross," Manglani said. "I try and avoid this juncture altogether because it feels unsafe."
According to the city, preliminary plans for the project won't be completed until early 2023.