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Happy Friday! ICYMI: City of Cola is hosting a public meeting on the Williams Street Extension, a key link to the riverfront on 6/16, 4-6pm @ Stormwater Studios. We need you there to push for wide sidewalks, traffic calming, safe crossings at Huger and Blossom, and a protected bike lane for all ages and abilities. This is one of the few times in literally hundreds of years we get to add to Cola's street grid. Help us make sure this new street works for everyone. :)

Today at 1:30 PM, the City of Cola will announce the Williams St. extension—a major boost for connectivity! This project will create a safer route for walkers and bikers to get to the river using Greene St and this new road. It's also a big step toward future Riverwalk development. We'll share updates once we get our eyes on the plan for safe bike/walk infrastructure.

Help Make Assembly Street Safer!

Wider sidewalks, high-visibility crosswalks, curb extensions, and more improvements are coming to Assembly St, from Elmwood to the Fairgrounds! SCDOT is hosting a public input meeting based on recent Road Safety Audits. This is a big deal— crossing Assembly is dangerous, and now’s our chance to change that.

Take Action:

Leave a comment online or attend the meeting on Aug 22nd, 5-7pm to support this work, but include our additional safety improvements (located in the comments 😀) below to help make Assembly safer for everyone!
https://assembly-street-road-safety-assessment-scdot.hub.arcgis.com/pages/planned-meeting

3 Ways National Bike To Work Day Can Miss the Mark An initiative that encourages people to use a bike instead of a car seems like a good thing, but does National Bike to Work Day actually encourage bikeability?

https://www.postandcourier.com/columbia/news/columbia-richland-biking-pedestrian-transportation-walkability-bikeability/article_2150dabe-06f8-11ef-a673-db2456303c14.html

Pedestrian crashes are on the rise in Richland County. These roads are the most dangerous. 72 people have been killed and 603 injured in bike and pedestrian crashes in Richland County since 2020. Here's where the most injuries and deaths occurred.

Please take a few minutes to fill out this survey.

The City of Columbia is excited to launch the Downtown Columbia Strategic Plan and Design Guidelines. We need your ideas and comments as we craft a community vision for downtown.

Take the survey + learn more about the planning process: https://bit.ly/3TzEp2k.

Like so many intersections and roads. This a klong overdue. Will this accelerate change. We hope so.
Now, state lawmakers and city leaders want to tap the state budget and Department of Transportation grant dollars to get the work off the ground.

Read more at:

A ‘dangerous’ Assembly Street divides downtown Columbia. How much will it take to fix it? For years, residents have asked for relief from the daunting task of crossing the six lanes of Assembly Street that separate the Vista and Main Street.

Just FYI, Candi Lane and Saluda Greenway is closing for few days to allow for the railroad to make some repairs.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C2pe94RMgtt/?igsh=MWJ1OHFiMWx0MWttdg==

The City of Columbia Parks and Recreation Department announces the closure of the Saluda Riverwalk on Monday, January 29 through Wednesday, January 31, at the request of CSX Railroad. The Saluda Riverwalk Park, and all of Candi Lane, will be inaccessible during this time. CSX Railroad has announced plans for maintenance of the rails and crossing adjacent to the park. During this closure, the Columbia Parks & Recreation Department encourages visitors to enjoy Riverfront Park South at 312 Laurel Street, or Riverfront Park North at 4122 River Drive. The Saluda Riverwalk will reopen to the public on Thursday, February 1. #WeAreColumbia