Charleston · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Charleston public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Secessionville Road safety improvements
State funding of $765,000 would pay for safety upgrades on Secessionville Road in James Island. The item moved quickly through committee due to time constraints.
James Island Mini Roundabout Installation
Councilmember Skardon corrected the record that the mini roundabout construction won't fully close the intersection, and noted the county's Maybank widening tree removal is underway at night from River Road to the Stono River Bridge, to be done before mid-December.
SC Highway 41 and Reflectance Drive Safety Improvements
SCDOT will fix one of the city's most dangerous — and little-known — intersections at the north end of Cainhoy at no cost to the city, using federal grant money.
Broad Street sidewalk reconstruction
A $495,585 contract with Wildwood Contractors would rebuild bluestone sidewalks on Broad Street from King to East Bay — the first phase of a $4.1 million project funded by accommodations taxes.
Real-time flood road closures in navigation apps
Charleston now pushes flood-related road closures and warnings straight into Waze, Google Maps, Apple Maps and TomTom. During October's floods, drivers got live warnings about water on roads like Calhoun — helping commuters reroute before hitting standing water.
Street flooding analysis tool and Lockwood Drive study
A new public app on the GIS website lets you look up why any closed road floods — rain, tide, or both — and forecast which roads are at risk in coming days. A Lockwood Drive study found the road has flooded 443 times since 2015, roughly 37 times a year, and that just 0.2 feet of sea level rise would dramatically worsen it.
Pedestrian Crosswalk Accessibility and Audible Signals
Committee member Morgan Huey highlighted Charleston Moves' progress on the Ashley River Crossing Project and other safety projects, with a fundraiser the following evening.
Pedestrian safety funding in the 2027 budget
Speaker after speaker — including a man whose wife was killed crossing Broad and King — asked council to put $1 million a year into pedestrian safety projects. The city already has a safety action plan with $20 million in identified projects and has applied for a federal Safe Streets for All grant.
River Road Realignment and Safety Measures
A developer property donation will allow the city and county to eventually realign the misaligned and hazardous intersection at River Road and Murraywood Road/Rushland Landing Drive, improving safety for neighborhood residents.
Brunswick Rifle Drive Road Connection
Review of road and sidewalk construction plans to connect a Stonoview subdivision roadway.