Grimball and Folly Intersection Won't Get Traffic Light, State Says

By Jenny Peterson

The Journal

Thursday, August 30, 2007

The town of James Island has twice requested a stoplight at Grimball and Folly roads, according to town Planning Director Roy DeHaven, but the S.C. Department of Transportation has no immediate plans to install one there.

Mark Nesbit, district traffic engineer for the Transportation Department, said the department studied the intersection, but decided there wasn't enough traffic at peak hours to require a stoplight.

"We've done a study the last year or two and it didn't merit a signal," Nesbit said.

Despite the opening of James Island Elementary School four years ago at 1872 Grimball Road, Nesbit said, there still wasn't enough traffic to justify a light. He said that the nearby Fort Johnson and Folly roads intersection has a stoplight that school traffic can use.

Nesbit said that peak traffic counts are the main factor the department considers when deciding whether to install a light.

Reading from a traffic study, Nesbit said the highest peak hour at the Grimball Road intersection is 7:15-8:15 a.m. During that hour and 8-9 a.m., there is enough traffic for a light, Nesbit said. Traffic counts for the other hours of the day do not warrant a light, he said.

"We don't recommend signalization unless a number of peaks are met," Nesbit said.

There is a large development planned for Grimball Road called Grimball Farms near the school, DeHaven said. The Ginn Co. plans to develop Grimball Farms, a project that would develop about 230 single-family homes on 975 acres. The Grimball Farms tract is in the city of Charleston. DeHaven said builders are waiting for water mains to be in place. If that development is realized, a light certainly would be warranted, he said.

Nesbit agrees.

"If a development went in and it increased traffic, they may have enough volume to (add a light)," Nesbit said. "Anytime someone builds a development, if it's large enough to require turn lanes or traffic signals, (developers) will typically require a traffic impact study and will show a need for the improvements. It's a typical thing."

However, Nesbit adds, "I haven't seen it yet; it hasn't been submitted."

The town isn't alone in wanting a stoplight. Parents at James Island Elementary want to see one as well.

At a PTA meeting Aug. 2, parents briefly spoke about what they say is a dangerous intersection, especially when turning onto Folly Road from Grimball Road.

"You put your life at risk every day," said parent Kristy Ransdell. "I'll go to Fort Johnson Road instead."

"It's a major safety issue," said parent Christina Bean. "How can there not be a school crossing with a signal? Who forgot the light?"

Bean said many parents have pushed to get a stoplight and said that it is dangerous when school buses use that intersection.

"We are very concerned," she said.

Nesbit said the decision to add a stoplight is based predominantly on an engineering analysis and less on residents' requests.

"We are required to go by engineering standards," Nesbit said. "We are required to make our decisions on our judgment and an engineering analysis. We don't keep a tally of people who call in and request a signal."

He added, "Sometimes signals are the answer and sometimes they're not. We have to be careful to make sure (proposed signals) meet our criteria," he said. Additionally, the Department of Transportation normally does traffic studies once a year. The department doesn't plan to review that intersection until next year, he said.

"We typically wait a year before we study the same intersection," he said.

DeHaven said that the town won't give up requesting the signal at that intersection. "I know there was a request from the original town and second town, and if they want a third town request, I'll take it to council and the mayor. It's a severely bad intersection."