Charleston, South Carolina – City officials are examining the possibility of imposing a large bus rule on routes throughout the peninsula.
The Charleston Traffic and Transportation Committee is exploring new regulations governing where large buses can travel south of Broad Street.
The regulation targets big vehicles that are 40 feet or longer, including motor coaches.
Mike Seekings, a District 8 City Council member and leader of the Traffic and Transportation Committee, believes the discussion has been needed for some years.
According to Seekings, recent incidences involving huge trucks moving along the narrower South of Broad neighborhood streets have raised safety concerns due to vehicles colliding with trees.
“If you hit a large branch on an Oak tree and knock it off and there are people on a bike, in a car, walking on a sidewalk, that’s a safety issue,” he says. “It’s a convenience issue and it just doesn’t fit the common sense test.”
Joe Reinhardt, CEO of CLC Worldwide, has spent the past 17 years in the transportation industry. Reinhardt provides bus service to downtown destinations, including the College of Charleston and the South Carolina Stingrays.
According to Reinhardt, the sector already has laws in place for traveling on downtown roads.
“We’re also obliged, even though we’re a local company, we’re needed to acquire a permit for every day we’re down on the peninsula,” Reinhardt adds.”
According to the city’s map of approved motorcoach touring routes, numerous roads south of Broad Street are not authorized for traffic.
Reinhard claims that trees are not an issue for authorized roadways. He recognizes that bus safety issues may originate from non-local sources.
“Now, do buses from out of town sometimes take the incorrect streets? Yes, that does happen,” Reinhardt confirms. “So my gut feeling is that there was a bus that did not know the proper routes but this is already heavily regulated.”
Seekings said the objective is to streamline the existing driver restrictions. He also stated that the goal is to make regulations easier to enforce.
The possible ordinance will be returned to the Traffic and Transportation Committee for more debate before being presented to council leaders.
