Pilot mini-roundabouts reduced speeds, committee votes to remove pilot features while exploring permanent designs

After weeks of public comment about newly installed mini-roundabouts in the Old Village, staff presented speed and operational data from the pilot and proposed next steps. The pilot sought a traffic-calming method allowable under SCDOT guidelines where speed humps and stop signs were not viable (state roads/warrants). Staff said there were no recorded accidents or injuries tied to the pilot and no data showing EMS delays; speed counters showed reductions in 85th-percentile speeds of roughly 5 mph on approach and up to 10 mph near the device with a sphere of influence of about 300 feet.

Citizens at the meeting raised concerns about narrow streets, school buses and trash trucks negotiating the islands, and instances of center-island damage; staff said the current pilot islands are intentionally mountable and that a permanent design would widen corner radii and include mountable surfaces, lighting and dedicated pedestrian crossings. After debate, the committee adopted a motion (as amended) directing staff to coordinate removal and site restoration to prior conditions to the extent DOT permits while simultaneously pursuing concept designs and DOT cost-sharing for engineered mini-roundabout options and pedestrian/bike improvements. One committee member noted that removing the pilot without replacing it with a safe, permanent option would likely restore higher speeds.