The Gills Creek area in Columbia received over 20 inches of rain during the historic October 2015 flood. As residents continue the cleanup and re-building process, many are also battling another item of concern.
Three weeks ago, residents shared their thoughts during a public meeting about a proposed greenway to be built in the area. The greenway would consist of four miles of concrete sidewalk with bridges, boardwalks and supporting facilities. The project would run between Kilbourne and Bluff roads in Richland County.
Since that meeting, more than 200 comments have poured into the Richland Penny Sales Tax Program office. Program Manager David Beaty shares thoughts from some residents and explains the next steps in the process.
The Richland County Transportation Department manages all items of the Transportation Penny Program approved by voters in November 2012. There are three categories to this program.
· Category 1 consists of improvements to highways, roads, streets, intersections, and bridges.
· Category 2 consists of the continued operation of mass transit services provided by Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority.
· Category 3 consists of improvements to pedestrian sidewalks, bike paths, intersections and greenways.
This is where we find the Gills Creek Greenway project. Divided into two sections, (A & B) the Gills Creek project is one of 17 greenways to be funded by the Penny tax.
These projects were ranked by priority. Click here to see Gills Creek section A ranked at priority number 3. According to the estimated project timeline, provided to residents during the February 11th public meeting, the design phase for the greenway would begin in Spring 2016.
For more information about the Richland Penny Sales Tax and the complete list of projects to be completed through the program, visit www.richlandpenny.com
