MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – For two months, News13 has kept you updated on how Myrtle Beach city leaders look to solve parking problems in the area known as “The Golden Mile.”
The city says its latest plan hopes to make the area safer with paid parking on one side of the street, bicycle paths on both sides, and crosswalks at every intersection.
Tuesday, the city’s engineer Ryan Harvey went before the Myrtle Beach Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee to get ideas on how to further improve safety of the plan.
“Beachgoers, you know, they come to Myrtle Beach as a tourist destination to be able to get out and enjoy the beach, and if we can make it a safer place, you know, it’s always better for everybody,” said Harvey.
Vice-chair Tom Russo with the committee says the plan goes along with the group’s mission to make Myrtle Beach more bicycle and pedestrian friendly.
Several group members asked how how the plan would encourage pedestrians to cross at the designated cross walks.
Russo and the other committee members suggested to add pedestrian signs at every crosswalk, add parking spots for bikes along the trail, and to put arrows in the bike lanes to show bikers which way to go.
Altogether, the project, as it stands now, is an estimated $53,000. Harvey says he hopes to have answers from council by the end of the month, and if it’s approved, implement the plan by May 15th.
Dave Aguilar is a biker in the area, and he says changes need to be made along the “Golden Mile” for safety reasons.
“Having a dedicated bike lane keeps you straight and that makes you predictable and that makes you safer and reduces accidents,” said Aguilar.
Myrtle Beach Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee leaders say in past meetings with the South Carolina Department of Transportation, “The Golden Mile” has come up as an area that needed changes for safety reasons.
None of these plans are final. City council will address all concerns this month before it moves forward with any of the plans.
