Consultants present data-driven Safe Streets plan targeting 10 intersections, 10 corridors

AECOM project manager Ryan Eckenrode presented the Safe Streets for All West Columbia safety action plan, describing a data-driven process that paired crash analysis with public and stakeholder engagement to identify priority interventions. "We developed, 10 intersections and 10 and 10 corridors to to perform recommendations on," Eckenrode said while outlining targeted intersections and corridor studies inside West Columbia city limits.

Eckenrode described recommended treatments including signal enhancements, lighting and pedestrian improvements, reduced-conflict intersections, roundabouts, access management, sidewalks, and RRFB pedestrian crossings. He noted a set of demonstration projects (approximately $100,000 in funding identified for near-term work) and said Lexington County led a multi-jurisdictional FHWA implementation grant submission on May 26. During Q&A, council members raised concerns about coordination with SCDOT and hospital-related signal preemption on US-378, local congestion and signal timing, and whether all council members had been directly consulted; Eckenrode said the plan was built from stakeholder meetings and is flexible for future modification.