Jay Rogers lives in Shandon and has kids who attend Rosewood Elementary. He also chairs the Rosewood Elementary School Improvement Council. He got in touch recently to let us know about a possible change to the intersection of Rosewood Drive and S. Walker, a place where numerous kids and families cross Rosewood Drive going to and from school. The proposed change would make Rosewood Drive right-turn only at that intersection. A concrete median would be constructed in the middle of Rosewood Drive at that intersection, with a single wide crosswalk cut through the middle. Two “Yield to Pedestrians” signs like the ones around USC would also be installed. South Carolina DOT has approved the plan, and they’re now looking to get feedback from neighbors about the change. A schematic of the plan is attached below. Comments left at this post will be passed along to the School Improvement Council.
Proposed change to Rosewood Drive at S. Walker near Rosewood Elementary
WELCOME TO ROSEWOOD 
I have some concerns with the redirection of traffic.
Eliminating left turns from Rosewood onto S. Walker will send that traffic to turn left onto S. Ravenel. As you can see, the S. Ravenel intersections are offset and the left turn lanes interlock creating a potential for head-on crashes of left turning vehicles. Sending more traffic to this intersection will increase that potential. Both the S. Walker and S. Ravenel intersections should be addressed with this plan. Instead of eliminating all left turns to and from S. Walker, consider this:
At the S. Walker intersection, restrict eastbound left turns into Shandon with a wide concrete median on the west side of the intersection as shown in the original plans. The pedestrian crosswalk should be on that side with the wide median refuge. Provide a westbound left turn lane into Rosewood, with a two foot concrete median along the turn lane. Extend the concrete median all the way to the S. Ravenel intersection in Shandon, providing an eastbound left turn lane into Shandon. The concrete median between these two intersections will restrict the S. Ravenel intersection from Rosewood to right-in/right-out and eliminate the left turning conflict. There is potential for landscaping between the S. Walker and S. Ravenel intersections.
A signal at the S. Walker intersection is another option that will provide a controlled crossing between the other two signals at S. Holly and S. Ott.
As a parent who walked to and from Rosewood Elem for 6 years, I am well aware of traffic concerns. As a 20+ years resident, I can say that restricting turns at S. Walker will have zero impact on pedestrians crossing Rosewood. The traffic that needs calming is what is on Rosewood Dr. itself. It has baffled me for years that we have a crossing guard at S. Ott and Rosewood, in addition to the traffic light, along with walk/don’t walk signs. Adults crossing with their kids can certainly navigate this intersection with traffic light help. Move the crossing guard to S. Walker. Move the school crossing sign back where it was and give it the ability to be temporarily turned to red lights when the guard needs to stop traffic for pedestrians.
I believe that a traffic light, that perhaps only operates during the 9 month school year, is a much more reasonable solution to the safety problem. Why cause such inconvenience to Rosewood and Shandon residence who constantly – 365 days a year – use those right and left turns when it is not necessary. Installing a light would solve the problem for the limited times that the children need to cross the streets and may it may even be more cost effective (?)
I believe the idea of a crossing guard at South Walker/Rosewood is an excellent one. I would be interested in the cost analysis between a guard and median construction. Another option is to install a “no left turn from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m.” sign at South Walker. My concern about permanently eliminating left turns into and out of South Walker is that it will create an unpredictable redistribution of traffic into the numerous streets around Rosewood Elementary. Since there are few sidewalks in the area, the increased traffic on the smaller streets certainly will pose a threat to the numerous pedestrians on the way to school, dog walking, etc.. I would support a traffic light at the intersection if that is a feasible method to provide a safe crossing at that intersection.
I don’t understand why there is a proposal to eliminate the left turns from Rosewood onto S. Walker. Doing that will push those drivers to either S. Ott, which runs beside the school and where I see the most pedestrian traffic, or to S. Holly, which is already overly busy with traffic coming in and out of the Rosewood Shopping Center, and is also a street where I believe traffic humps have been proposed due to speeding and high volumes of travel. S. Ravenel is already one-way during the hours for school start and pickup, so doesn’t seem to be an issue. I would tend to agree with Elizabeth Akre that moving the crossing guard for the few necessary hours a day would be a more effective solution than rerouting hundreds of cars on a 24/7 basis.
With the proposed median and no left turn onto South Walker, I am concerned as a home owner. This median will only add to the traffic on South Ott and South Holly, which are already highly traveled without many stop signs and usually at a high rate of speed. Turning left onto South Ravenel is only an option during certain times of the day when school is in session. This proposal will limit convenient access to our homes and will make South Walker one of the only, if not the only, inaccessible street in Rosewood. If this is all due to school traffic, it seems a bit ridiculous, seeing as Rosewood is a walking access elementary school in RSD1.
As a resident of this area, I am concerned that this proposal will not ease the problem and will, in fact, add more traffic issues on narrow roads like Hope and Prentice that are without sidewalks. I believe a traffic light or crossing guard would better address the issue.
We have two small children who walk to school every day. We have lived on Hope Avenue between S Walker and Holly for 10 years. We use that turn daily, and I fail to see how blocked left turns 24 hours a day , seven days a week is a proportional remedy. I also find it a touch ironic that such an expensive and drastic measure is being proposed when concerned Rosewood parents have not once but twice tried to reduce the speed limit on Hope from 30mph to 25mph. It is narrow, curvy, and utilized by many Rosewood Rosewood parents and student walkers. As it stands, during the very times when students are walking to and from school, our little street has a posted speed limit that is 5mph higher than Rosewood and higher at all times than Harden.
I have been a Rosewood resident for years and I believe this proposal will not solve the issue but instead create new ones, such as increased traffic down the other roads around Rosewood Elementary. I live and walk down these other roads and there are few sidewalks where these same people walking would still be affected. I believe that a traffic light, crossing guard, or no left turn between 7-9 am are all better solutions that would help alleviate the issue instead of just widening the issue to more areas.
Please don’t allow this. As a citizen of Rosewood who lives on Hope Avenue, I think this is a terrible idea!! Why dont some of you come and sit on our street during the school drop off hours and see how bad it really is I have small children and am scared everyday about the people flying down this street. I am pleading with DOT and the supporters of the median, DO NOT ALLOW THIS!!! Children are at risk and that is what you should be worried about. We’re begging for a speed bump on Hope Ave already but can’t seem to get one. Now this?! No no no no no.
From,
A very unhappy Rosewood Neighbor!
I agree. As a resident on Prentice who loves having a neighborhood where parents and children walk to school, I would think sidewalks, speed bumps and lower speed limits would be a much better option. We need sidewalks so much more than this. Please help us find a way for these solutions instead.
This seems like a very expensive and very disruptive to the hundreds of residents that would be affected by this change. I see no reason why families walking their children to school HAVE to cross Rosewood Dr. at S. Walker. There is a sidewalk on the north side of Rosewood Dr. that can be used. It’s only a few extra steps to walk to the S. Ravenel St. crosswalk. I feel that a pedestrian traffic light at Ravenel, along with a crossing guard would be more sensible.
My concern is for the increased traffic funneling onto side streets where safety is already questionable without sidewalks and speeding traffic. I wonder if a better solution will be a cross walk with guard?
If you are going to continue to have a crossing guard at Walker, please train them. A crossing guard is not there to stop traffic the moment a pedestrian approaches Rosewood. Allow traffic to flow for 1-2 minutes between stopping it.
Can we please see about getting two speed bump here on live oak we have there cars speeding throw here like their crazy on the weekends especially leaving this Corner market back too the Park off of South Ott