COLUMBIA, S.C. — Gervais Street in Columbia's Vista district has a speed limit of 35. But some people who own businesses or work in the Vista say drivers hit the Gervais street strip going much faster than that.
“Just, you know, slow down, not be Nascar drivers,” said Alexandra Brailsford. “Be aware of your surroundings and people.”
Brailsford works at a restaurant on Gervais Street in the Vista. She says drivers speeding down Gervais is a constant issue.
“It could be dangerous for some people if they’re tryna cross and people don’t notice that they’re crossing,” Brailsford said.
Guy Jones is the owner of another business on Gervais.
“In the last three or four years, the speeding situation has really gotten worse,” Jones said.
Jones has run River Runner Outdoor Center in the Vista since 1992.
“It can be hazardous to other drivers as well as to pedestrians,” Jones said. “It makes for an environment that is just not conducive to people wanting to walk around and actually be here. So I found it to be a problem that makes Columbia, makes the Congaree Vista a less inviting place to be… which is exactly the opposite of what we want to be doing.”
Jones says he’d like to see speed traps added and the speed limit lowered from 35 to 25.
Ryan Winkler is a bartender at another restaurant on Gervais. She says she occasionally sees speeding, but doesn’t think it’s too much of a problem.
“It's not really too bad in the mornings, like, because there's always, you know, good bit of traffic in the mornings and stuff,” Winkler said. “But at night when the roads are pretty empty, I mean, every now and then I definitely see some cars just zooming by.”
A spokesperson for the Vista Guild tells us they’ve brought concerns about speeding to the Columbia Police Department and that they’re working to address it.
Columbia Police tell us they’re aware of the Vista Guild’s concerns and they expect drivers to obey all traffic laws across the city.
The department and the city’s traffic engineer were not available for an interview Friday.