Anderson Council backs SCDOT ‘road diet’ on Bellevue Road, asks for speed-alert sign and park crossings

The Anderson City Council unanimously approved a resolution asking the South Carolina Department of Transportation to move forward with restriping Bellevue Road from four lanes to two 12-foot travel lanes, a 12-foot center turn lane and 6-foot bicycle lanes on either side as part of an upcoming repaving project.

Council members and city staff framed the change as a safety and connectivity project that implements the city’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan (2014) and aligns with Federal Highway Administration guidance that four‑lane roads with fewer than 10,000 vehicles per day are strong candidates for “road diets.” Transportation staff told the council the most recent counts on Bellevue are under 6,000 vehicles per day and that a three‑lane configuration would still handle over 15,000 cars per day according to design capacity assessment.

Supporters said the redesign would calm traffic and create a safer route to a nearby park. "We are a 100% in agreement with this," said Michael Gardner, representing Palmetto Cycling Coalition, the Upstate Run Club and Friends of the Electric City Trail, who added that running and cycling groups and some nearby residents support the proposal.

Opponents pressed for more neighborhood notice and enforcement. Ronnie Whitfield, a resident at 3006 Bellevue Road, said he learned of the plan the night before and asked the council to delay action so neighbors could receive formal notification and provide input. "They deserve to know what's happening to their street," Whitfield said, citing heavy truck traffic, potholes and concerns about entering and exiting driveways.

Council members discussed both arguments in depth and asked staff to seek specific mitigations from SCDOT and to pursue city-led measures. Councilmember Jeff Roberts asked for a speed‑alert device near the downhill portion of Bellevue: "It's that downhill slope. People get going fast," he said. Council members and staff said the city could request a radar speed sign and explore marked pedestrian crossings or refuge islands near the park as part of the DOT process.

The council’s motion to approve the resolution included the requests for a speed‑alert sign and for staff to work with SCDOT on pedestrian crossing options; the motion passed on a unanimous voice vote. Staff said paving work is scheduled to proceed and that restriping can be reversed if traffic patterns materially change in the future.

The council asked staff to increase public information about the project if the resolution is transmitted to SCDOT, and to coordinate with DOT on where any crossing or traffic‑calming hardware would be installed. City staff said they expect to follow up with additional outreach, and that DOT typically implements lane-striping changes after paving.

Council members framed the action as reversible if traffic volumes rise. "If the conditions change and the growth pattern was such that it carries more traffic," a staff member said, the striping could be returned to four lanes. The council also indicated it would monitor effects and enforcement needs once restriping occurs.

For now, the council approved the resolution to SCDOT and directed staff to pursue the requested speed and pedestrian measures and to provide public information about the upcoming work.