We appreciate the City of Charleston's leadership to protect the community from the spread of COVID-19.

One of the interesting lessons coming out of the need to stay home, is the need for more linear outdoor space. As parks and other areas that encourage congregation are closed, citizens still need to recreate, and there simply isn't enough designated space on our streets and corridors for people to safely move and practice social distancing.

Our streets and corridors have too much space for the motoring public at this time, while other modes are on the uptick. Vehicular traffic has decreased by over 75% on our major thoroughfares, according to Governor McMaster and the City of Charleston Police Department. And, more citizens are commuting and running errands by bike or foot. Data from Holy Spokes bike share program shows March ridership is more than twice that of February. The bottom line is that we need safe space to utilize our streets.

A novel solution is one that several other cities have implemented: make specific streets pedestrian-oriented, closing some segments or lanes to vehicular traffic in an effort to provide more space for people on bikes and foot.

Recognizing the City of Charleston is doing the best it can to lead on the issue of safety, and also that there is a limit on available resources to spend on pedestrian-oriented streets, we sign this petition to show our support for elected officials working to implement changes for the benefit of mobility, whether commuting or recreating, while distancing.

Key street retrofits, coupled with the City's initiative to automate pedestrian push buttons, will provide targeted benefits for all citizens to maintain safety and healthy practices during this unprecedented time. We continue to be grateful for the City of Charleston's leadership.