Help us stop the Mark Clark Extension and Fix Johns Island's Roads First.

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THE ISSUE

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Charleston County plans to spend more than $420 million to extend I-526 through Johns Island to James Island. This extension will forever alter the character of rural Johns Island, ruin the lowcountry coastal landscape, and waste taxpayer dollars. Moreover, this expenditure on the highway extension produces unclear, uneven and minimal relief to the area’s traffic problems. It is an antiquated project planned before it was understood what highways do to rural areas, the pattern of growth that would take place in the region, and where the traffic problems would occur. We have the resources at our disposal to create a sustainable modern solution to our current traffic problems. Let’s put tax-payer dollars to a good use and solve our traffic problems!

ACT NOW!!
The Town of James Island has the ability to stop the extension of I-526 by adopting a resolution to oppose the highway. There will be a public hearing before James Island Town Council on April 7, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at James Island Town Hall. Please write your Town Council Member or call prior to the public hearing and let them know that this highway will degrade the environment and way of life on James Island with no discernable benefit to its residents.

Mayor Mary Clark (Clerk's office) - (843) 762-7744
Councilman Cubby Wilder - (843) 795-1701
Councilman Leonard Blank - (843) 795-7463
Councilman Joe Qualey - (843) 406-0903
Reverend Parris Williams - (843) 795-7287

THE HISTORY
In December of 2005, Charleston County Council lobbied to make the Mark Clark extension to Johns Island one of South Carolina's top priorities. And in June, 2006, the State Transportation Infrastructure Bank (STIB) awarded a $99 million grant to Charleston County and pledged that any other money coming into the STIB would be allocated to fund the extension at a total of $420 million.

The STIB continues to fund this and other projects, despite a budget deficit of more than $700 million.

At the beginning of 2007, the Berkeley Charleston Dorchester Council of Governments ran traffic models to see the effects of the Mark Clark extension on the West Ashley and Johns Island transportation system. Even with the Mark Clark extension completed, Folly Road and Savannah Highway maintain failing levels of service. In other words, with the Mark Clark extension, these roads will remain some of the state’s most congested roads. On Johns Island, the traffic models show the Mark Clark extension results in a slight improvement on Main Road, while Bohicket Road and River Road on will become more congested. A large sum of money would be spent shifting the traffic problems from some areas to others, but would not fix them. Click here to see the traffic maps.