The Richland County Transportation Advisory Committee approved a package of prioritized transportation projects after reviewing scoring data and project sheets and agreeing to one wording correction.

The committee voted to approve the proposed project rankings with a correction to item 20 in the pedestrian-safety category. Public parks director Michael Maloney led a project-by-project briefing, saying Atlas Road Phase 1A — a clearing and utility-relocation phase — was "around 80 to 85% complete." The committee discussed streetscape projects that rely on outside funding and the need to coordinate data sheets with City of Columbia staff before final design.

Top projects discussed included Broad River Road widening (a 2.6‑mile section from Royal Tower to Dutch Fork Road), Saluda Riverwalk Phase 2 (concrete trail and boardwalks with a separate bridge connection to be delivered by the River Alliance), and large multimodal corridor projects on Broad River Road and Assembly Street. Maloney also highlighted new-roadway proposals in Volume 3 — including phase work on the Shop Road extension, Salem Church Road extension, and Creech Road extension — and said staff put order‑of‑magnitude estimates in project sheets to reflect relocation and detention needs.

A motion to approve the rankings was made and seconded before the committee reviewed draft scoring, the six scoring categories, and detailed data sheets posted on the county website. After discussion the chair called the question and the motion passed by voice vote; no opposing votes or abstentions are recorded in the transcript.

Committee members and staff noted that many high-ranked projects are "streetscape" in character and will require coordination with city funding sources; the penny funding is likely to cover ornamental or beautification components while major construction funding may come from other partners. Staff will proceed with next steps in design, right‑of‑way work, and coordination with municipal partners as appropriate.