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Annual traffic report: modest overall growth, Squire Pope intersection near capacity and Sea Pine Circle within standards
Summary
The town's annual traffic monitoring presentation found small year-over-year increases in peak-hour and 24-hour traffic, a substantial post-toll split shift toward the Cross Island Parkway, no intersections out of compliance during the morning peak, and a high-capacity concern at William Hilton Parkway and Squire Pope Road.
Darren Shoemaker presented the Town of Hilton Head Island's annual Traffic Monitoring and Evaluation Report to the planning commission, summarizing counts, peak-hour analyses and trends. The report compared July 2024 counts to prior years and applied the Land Management Ordinance methodology for delay and capacity.
The study found that 24-hour average counts for select locations in July 2024 were the highest ever recorded in the town's visitor-season snapshots, and that five-year trends show an average annual increase of about 1.1% over the last five years. Shoemaker highlighted a modal split shift after cessation of tolls on the Cross Island Parkway: William Hilton Parkway now carries about 61.5% of traffic versus 38.5% on the Cross Island Parkway, a 7-percentage-point shift that equates to a roughly 26% increase in demand on the Cross Island Parkway compared with prior patterns.
On intersection performance, Shoemaker said no signalized intersections were out of compliance with the LMO's morning-peak goals. During the afternoon peak, the intersection of William Hilton Parkway at Squire Pope Road exhibited a capacity ratio of 99% of theoretical capacity, rendering it noncompliant with the LMO capacity goal even though delay figures were close to the goal. Shoemaker described potential mitigations: adding a third off-island lane would fully mitigate the intersection but would require roadway widening with impacts to adjacent properties; other options like two right-turn lanes or free-flowing right-turn ramps were discussed but have feasibility or neighborhood impact concerns. Shoemaker noted long-standing safety concerns for left turns at that intersection.
Pedestrian and bicycle crossing counts were roughly 9% lower than the prior year but remain substantially higher than five years earlier: bike/ped crossings were about 46% higher than in February 2019. Sea Pine Circle was counted in July 2024 and showed delay figures down 4–5% from the 2022 count and within the town's standards. Shoemaker recommended that the planning commission receive the report and forward any comments to town council; the commission voted 7-0 to approve the report.
Commissioners asked staff whether the planning commission should highlight the Squire Pope intersection and whether Sea Pine Circle should be monitored more frequently; Shoemaker suggested the commission could forward written supplemental remarks to town council. The commission made a motion to approve the report and voted 7-0 to accept it for transmittal.
