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James Island residents, businesses urge council to reject SCDOT raised medians on Folly Road
Summary
Multiple residents, neighborhood organizations and business owners told the council they oppose SCDOT’s proposed raised medians on Folly Road, citing concerns about traffic diversion into neighborhoods, emergency response times, and business access while urging alternative safety measures and more public engagement.
Residents and business owners packed the podium Tuesday night to press the Town of James Island council to oppose South Carolina Department of Transportation plans that include raised medians on Folly Road.
Chase Barton, owner of Martin’s Barbecue Joint, said the medians would ‘‘create more traffic congestion, push unsafe traffic through our residential areas, increase accidents at our intersections, slow the response time of first responders, limit access to commercial delivery drivers, and hinder the ability of James Islanders to access the businesses along Folly Road.’’ He recommended alternatives such as wider bike lanes, lowered speed limits where appropriate, and lighted crosswalks.
Several residents echoed Barton’s concerns. Marilyn Clifford, a Centerville resident, said the median design raises maintenance and safety questions and that her neighborhood collected petitions opposing the medians: "We have over 800 signatures of people, so I would hardly call that a minority." Pauls Corner’s neighborhood representative urged the council to "follow the money," arguing the design may be driven by federal funding formulas that favor raised medians rather than by locally tailored safety needs.
Others, including Lauren Gelatley, urged the council to weigh crash data and broader public input; Gelatley said Folly Road ranks among the state’s most dangerous roads but still encouraged additional public forums to gather more community feedback.
Mayor Brooke Lyon read three emailed statements from residents and business owners—including an email from Robin Garen and a letter from George Hyams of Hyams Garden Center—noting that raised medians unlock the largest share of HSIP (Highway Safety Improvement Program) funding, a point several commenters cited when questioning the design’s motivations.
The council heard multiple accounts that medians could push traffic into narrow neighborhood streets and make U-turns and deliveries more difficult. No formal action on the SCDOT plan was taken during this meeting; the discussion was part of a continuing town engagement with SCDOT and the Rethink Folly committee.
