No Delay on Traffic Signal at Mikell

James Island Town Council unanimously rejected a resolution to delay turning on the traffic signal on the corner of Mikell Drive and Harbor View Road.  The resolution, which had been put on the agenda by Councilman Mullinax, requested a delay until after the project was complete and a traffic study was done at that intersection by SCDOT.   The study would be based upon traffic patterns that would exist after all of the rest of the project was complete.   Any delay would have required similar resolutions to be passed by the City of Charleston and Charleston County and then approval by SCDOT.   I have been told that SCDOT would have allowed it if all three local governments requested it.    I do not believe the City of Charleston would have passed a similar resolution.   Because the traffic signal is in Councilman Qualey's district, I think that Charleston County Council would have agreed to the delay at his request.

At the meeting, Councilman Blank reported that a traffic study had already been done by Charleston County before this signal was included in the plan.    In my view, concerns about this traffic signal should have been brought to our Council meeting in July of 2013, when the Town approved the project.    Councilman Milliken strongly supported the signal.   Councilman Mullinax appeared open to supporting the delay if the traffic study would be completed promptly.   In the end, however, all members of Council voted against the resolution.