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Resident urges 15 mph limit on Colleton promenade to reduce pedestrian hazards
Summary
Dr. Rose Hayes, a retired federal public‑health officer, told Aiken City Council the Colleton promenade’s mixed pedestrian and vehicle use creates safety risks and recommended posting and enforcing a 15 mph speed limit similar to the city’s Horse District rule.
Dr. Rose Hayes, speaking during non‑agenda public comment at the Aiken City Council meeting on Aug. 11, urged the council to adopt and enforce a 15‑mile‑per‑hour speed limit on the Colleton promenade to reduce hazards for pedestrians, cyclists and others.
“I recommend implementing, posting, and monitoring a 15 mile an hour speed law just as the city has done for the Horse District,” Dr. Hayes said, describing Colleton as a state‑maintained roadway that functions as a city promenade and arboretum used by walkers, joggers, stroller‑users and people visiting the winter‑colony homes. She identified multiple risk factors, including few sidewalks, increasing foot traffic since the COVID‑19 period, motorcycles performing wheelies, golf carts carrying children, and slower‑moving visitors stopping to read arboretum tree plaques.
Dr. Hayes told council she served 20 years as a federal public‑health and safety officer and as an expert witness for U.S. attorneys in the Justice Department. She warned that the mix of users “individually and collectively create safety hazards and the potential for legal action against the city,” and framed the 15‑mph recommendation as a public‑health measure to protect a recreational corridor used for exercise and leisure.
Context and next steps: Dr. Hayes acknowledged Colleton is state‑maintained but said the street functions as a city promenade with greenways and features that bring residents and visitors into pedestrian spaces. Council did not take formal action during the meeting; the comment was recorded during the non‑agenda public comment period.
