PCC News, Dec 2023

December 2023 News

PCC served on state team of the

Walkability Action Institute

We've been so busy we forgot to mention our involvement in the Summer 2023 Walkability Action Institute. SC was lucky enough to achieve funding to train and facilitate 5 local teams in walkability goals, after a major collaboration between SCDHEC, CDC, and the national Association of Chronic Disease Directors, Wholespire, and other state partners. Read Wholespire's blogpost on the WAI here. PCC provided resources, and we are still involved in working with these local groups today (in Anderson, Fairfield, Georgetown and Williamsburg counties and cities of West Columbia and Cayce).

PCC's Livable Streets Academy funded by Diabetes Free SC!

PCC's Livable Streets Academy was recently funded by Diabetes Free SC, a program of the South Carolina Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation. We appreciate the support! Stay tuned for more exciting webinars in this PCC program. Launched in 2023, our Livable Streets program is designed to bring strong content to SC's communities with emerging & local bike and walk advocacy movements, organizations, and coalitions.

PCC walks another Walk Audit in West Columbia on Hwy 378

PCC participated in another Walk Audit to provide recommendations for safety improvements on another dangerous road, where funding will be secured. This Audit, initiated by the Community Health Coordinator at Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center in West Columbia, was located along 378 around Lexington Medical Center where there were a significant number of pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries. The problem was identified by the new organization in West Columbia: Active & Accessible Community Transit. Also attending were representatives from SC Department of Public Safety, ABLE South Carolina (disability advocates), SCDOT, and City of Cayce planning department. This group was 1 of the 5 local groups in the Walkability Action Institute, noted above.

Local Spotlight:

BikeWalkGreenville gets America Walks grant

Berea Elementary, a K5 – 5th Title I school northwest of City of Greenville, with just under 500 students, received a grant recently to improve a trail. Read Mary's McGowan's blogpost published on the America Walks website. Mary is board member to both PCC and BikeWalkGreenville and an extraordinary volunteer. She explains this area lacks connectivity to Greenville’s Swamp Rabbit Trail network, and students and their families don’t have many safe, local places to enjoy outdoor recreation. They received a $1500 Community Change Grant from America Walks for a project that will allow better connectivity with the surrounding neighborhood and local community. The 0.4-mile nature trail along the school’s perimeter saw better days, as it was overgrown, neglected, and in dire need of revitalization.

State News:

MUTCD gets major changes for

Speed Limit setting

One of the main reasons you hear "no" to innovative design requests from any public works department is "because the manual said we can't". That manual is the MUTCD. But any local advocate should know this: the MUTCD just underwent major changes, that require states and communities "consider" a high number of people walking & biking BEFORE setting speed limits too high. Those speed limits align with how engineers design the same road for speed. It doesn't require speed limits be set lower, but it does require that agencies "consider" the number of people biking & walking before designing a road for cars moving too fast.