Public urges traffic calming as council reviews Georgia Avenue study

Residents, business owners and city staff on Monday spoke at length about traffic calming and pedestrian safety in downtown North Augusta as city officials prepared to consider a traffic study for Georgia Avenue.

City Administrator Jim Clifford told the public the study, prepared by the consultant identified in the agenda packet, is organized in two phases: “Phase 1 is every change to Georgia Avenue from Minneapolis Avenue, Carolina Avenue, and Jackson Avenue,” and is the portion staff expects the council to consider next week. Clifford said phase 2 — the traffic circle or roundabout at the Carolina/Georgia intersection — has no identified funding and “in practical terms, I would not view this moving forward during this council's elected term.” He added that adopting the study would allow engineering for phase 1 to proceed but “in no way obligates the city to a traffic circle or any other changes to that intersection.”

Why this matters: Georgia Avenue is the downtown spine for pedestrians, businesses and emergency access. Speakers said the corridor’s angled parking, vehicle speeds and limited pedestrian crossings depress foot traffic, create safety risks for people with disabilities, and affect storefront viability.

Public comments were mixed. Several long‑time residents and business owners supported traffic calming and changes to parking. Tia Harville, owner of Grove Gourmet Market at 509 Georgia Avenue, said her store has lost customers who “never noticed our store because they're focused on literally just making it down Georgia Avenue without hitting a parked car” and that traffic calming “will increase the longevity of my storefront and other businesses coming to downtown.” Pam Stickler, who said she owns a business at 516 Georgia Avenue, said she is “really concerned about the parallel parking” and emphasized the need to preserve or relocate handicap parking close to storefronts because her programs serve people with disabilities.

Several speakers recommended roundabouts as a long‑term calming tool. One resident who said he has lived in North Augusta for decades called roundabouts “a way to slow the traffic down and control the traffic” and suggested using a roundabout as a beautification feature around the statue of James U. Jackson. Other commenters opposed a roundabout on practical grounds: concerns included maneuvering by tractor‑trailers and delivery vehicles, the unfamiliarity of some drivers with roundabouts, potential backups on the downhill approach and impacts on emergency vehicles.

A commenter who identified themselves as a resident of North Augusta raised emergency response concerns, saying, “You put a circle in the middle of that straight line. You just impeded that traffic… We're not just talking about safe passage across a road. We're talking about a life saved.” Several others emphasized speed enforcement and signage as near‑term measures.

Staff and engineering responses: Tom Caesar, director of engineering and public works, and other staff said the corridor includes sections under South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) jurisdiction and that some suggested treatments would need to meet SCDOT rules. Clifford and staff also flagged timing constraints: if the city moves forward with construction it should be scheduled to avoid overlap with the Thirteenth Street bridge project; staff said construction is not expected to begin until well into 2026 under current timelines.

Funding and next steps: Clifford and staff said the study was paid for with a mix of state and local funds and that adoption of the study does not commit construction dollars. Several speakers asked about using state funding or the 1¢ sales tax list referenced in the staff presentation; staff said phase 1 is expected to rely on a different mix of funding and that detailed cost estimates will follow design and bidding. Council members asked staff to redraft the resolution to make clear that phase 1 is the priority; council members indicated a consensus to move the adoption vote to the June meeting to allow further outreach to churches and other stakeholders and to clarify funding language.

Ending: City staff will carry the revised resolution back to the council for a formal vote. No ordinance or funding appropriation was adopted during the public input session; staff emphasized that specific construction or funding decisions will return to the council for approval after engineering, cost estimates and any required approvals from SCDOT.