Dear Members,

Charleston County Council is considering a proposal to move forward with acontrolled access parkway throughJohns Island.  As proposed, the cross island parkway would maintain safety for persons living and working onthe island and keep vehicular traffic volumes low on both Bohicket and River roads.  In addition, it would help support the rural character of Johns Island and preserve its grand roadway oaks.  A Washington D.C. based transportation group, TRIP, ranked River Road 5th andBohicket 6th in a list of the state's 100 mostdangerous roads.   Twenty-eight people died in traffic accidents on River and Bohicket  roads between 2002 and 2006.  The major problems arethe volume of vehicular traffic and the proximity to roadside grand oaks.  The slightest mistake leaves no margin for driver error.  By 2030,the Council of Governments estimates that traffic volumes will increase 29% on Bohicket Road and 254% on River Road.  A cross island parkway is needed to remove 20,000 trips per day from Maybank, Bohicket and River roads. (If built now, it would remove volume of 12,000 trips per day.)  More importantly, a new road would provide appropriate lines of sight and road shoulders, which current roads cannot do, even if County were to build parallel roads to widen existing Bohicket and River roads.  Also, building parallel to Bohicket and River would disrupt and displace far more residents, small businesses and churches than a cross island parkway through Johns Island.