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Making South Carolina more
bike and walk friendly, since 1995.
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S.248, Hands Free: moving fast! |
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S.248, the Hands Free bill, did not yet get a Senate vote, as anticipated, but the Senate bill has picked up a total of 5 co-sponsors. S.248 was amended to carry 1st and 2nd offenses penalties, respectively, of $150 and $300 plus 2 points on a traffic record. PCC's Kelly Willenberg and Amy Johnson Ely were interviewed by WSPA in Spartanburg, on the Hands Free bill. Story here. The Hands Free bill is rapidly evolving and heavily discussed in both the Senate and House, and PCC is very actively involved in lobbying for adoption of a good bill. Stay tuned. If SC passes this law, we will be the 25th state to do so, and we estimate this law would save the lives of 2 bicyclists and 18 pedestrians, every year.
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H.3100 would revise the penalties for unlawfully passing a stopped school bus, causing great bodily injury or death while breaking that law, and finally it allocates those fines to purchase bus safety equipment like extended school bus stop arms. H.3100 successfully made it through the House and now resides in the Senate.
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S.908, Altering Motor Vehicle |
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S.908 would make it illegal to alter a car so the hood and headlights are angled in such a way to prevent the driver from seeing clearly ahead, in a manner otherwise known as the "Carolina Squat". S.908 made it out of Senate committee with an amendment, but it has not yet obtained a full Senate vote, though it may soon.
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Tax credits for Trail Easements, H.3120 (Rep. Hyde) and S.774 (Sen. Talley): This bill has not moved beyond its committee. It would give property owners a state tax credit if they voluntarily agree to a publicly accessible trail easement.
3 Feet to Pass, S.245 (Sen. Young): This bill successfully passed through committee, but it will not likely get a vote since it carries an objection by Senator Loftis. This bill would define the safe distance, between motorists and bicyclists on the open road, as 3 feet.
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$: New Federal Funding for SC Cities & Towns |
Is your city or town looking for new funding from the new federal Infrastructure bill? These are 4 new (& renewed) funding pots for Local Government use, and this resource was presented at the latest US Conference of Mayors. See our blogpost here.
- RAISE grants
- Rural Surface Transportation Grants
- Safe Streets & Roads for All
- Reconnecting Communities
Remember, the new SCDOT complete streets policy includes funding from MANY existing pots of public funding, as long as those Plans are adopted by your MPO or COG. The new federal Infrastructure law is money in addition to those existing funds for South Carolina.
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Pedestrian Laws now on PCC website! |
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SAVE THE DATE
Mar 19
Mar 27-30
Apr 16
May 15-17, 2022
Got a ride to share?
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We are only as strong as the members that support us. Donate today!
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Read how to get your own Share the Road plate here. By now, you should have received your updated Share the Road plate design, since all specialty plates were updated for greater conformity throughout SC. Thank you for the support!
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SCDOT seeking input on bridge replacements |
SCDOT is replacing a huge number of bridges. If your community is home to one on this list, provide your public input on that now. Link here; deadline February 21.
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Local Spotlight:
East Coast Greenway expanding in SC
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15. Waccamaw Neck Bikeway, North Litchfield Beach, South Carolina (0.6 miles): the new North Litchfield Safety Connector links two existing segments of the Waccamaw Neck Bikeway, creating a 16-mile safe, continuous, paved path connecting the seaside communities of Pawleys Island and Murrells Inlet.
16. Wappetaw Trail, Awendaw, South Carolina (1.6 miles): The first phase of the soon-to-be 12-mile, natural-surface Wappetaw Trail runs through the Town of Awendaw Municipal Park. Once complete, Awendaw’s proposed ECG segment will offer scenic views of pristine marsh, coastal wetlands and forest habitats.
17. Sweetgrass Basket Parkway Sidepath, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (0.6 miles): The newest designated ECG segment in SC is in Mount Pleasant. The existing pathway is slated to be extended by mid-2023 to connect with the Isle of Palms Connector Trail.
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Local Spotlight:
Charleston and Riding for Focus
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C.E. Williams Middle School (North Campus) in Charleston will soon participate in Outride’s Riding for Focus program. Outride is a non-profit organization that provides an evidenced-based school cycling program, Riding For Focus, to improve middle school students’ social, emotional, and cognitive health. The program is designed to provide schools with everything they need to get their middle school students riding, including bikes, helmets, teacher training, curriculum, and maintenance through local bicycle retailers. This is the third middle school in Charleston County School District to participate in the program.
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Thank You
to Our Generous Sponsors
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Top of the Podium Sponsors |
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Interested in volunteering, working or interning for the PCC? Contact us here. |
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