Communities across the nation are redesigning existing roadways to accommodate more users and improve the transportation system as a whole. Efforts in Spartanburg County include the expansion of Highway 9 in Boiling Springs to include sidewalks, bike lanes and landscaping, all of which make the roadways safer for all users.
Partners for Active Living played an integral role in advocating for the inclusion of safe places to walk and cycle in the Highway 9 expansion. Other advocacy efforts include the proposed changes to a three-block section of East Main Street, currently a four-lane road in downtown Spartanburg. The proposal involves reducing the number of travel lanes from four to three, including a center left-turn-only lane. The reduction would allow for the expansion of the sidewalks, and the addition of 5-foot bike lanes on both sides of the road to allow for safe travel on foot and by bicycle.
Such reductions, known as “road diets,” have generally resulted in no loss of service for automobiles, and have in fact often decreased travel times. These changes also result in improved air quality by reducing the number of cars on the road by allowing for more forms of transportation. Improved conditions for walking and biking encourage more active and healthier modes of transportation, and accommodate those users who may be dependent on foot or bicycle travel.
Partners for Active Living will continue to advocate for and promote changes in our physical environment that will improve the health of the community, and the environment.
This rendering of the Highway 9 expansion shows teh bike lanes, sidewalks, and landscaping that will make the road more attractive and more efficient.
