The Cost of Development: How Construction on Redbank Road Affects Pedestrians in Goose Creek
Redbank Road has been undergoing extensive construction since 2022, and it has caused a plethora of issues for local businesses and pedestrians. Unfortunately, these issues have resulted in tragic accidents where innocent individuals have lost their lives. Two of these incidents include a pedestrian death near Sunrise Mobile Home Park in 2022 and a motorcycle death at the intersection of Red Bank Road and Harbor Lake Drive in 2023. As we examine this history, it’s essential to highlight the problems construction can cause and what can be done to make roads safer.
Local businesses, including Heroes Bar and Bald Monkey Beanery, have expressed concerns over the difficulties patrons face when locating their business parking lots. Additionally, drivers attempting to exit the parking lots and enter Redbank Road face dangerous conditions. Residents in the area don’t feel safe pulling out of their neighborhood and have expressed unease regarding the lack of clear accommodation for foot traffic on the East Side of Red Bank Road.
The barricades blocking business driveways, gas station driveways, and the turn lane on North Rhett have been moved throughout the months with no warning or indication of the continuously changing traffic patterns. This ambiguousness presents a serious physical danger to drivers, pedestrians, and business patrons. Moreover, economic deprivation has been a drawback of construction’s adverse effects on the local commercial ecosystem. Hardees went out of business and closed and Bald Monkey Beanery will have to reduce the hours of employed military spouses due to the loss of customers caused by construction.
The absence of proper measures to guide business patrons and drivers is an issue, but there is also a need to address the concerns of pedestrian safety. The lack of clear foot traffic signals and the physical dangers of uneven sidewalks only enhance the risks for pedestrians. The absence of pedestrian walkways or crosswalks only adds to the already present uncertainty in pedestrian crossings, and construction only makes it worse. In conclusion, a lack of proper infrastructure for pedestrians implies that Goose Creek still has work to do when it comes to ensuring the safety of non-vehicular road users.
The construction of Redbank Road has brought to light the dangers posed to businesses and pedestrians alike. The absence of proper infrastructure for everyone on Goose Creek’s roads during construction presents a significant public safety issue, leading to tragic accidents, including fatalities. With the impact of road construction on the local business ecosystem, it’s essential that the city council works towards making it safe for people to traverse the city’s roads. This entails more than just making the roads safer for vehicular transport; there is a need for proper infrastructure for pedestrians and non-motorized transport. We must understand that development comes at a cost, as evident from the tragic accidents on Redbank Road, and we must be vigilant in ensuring that development does not come at the cost of people’s safety.
