NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – A week full of back-to-school excitement for students is also causing some concerns for safety.
School is officially in session and students are packing onto buses across the Lowcountry. For the families living along Salamander Road, that is no different.
“We used to have about five or six kids, now it is 10 or 15,” Tom Green says.
Green’s granddaughter was excited to ride the bus for the first time this year. But for Green, the idea hiked his nerves.
“There are no sidewalks. When they are walking down here, you have got traffic flying by, construction vehicles. They are having to walk out in the middle of the road,” Green says. “It makes it dangerous when they are on their cellphones, tablets, and they are not paying attention to the traffic.”
Salamander Road is a two-lane street, well-traveled by many trying to cut through to Rivers Avenue and University Boulevard. Neighbors describe it as a neighborhood highway. It is also narrow with ditches on both sides.
Parents say the kids are often not paying attention to their surroundings or wearing reflective clothing when walking the miles-long stretch to a stop, posing a high risk to unaware drivers.
Green says the community has pushed for change since at least 2021. Sidewalks and signage were among the ideas they had in mind. Others asked for supervision of the area by North Charleston Police.
The City of North Charleston does not have any infrastructure projects in the works to alleviate those concerns. District Three Councilmember Sandino Moses says he is dedicating time to making it a priority.
Moses plans to allocate a portion of a $1.7 million proceed from the city for projects in his district. He named sidewalks, signage and speed humps as considerable options.
Green says he has lived in the area for more than 30 years. He has seen the area grow with young families and wants something done soon.
“When we first moved here, we didn’t see these kind of problems,” Green says. “I’d hate to see someone get hurt, one of the kids get killed, before we take some action.”
The Salamander Road bus route sits within the Charleston County School District and serves students across A.C. Corcoran Elementary, Northwoods Middle and R.B. Stall.
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