CMCOG - Transporation Planning

Contact Information

Reginald Simmons
Director of Transportation

Gregory Sprouse
Principal Planner

Tell us what you think

Take our online survey (click here)

News and Events

Public Workshop # 3 was held on September 15 and 16, 2010 at Dutch Square Mall.

Download the Final Document

Download the Final Presentation

Download the Executive Summary

Welcome to the Broad River Road Corridor
and Community Study Website

Welcome to the Broad River Road Corridor and Community Study website. The purpose of the website is to keep everyone with an interest in the future development of the Broad River Road Corridor Study Area updated about the progress of this important master planning effort. Your participation will be critical in this process as it will help ensure that the recommendations and projects identified in this study are accurate reflections of the community’s desired vision and goals for the Broad River Road study area.

This website presents information on the master planning process including the geographic boundaries of the study area; learning resources and important documents pertaining to the Broad River Road Corridor and Community Study Area; details on how you can get involved; calendar of events; and links to work products such as reports, maps, photos, graphics, and more.

Click here to view the final document

About the Broad River Road Corridor
and Community Study Website

The Central Midlands Council of Governments (CMCOG) and the Richland County Neighborhood Improvement Program have collaborated together to prepare the Broad River Road Corridor and Community Study. The study is one of the first comprehensive master planning efforts undertaken by the CMCOG and the County to guide the development and redevelopment of the residential neighborhoods, employments centers, and environment systems located within the Broad River Road Corridor and Community Study Area.

The study region for this master planning effort is within the Columbia Area Transportation Study (COATS) boundary, along Broad River Road from Haviland Circle to the Broad River Bridge. Through the leadership of Richland County and Central Midlands Council of Governments (CMCOG), a new vision for the Broad River Road corridor and surrounding communities will be created through this planning effort that will ultimately result in an environment of positive change for the entire Central Midlands region. The intent of this study is to examine capacity enhancements, intersection improvements, congestion management, and transit services. In addition, the study will incorporate transit oriented development principles and practices that will enhance the safety, security, and efficiency of the transportation system.

To assist with this goal, CMCOG and Richland County selected IBI Group and their team of subconsultants with Strategic Planning Group, Hall Planning and Engineering, and McCreary/Snow Architects, to prepare a community-driven study that provides recommendations to stabilize and revitalize the area integrating the realms of transportation, land use and economic development in a seamless manner. The project is scheduled to be completed in August of 2010.

Study Area Description

The Broad River Road Corridor and Community Study Area includes the Broad River Road corridor extending from the Broad River Bridge north over Interstate 20 and extending to Harbison State Forest. The Study Area is further bounded by the Saluda River and Interstate 26/Interstate 126 to the west, Broad River to the east and Harbison State Forest to the north. (See Map below) In total the Study Area is comprised of approximately 7,000 acres and is home to about 22,000 residents, numerous businesses and employment centers. The Broad River Road Corridor and Community Study Area incorporates two of Richland County’s Neighborhood Planning Areas- Dutch Square/ Lower Broad River Neighborhood Planning Area and Piney Grove/ St. Andrews Neighborhood Planning Area.

Project Goals and Objectives

Develop an Integrated Land Use and Transportation System
Encourage Transit Oriented Development within the Corridor
Enhance Connectivity to the Neighborhoods
Provide a Framework for Economic Development
Develop Implementation Strategies based on market realities and financing alternatives
Incorporate an Effective Public Involvement Program throughout the process

Planning Process and Timeline

Task 1: Project Planning
August 2009
Task 2: Community Participation and Outreach
October 2009 thru January 2010 - March thru July 2010
Task 3: Existing Conditions Inventory
August thru November 2009

Task 4: Analysis
October 2009 thru January 2010

Task 5: Broad River Road Corridor Concept Plan
January thru March 2010
Task 6: Implementation Program and Capital Improvements Plan
March thru May 2010

Task 7: Development of Final Broad River Road Corridor
and Community M.P.
May thru August 2010

Progress to Date

Broad River Road Corridor and Community Study kick-off: August 2009
Focus Group Meetings with key stakeholders
Community Workshop 1 held December 7-9, 2010 - Attended by 175+ residents and stakeholders
Internal Discussion Draft of the Existing Conditions Report, Urban Design Analysis, Economic Positioning Strategy, and Transportation Analysis report
Community Surveys Completed
Launch of Broad River Road Corridor and Community Study Website
Community Workshop 2 held May 11-13 - Attended by over 70 residents and stakeholders the first two nights and over 100 on the final night.
Consultant work on development of Final Broad River Road Corridor and Community Master Plan.
Community Workshop 3 was held on September 15 and 16 at Dutch Square Mall.

Community Workshop 1

The first community workshop for the project held on December 7th through December 9th at the Dutch Square Mall was a great success. Over 175 participants attending these sessions spread over a period of three evenings. The IBI Group team facilitated the workshop in a presentation format for the first hour and then opened it up to questions from the audience during the second hour. The primary purpose of this first workshop was to educate the community on the anticipated planning process for the study, and to share preliminary findings related to demographic and economic trends within the assigned study area. The presentation can be downloaded from the link shown below.

Community feedback from all three evenings was collected though a questionnaire that was distributed to the audience during the “Q & A” session. Please take the online survey and share your thoughts and ideas about the Broad River Road Corridor and Community Study by clicking on the links provided in the sidebar.

To download the presentation from Workshop 1 click on the link below:

Community Workshop 1 Presentation December 2009

Community Workshop 2

Community Workshop 2 was held May 11-13 at the Dutch Square Mall, and was planned as an interactive “charrette”. The word “charrette” in urban planning refers to a collaborative session with a diverse group of stakeholders and residents in an intense and multi-day meeting series aimed at discussing the key issues and potential solutions impacting the area.

Night #1 of the Charrette began with a presentation that outlined the project mission and goals and objectives. After the presentation the audience was divided into six (6) break out group to discuss the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) for the study area by specific geographic area. For example, the employment area along Greystone Road was identified as a project strength and the traffic problems at Interstate 20 & Broad River Road was identified as a weakness. All the information gathered by the six groups was recorded graphically on maps and as a written description.

Night #2 began with a presentation of the findings from Night #1. Information from all six groups was combined by the consultant team into a study area-wide strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats plan. From these findings a Conceptual Plan was developed and presented to the audience that represented solutions to the problems identified in the previous evening. The six break out groups re-convened to validate and improve on the ideas and concepts developed by the consultant team. The result was a refined Conceptual Master Plan for the entire study area.

Night #3 began with a presentation of the Conceptual Master Plan. The six groups again reconvened to look at four specific redevelopment sites featured on the Conceptual Plan: Piney Grove/Broad River Road Area, St. Andrews/Broad River Road Area, Broad River Road extending from Interstate 20 to Bush River Road and the Greystone road Corridor. The consultant team received valuable insight form the participants on where to focus attention and what types of improvements they felt would most greatly improve economic development and aesthetic improvement along the Broad River Road corridor and the community as a whole.

To download the presentations from Workshop 2 click on the links below:

Community Workshop 2 Presentation May 11 and May 12

Community Workshop 2 Presentation May 13

Draft Concept Plan

Community Workshop 3

Community Workshop 3 was held September 15 and 16 at the Dutch Square Mall. At this meeting, the consultant team presented the final plan and discussed the study's key recommendations. To download the presentation from this meeting and the Executive Summary of the plan click on the links below:

Public Meeting Presentation September 15 and 16

Broad River Road Corridor and Community Study (Executive Summary)

About the Project Team

Staff from the CMCOG and Richland County will lead this effort, with support from the IBI Group consultant team. For more information, please contact:

Gregory Sprouse, AICP
Principal Planner
Central Midlands Council of Governments
236 Stoneridge Drive
Columbia, SC 29210
(803)376-5390

Tiaa B. Rutherford
Neighborhood Planner
Neighborhood Improvement Program
Richland County Planning & Development Services
2020 Hampton Street, 1st Floor, Columbia, SC 29204-1002
P.O. Box 192, Columbia, SC 29202-0192
(803) 576-2166 phone
(803) 576-1345 fax
rutherfordt@rcgov.us

Central Midlands Council of Governments
www.centralmidlands.org
Since 1969, the Central Midlands Council of Governments (CMCOG) has been assisting local governments develop local and regional plans within the four midlands counties (Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry, Richland) of South Carolina, as well as providing local governments with planning and technical support to improve the quality of life within the region.

Richland County
www.richlandonline.com

The Richland County Neighborhood Improvement Program was established by County Council to coordinate and fund neighborhood master plans and improvement projects in Richland County. The program is a partnership between County government and neighborhood organizations.

IBI Group (Lead Consultant)
www.ibigroup.com

IBI Group is a multi-disciplinary organization offering services in four areas of practice: Urban Land, Facilities, Transportation and Systems. IBI has long recognized the value of integrated knowledge between our four core areas of practice in creating a seamless process and sustainable responsive solutions for our clients.

Strategic Planning Group (Economics)

Strategic Planning group (SPG) is an economic planning consultancy with 25 years experience preparing strategies for the revitalization of urban redevelopment areas. SPG has worked with over 100 communities to develop economic restructuring and positioning plans for urban revitalization projects.

Hall Planning & Engineering (Transportation Systems)

Hall Planning & Engineering (HPE) Is a nationally recognized leader in Transportation Planning, Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND), and Transit Oriented Design. HPE has been involved in over 100 Smart Growth and Transit Oriented Design Charrettes around the Country. HPE is located in Columbia, South Carolina and has an in-depth knowledge of and extensive experience working in the community.

McCreary-Snow Architects (Urban Design Strategies and Community Involvement)

McCreary/Snow Architects, PA is a qualified, small business firm providing complete planning, architectural, multi-discipline coordination and construction administration services. The firm is a qualified Columbia- based local WBE service provider.

How You can get involved?

Project Website - Check for Updates and Give Us Your Feedback
Participate in Community Meetings
Share your thoughts - Questionnaire/ Surveys/ Leave a Comment
Share your Photos of the Area - send us photos that are representative of your impressions of the Study Area

236 Stoneridge Drive : Columbia, SC 29210 [803-376-5390 Phone | 803-376-5394 Fax]

home : contact us : site map : tell a friend : driving directions

^ top of page