MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The Memorial Day Bikefest Taskforce met Wednesday and NAACP representatives proposed changes they’d like to see made to the 23-mile traffic loop. The loop originated for the 2015 bikefest week, and has stirred up some controversy given the unique timing of the traffic pattern change.
Associate General Counsel for the NAACP Anson Asaka said the groups’ idea would move the loop through Farrow Parkway and along Market Common as part of traffic flush out route on a shorter 5-mile loop from 29th Avenue North to 29th Avenue South along Ocean Boulevard.
Asaka said the flush-out route would begin at the southbound intersection of Ocean Boulevard and King’s Highway; then traffic would be flushed up Farrow Parkway to Highway 17 Bypass from 10pm until 2am Friday, Saturday and Sunday on Memorial Day weekend.
“The traffic would flow and people would not be stuck in traffic for hours and it would be a fairer system, a fairer traffic proposal, less restrictive than what’s in place,” claims Asaka.
Myrtle Beach City Manager John Pedersen said making the modifications recommended by the NAACP would essentially cut off some 5,000 residents from emergency responders, police, or simply keep them from leaving their homes.
“That will effectively pin in place the 2,500 rooftops, 5,000 people that live in the Market Common area and have Farrow Parkway as they’re only way to exit,” explains Pedersen.
The current loop is designed specifically to avoid residential areas, but city leaders say they’re willing to listen to ideas that could improve the plan.
“The loop that we put into place a couple years ago was designed so it wouldn’t go into residential neighborhoods,” says Pedersen. City leaders say safety is the top concern, and essentially land locking residents into their homes is a safety risk.
The proposal from the NAACP also includes flushing out traffic from Ocean Boulevard with two-way lanes during the day which would have exits at 29th Avenue N, 21st. Avenue N, Mr. Joe White Avenue, 9th. Avenue N., 8th. Avenue N., 7th. Avenue N and 3rd. Avenue S. They would then shut down the northbound lane from 6:00pm until 6:00am Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Pedersen said that option also poses problems for the city because it isn’t possible to set up the necessary equipment along six miles of the route as it would involve moving hundreds of cones and barricades each day.
“You have cones. You have barricades. You have signage. All that’s involved in that. It’s just not feasible to do every single day. It takes hours to do it to begin with,” says Pedersen.
Asaka argues the NAACP’s ideas will not only keep drivers from sitting in the loop for hours at a time, but the proposals are also a fair way to control the traffic. Asaka notes that the loop is only used once a year, and happens to fall on a holiday with a predominantly African American crowd.
“We find that that is very problematic. It’s not imposed on spring break, the Fourth of July, Country Music Festival,” highlights Asaka.
Pedersen argues the loop isn’t about who visits Myrtle Beach, it’s about saving lives.
“This is not about race. This is about safety. In fairness, we had an event that anyone can tell you, was an unsafe event on its face. Both in a traffic perspective and violence perspective, we had to take action to keep everyone safe,” said Pedersen.
Law enforcement groups involved with the task force will discuss the proposals as they finalize the plans before May.
There will also be Bikefest Taskforce meetings before event plans are complete and NAACP representatives say they will attend those meetings.
