(Fort Mill, SC) Mayor Guynn Savage has signed onto the South Carolina Livable Communities Alliance! Mayor Savage joins this coalition of 25 mayors across the state, including Mayors John Gettys of Rock Hill and David O’Neal of Tega Cay, and businesses and organizations. They support the planning, design, operation and maintenance of public highways to provide safe, convenient and comfortable travel and access for users of all ages and abilities – regardless of their transportation mode. The Alliance believes that all South Carolinians deserve to live in safe, healthy communities.
How does this work? “Complete Streets” or “Multimodal Streets” make communities and neighborhoods more livable. They ensure all road users of all ages and abilities – people walking, bicycling, driving, and catching a bus – can travel safely. A modern, multimodal network of streets and highways helps the state economy and improves residents’ quality of life. Sidewalks, bike paths, and increased access to transit improve safety, physical-activity levels, and access to economic opportunities. There has been a national and global trend toward increased bicycle and pedestrian activity, and we see the same demand in S.C. Access to “Complete Streets” are good for the economy, environment, community, and people’s physical, mental and social health.
What is the South Carolina Livable Communities Alliance doing? In 2017, the Alliance began advocating for a state Complete Streets policy at the SC Department of Transportation (SCDOT) – to support the planning, designing, operation, and maintenance of public highways in a manner that provides safe, convenient and comfortable travel and access for users of all ages and abilities regardless of their mode of transportation. In 2019 the SCDOT committed to a Complete Streets policy; the Alliance is now working with SCDOT towards a more robust policy to meet South Carolina’s specific challenges.
For more information, contact Amy Johnson Ely of the Palmetto Cycling Coalition.
