Traffic and infrastructure is the number one issue I hear about from constituents, and one intersection comes up again and again: where Secessionville Road, Old Military Road and Grimball Road Extension all meet.

If you've driven through it, you already know the problem: Drivers coming from Secessionville face a Yield sign, drivers from Old Military face a Stop sign, and drivers from Grimball Road Extension have no sign at all. Three different rules at one intersection — it's confusing, and it's been a top complaint I have heard about from District 12 residents after knocking thousands of doors last fall, and in subsequent Office Hours and Town Halls I have held over the last six months.



I'm thrilled to share that City Council approved a fix: the City’s first-ever mini-roundabout!

A mini-roundabout is a small, low-impact way to give every driver the same clear rule, instead of three conflicting ones. It's not a full-size roundabout — it's a compact design built to fit within the road's existing footprint. It's also “traversable,” meaning fire trucks and other emergency vehicles can safely drive right over the center island if they need to.

Roundabouts have been shown to be safer than three-way stops, and they keep traffic moving more efficiently. That's a big part of why this option is a better choice than simply adding two more Stop signs.

As part of the project, speed limits are coming down too: Old Military Road will drop from 35 to 30 mph on the approach to the roundabout, and Grimball Road Extension will drop to 30 mph from Folly Road.



No Property Impacts, No Tree Removal

Any construction project raises questions about what it means for the neighbors nearby. And that's why this project is a win-win-win: All work will happen within the existing right-of-way. That means:

• No property acquisitions
• No anticipated impacts to trees
• No anticipated flooding or stormwater impacts

What's Next

Yesterday, I dropped-off information to surrounding residents, and we will host a community meeting on Wednesday, August 5 at 6:30pm at Thomas Johnson Park.

The City will hire a contractor to build the roundabout's center island. We don't have a construction start date yet — that will depend on the contractor's schedule — but given how minimal the actual work is, construction should not take long once it begins.

If you would like more information on how mini-roundabouts work elsewhere, NACTO has a helpful guide, and SCDOT's Traffic Calming Guidelines cover the design standards we're following (see page 19).



As always, if you have questions, please reach out at skardonl@charleston-sc.gov.

After three rounds of procurement, Charleston County selected a contractor to build NEW sidewalks along Folly Rd from Ellis Creek to George Griffith Ave! County Council will vote to approve the contract at their August meeting. This is a tremendous step forward for Folly Road! I will share additional details as they become available, including public meetings and construction timelines. (Of note, this is a separate project from the DOT Folly Road safety improvements.)

Good news at the Fort Johnson and Folly Rd intersection! Drivers turning left from Fort Johnson onto Folly now have a dedicated, protected left-turn (green arrow) signal. Many constituents have flagged this intersection, and City staff pushed to get it re-examined -- it worked! Of note, the signal is triggered by how many cars are queued to turn left, so you won't necessarily see the green arrow every cycle -- if cars are getting through fine on the blinking yellow, it is working as intended. This may seem like a small change, but it is big difference for everyone making that turn!

We have a lot of exciting ditch and flood maintenance updates!

• Ferguson Village: The City's stormwater team has made incredible progress clearing ditches in Ferguson Village, but more remains to be done. Check out this article here for more details and next steps.
• Interagency Flood Taskforce: This month I joined County and State partners at the Interagency Flood Task Force meeting focused on the ongoing flooding on Fleming Rd. The Taskforce brings together multiple jurisdictions to review and analyze residents’ concerns to create a plan and path forward. Have a flooding issue you are concerned about? Submit it here.
• Old Military Rd: Good news on drainage along Old Military Rd and Grimball Rd Ext.! The City, in coordination with DOT, have been clearing out the ditches in this area, and we are almost done.
• Affirmation Drive Ditch Mowing: Thank you City of Charleston staff for keeping this area looking great!

As part of my regular HOA outreach, Meridian Place residents raised concerns about speeding along George Griffith Rd, especially near the corner between The Island Apartments entrance and Walmart. The City has now installed temporary radar signs at that corner to help slow traffic down. A few other safety highlights from the past month:

• Installed a "No Outlet" sign at the entrance of Pemberton Farms to address concerns about car traffic on a residential street.
• Worked with the County to get the crosswalk back at Seaside Lane.
• Replaced the missing 'Battery Island Drive' and 'Folly Road' street sign.
• Worked with CCSD to repaint the Stiles Point crosswalks off of Mikell Drive.

I had the honor of joining the County Sheriff's office for a ride-along on James Island. This is the third police ride I have done since being elected. In addition to spending time with the Charleston Police Department downtown and on James Island, it’s important to fully understand how the County and City police departments interact given the segmented nature of our island.

We also had the opportunity to bring our boys down to the fire station on Fort Johnson Road to deliver "Fourth of July cookies" and thank these hard working firefighters for their continued service to James Island and the City.

• Three Monkeys Ice Cream: Please join me in welcoming Three Monkeys Ice Cream, a new small business on James Island! Our family stopped by last week to grab a scoop - be sure to check them out too (915 Folly Rd).
• James Island Charter High School Baseball Champions: Congratulations to this group of amazing athletes and coaches who just earned their THIRD State Championship! It was so fun to have them at Council and honor them with a special Proclamation.
• James Island Outreach Grand Opening: Congratulations to James Island Outreach on the grand opening of their expanded Client-Choice Pantry. James Island Outreach does incredible work supporting our neighbors, and this expanded space means they can serve even more of our community.

One of the great honors of serving as your Councilwoman is the ability to meet with stakeholders across James Island, the City and County. To see what I've been up to, check out my Facebook Page or Instagram!

I hope you can join me at the following events:

• Wednesday, July 29 at 7pm: James Island Intergovernmental Council Meeting (James Island Town Hall)
• Wednesday, August 5 at 6:30pm: Mini-Roundabout Public Meeting (Thomas Johnson Park)
• Monday, August 17 at 6pm: Town Hall with James Island City Councilmembers (Baxter Patrick Library)
• Tuesday, August 18 at 5pm: Charleston City Council Meeting (Charleston City Hall)
• Wednesday, September 9 at 3pm: Rethink Folly Road Meeting (James Island Town Hall)