SC Livable Communities Alliance

SC (Dec. 2018) The South Carolina Livable Communities Alliance is a coalition of mayors, businesses, and organizations who support the planning, designing, operation, and maintenance of public highways to provide safe, convenient and comfortable travel and access for users of all ages and abilities – regardless of their transportation mode. The Alliance believes that all South Carolinians deserve to live in safe, healthy communities.

How does this work? “Complete Streets” or “Multimodal Streets” make communities and neighborhoods more livable. They ensure all road users of all ages and abilities – people walking, bicycling, driving, and catching a bus – can travel safely. A modern, multimodal network of streets and highways helps the state economy and improves residents’ quality of life. Sidewalks, bike paths, and increased access to transit improve safety, physical-activity levels, and access to economic opportunities. There has been a national and global trend toward increased bicycle and pedestrian activity, and we see the same demand in S.C.

Why are Complete Streets and Multimodal Streets important to South Carolinians? As of 2014, S.C. ranks 4th and 6th in the country in the fatality rate per 10,000 commuters for people walking and bicycling, respectively. Studies show that improving infrastructure design, along with repaving opportunities as systems age, is the most effective way to increase safety and decrease fatality rates of walkers and bikers. As of 2016, two of every three adults (67%) in S.C. were overweight or obese. S.C. ranks 12th in the nation for adult obesity and 8th in obesity among high school students. Approximately $8.6 billion were projected for obesity-related health spending in the state by 2018. More physical activity, such as through walking and bicycling, is associated with lower rates of obesity and chronic illnesses (such as diabetes and heart disease).

Why are the South Carolina Livable Communities Alliance efforts important? Access to “Complete Streets” supports environmental sustainability. It also is linked to economic benefits for communities, such as higher neighborhood property values and personal transportation cost savings. Other economic benefits of “Multimodal Streets” include more construction jobs relative to traditional highway projects, and added value and service level for more road users. In communities across S.C, many people with disabilities (or decreased abilities) rely on pedestrian infrastructure to get to work on foot, on wheels, or using accessible public transit.

How does the South Carolina Livable Communities Alliance specifically want to do this? The Alliance supports a multimodal policy that:

  • seamlessly integrates state roads with local streets, with national multimodal design standards,
  • coordinates tightly between state, regional and local planning and elected bodies,
  • ensures your mode of transportation is just as safe as all the others,
  • honors rural and urban interests,
  • invests in long-term state priorities
  • moves our state towards a higher quality of life,
  • integrates with Federal Highway Administration required safety performance measures,
  • improves SCDOT processes and street designs, and restores trust and transparency,
  • supports people of all abilities having full access to their chosen mode of transportation

Join with the South Carolina Livable Communities Alliance (SLCLA) in creating safe, healthy communities! “We are in full support of a state policy that enables streets that are safer, healthier, and more accessible for users of all ages and abilities, regardless of their mode of transportation.” To sign SCLCA’s policy letter of support on behalf of an organization, business, or mayor, please click here.  You can also sign up to volunteer by sending the SCLCA a message here.

Mayors who have signed their support:

  • John Gettys, Mayor, City of Rock Hill, SC
  • David O’Neal, Mayor, City of Tega Cay, SC
  • D. Welborn Adams, Mayor, City of Greenwood, SC
  • Brandy Amidon, Mayor, Travelers Rest, SC
  • Stephen K. Benjamin, Mayor, Columbia, SC
  • Barbara Blain-Bellamy, Mayor, Conway, SC
  • Tim Goodwin, Mayor, City of Folly Beach, SC
  • Rick N. Osbon, Mayor, City of Aiken, SC
  • Blake Sanders, PLA, Planning and Projects Manager, City of Easley; Mayor, Town of West Pelzer, SC
  • Foster Senn, Mayor, City of Newberry, SC
  • John J. Tecklenburg, Mayor, City of Charleston, SC
  • Harold Thompson, Mayor, City of Union, SC
  • Knox White, Mayor, Greenville, SC
  • Stephen J. Wukela, Mayor, City of Florence, SC

Supporting State Organizations:

  • Palmetto Cycling Coalition
  • Eat Smart Move More South Carolina
  • AAA Carolinas
  • AARP South Carolina
  • ABLE South Carolina
  • American Heart Association, SC Chapter
  • Coastal Conservation League
  • SC Disability & Health Project
  • East Coast Greenway Association, Regional Coordinator for SC
  • Mission Readiness
  • National Safety Council – Southeastern Chapter
  • Palmetto Clean Fuels Coalition
  • SC Recreation & Parks Association
  • Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network (WREN)
  • SC Alliance of YMCAs

Supporting Local Organizations:

  • Bike Walk Greenville
  • Charleston Moves
  • Hilton Head Island Bicycle Advisory Committee
  • Metanoia, Charleston
  • Midlands Transit Riders Association, Columbia
  • Partners for Active Living, Spartanburg
  • Sustainable Midlands, Columbia
  • Upstate Forever, Greenville & Spartanburg

Supporting Businesses and Hospitals:

  • Bicycle Corporation of America, Manning
  • Grand Strand Health, Myrtle Beach
  • Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
  • McBurney Integrative Neurology, LLC, Greenville
  • Spartanburg Regional Hospital – Spartanburg
  • Bon Secours St. Francis Health System – Greenville
  • Palmetto Health – Midlands
  • Soda City – Columbia

South Carolina Livable Communities Alliance (SCLCA) Steering Committee members: