Charleston committee backs municipal agreement to advance Folly Road safety project

The Traffic and Transportation Committee voted March 24 to authorize execution of a municipal agreement with the South Carolina Department of Transportation to advance a federally funded road safety audit (RSA) for Folly Road (SC-171) on James Island into the full‑design phase.

The decision follows an SCDOT presentation that said the corridor ranked among the state’s highest-priority locations and documented 45 fatal and serious crashes during the RSA study period, with six fatalities (three pedestrian, three vehicular) over the analysis timeframe. "These locations are selected based on crashes, and we prioritize the location based on crashes," DOT safety office representative Sean Sallie told the committee.

SCDOT described a package of recommended improvements including upgraded signals (flashing yellow arrows), high‑visibility crosswalks, pedestrian accommodations, access control and raised medians in some segments, plus roughly a quarter‑mile of new or repaired sidewalk on portions of the corridor. Sallie said the report’s recommendations were refined after two rounds of public meetings and additional crash analysis; some proposed medians were removed where the crash pattern did not support angle‑crash countermeasures.

Committee members asked whether the project could proceed if the Town of James Island does not sign the municipal agreement. Sallie replied that the city could proceed with portions located entirely within Charleston and remove the town’s segments from the project, but added that the town’s share comprises about 30% of the current proposal and that sidewalks and intersection upgrades in those sections would be lost if James Island opts out. "All of your safety improvements in this area basically go away if the town of James Island doesn't agree to move forward," Sallie said.

Members also pressed DOT on liability and statutory basis for municipal agreements. Sallie said a municipal agreement is an older statutory mechanism that municipalities have been asked to sign when DOT projects require local utility coordination, and added that failing to address identified safety issues after being notified can create potential future liability exposure for a local government.

After discussion the committee approved the municipal agreement by voice vote. Chair announced the ayes had it and thanked DOT staff for the presentation. The committee’s approval authorizes staff to execute the municipal agreement so SCDOT can proceed toward detailed design and eventual construction, subject to coordination with local partners and final permitting.

The next steps include finalizing municipal signatures and moving to full design; DOT staff said they had begun outreach to involved municipalities and will return with further timelines and design details as the project advances.