MONCKS CORNER – Berkeley County is anticipated to be one of the state’s most rapidly growing areas in the next 20 years.
More people means more traffic. But local officials aim to find alternative transportation solutions, including a bus rapid transit, along the major U.S. Highway 52 corridor to ease mounting congestion.
The corridor stretches 18 miles along Highway 52 from North Charleston to Moncks Corner. This major thoroughfare runs parallel to Interstate 26 and is often used as an alternate route. However, commuters frequently experience stop-and-go traffic along the corridor during rush hours.
A new feasibility study, conducted by the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Councils of Government, seeks to improve the current transit system and consider a new bus rapid transit system along the corridor.
Residents came out to the first public meeting about the study on Oct. 16 at the Train Depot in Moncks Corner where information boards and presentations lined the room as project representatives answered residents’ questions.
The final opportunity to share feedback in person is 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Goose Creek Fire Department Headquarters at 201 Button Hall Ave. However, community feedback will be accepted through Nov. 15 on the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments website at bcdcog.com
Matt Burton, who has lived in Moncks Corner for a decade, said the area has very little public transportation, even when it comes to rideshare drivers. If more options existed, he said residents would be encouraged to dine out more and support local businesses.
“In order for this area to grow at all, we’re going to need public transit,” Burton said. “Moncks Corner is almost a forgotten little town.”
The Council of Governments published the U.S. 52 Corridor Study in August, a multi-modal study that looked at traffic, transit and pedestrian trends and recommendations. The feasibility study will research transit along the corridor further by assessing cost, implementation and timeline, said Sharon Hollis, the lead project manager for the feasibility study.
The Regional Transit Framework Plan, published in 2018, identified the Highway 52 corridor as suitable for a bus rapid transit system, Hollis said.
The corridor serves as a major connection between North Charleston, Goose Creek and Moncks Corner, meaning many drivers end up on the highway during daily commutes, said Hollis. Most highways that move a lot of people are primed for rapid transit, she added.
Hollis said one goal of the bus rapid transit system is to increase connectivity. The Highway 52 bus line would connect to the planned Lowcountry Rapid Transit system at Rivers Avenue and Melnick Drive, one stop on state’s first bus rapid transit that will run 23 miles from downtown Charleston to Ladson.
Eric Read, a Moncks Corner resident, supports the bus rapid transit, especially the connectivity to Charleston through the Lowcountry Rapid Transit that would make trips downtown for events and dining more feasible.
He said as more people move to Berkeley County, traffic will continue to worsen. His trip to Charleston is now upwards of an hour.
“It’s like two icebergs in the night shifting away,” Read said. “We’re seeing Charleston slowly shift away from us.”
Read thinks more public transportation could help connect the growing region. And he thinks “secretly, deep down” residents want a modern bus system.
Hollis said a bus rapid transit system is similar to a light rail system with designated travel lanes and elevated station platforms. But a bus system is more flexible because the buses can detour if flooding or other obstacles pose problems. The system is scalable with the ability to add more buses as the region grows, Hollis added.
“This study is really looking at the future,” Hollis said. “It’s not something that will be built in the next five, maybe 10 years — it could be further out in the future, but it’s really about preparing for the growth that’s coming.”
By 2040, the population along the corridor is expected to grow 70 percent, according to the corridor study.
Recent statewide projections put Berkeley County as one of the top growing counties in the state. The entire county will see more than 50 percent growth by 2042, where Charleston and Dorchester counties anticipate an 8 percent and 11 percent growth, respectively.
The feasibility study will research the corridor’s current transit system called TriCounty Link, and determine ways to meet existing demand and incorporate the current system with plans for the rapid transit.
“What we hope to hear from the public is not only what is their vision for the future for high-capacity transit, but what is that vision for transit today?” Hollis said.
The feasibility study will be completed in March 2025.
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