GOOD NEWS: Charleston begins to update city-wide transportation plan

Old postcard of a trolley on Rutledge Avenue.

Staff reports  | The city of Charleston will work to update its city-wide transportation plan starting Oct. 25 with a series of public input sessions designed to determine transportation needs throughout the community.

“Engaging our citizens is a critical first step as we work toward improving transportation city-wide,” said Charleston Director of Traffic and Transportation Keith Benjamin.  “Their first-hand recommendations will help us to effectively define accessibility in Charleston, mitigate congestion and achieve a good balance of transportation alternatives throughout our city.”

In partnership with the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments , the city of Charleston Department of Traffic and Transportation has started the process of updating the city-wide transportation plan.

A public design workshop will be held 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 25, at BoomTown’s Charleston headquarters (1505 King Street, #101), where residents will have the opportunity to collaborate with city representatives and other community leaders on their transportation needs and offer recommendations for improvement. Input will be collected through live mapping and surveying, and will then be used to develop a series of 13 prioritized concept designs outlining future transportation projects to take place throughout the city.

Additional open studio sessions will be held on Oct. 25 nd Oct. 26 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Harbor Entrepreneur Center (1505 King Street), where residents can drop-by to share transportation priorities in their neighborhoods. Several stakeholder sessions are also scheduled to supplement the public workshop and studio sessions.

• For more information on these ongoing efforts, to take a community survey and to use the transportation mapping tool, visit www.transportcharleston.com. You can also contact the department of Traffic & Transportation at CTP@charleston-sc.gov or 843-720-1993.

In other Good News:

Adams, center, with competition officials. Photo provided.

National winner.  Jasmine Adams, a recent graduate of Bishop England High School, last week won first place and a $10,000 grand prize as a YESCarolina student entrepreneur at the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge in New York.  Adams, the first YESCarolina student to win the national competition, was one of 41 in the contest chosen from more than 17,000 students from across the nation who created and pitched business plans in their classrooms.

According to a press release, her top prize will support and advance her growing business brand, Smudgies, which are reusable fabric cloths that can remove makeup without the addition of water. Adams said the goal of her business is “to revolutionize the makeup industry by turning makeup application and removal into a more convenient process.”

We’re number 4.  Charleston was ranked the fourth best minor league baseball town of 2017, according to a new study by SmartAsset.  “Despite playing in Low Class A, fans still flock to the stadium for games. On average, just under 4,500 fans attend each game,” a press release said.  “But what makes this a great town for baseball fans is Charleston’s livability. This city has high scores in every livability metric, including having one of the liveliest eating scenes in the country. According to our data, Charleston has about 19.4 restaurants, bars and entertainment establishments per 10,000 residents.”

Fresh produce.  Ingevity is sponsoring 12 monthly Fresh for All events by the Lowcountry Food Bank through $42,000 in financial support, according to a press release.  “We are pleased that Ingevity is now our partner in the fight to relieve hunger in the Lowcountry,” said Pat Walker, Lowcountry Food Bank President and CEO. “Their generous commitment to fund and staff monthly Fresh for All events will ensure that food-insecure children, families and adults have access to nutritious and delicious produce.”  At each event, families pick about 40 pounds of fresh produce and learn about cooking and more.  The first event was Oct. 10 at the Arthur Christopher Community Center on Fishburne St.

New location.  Charleston County Government’s Assessor’s Office is open today for the first time in a new location in the Faber Place office park in North Charleston.  The office, which was in a county office building on Meeting Street for years, relocated last week to 3875 Faber Place Drive, Suite 100, North Charleston It is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.   

Eye health.  Almost three in four of Charlestonians surveyed say their special moments or memories are experienced visually, according to a new survey.  And while a related national survey shows a similar number say they make eye health a priority, only 29 percent who visited an eye doctor in the last year went as part of an overall health checkup.  More from the Think About Your Eyes study.

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