Augusta, GA

Parallel parking, high visibility crossings: Georgia Avenue traffic study under review

Published

2 years ago

March 2, 2024

Parallel parking, high visibility crossings: Georgia Avenue traffic study under review

It was in November of 2022 that North Augusta started collecting input for how traffic along Georgia Avenue, from the bridge to Martintown Road, could be improved for both safety and business access.

Now, that input, plus the engineering analysis behind the full traffic calming study, has come back with a draft set of recommendations on what the city’s best options might be.

Block-by-block analysis yielded block-by-block recommendations, but the broader picture is one that takes all that angled parking and makes it parallel; adds center medians and makes pedestrian crossings high visibility.

Full implementation of these recommendations would be a $2.5 million effort.

Concerning the junction of Georgia, Carolina and Jackson avenues, recommendations in the ongoing draft of North Augusta’s Georgia Avenue traffic calming study “won’t solve for what we need,” said Mayor Briton Williams.

Elizabeth Hustad/Staff

The city has taken no action yet on any of the recommendations, and certain of them — those for where Georgia Avenue meets with Jackson and Carolina avenues — aren’t going to cut it, officials say.

The proposed solution would cut out some of the existing pavement and curve Carolina Avenue slightly. That lessening of asphalt would result in those coming down Carolina Avenue then turning south onto Georgia Avenue before turning onto Jackson; current practice is a direct turn from Carolina onto Jackson, avoiding Georgia Avenue altogether.

“It won’t solve for what we need,” Mayor Briton Williams said.

Whether creating a roundabout for that tri-junction is an option is unclear. Georgia Avenue is a state road, and normally South Carolina Department of Transportation wouldn’t look favorably on a two-lane roundabout, said Joe Robertson, traffic engineer and project manager with Kimley-Horn.

And bringing Georgia Avenue down to one lane in either direction at that point isn’t recommended for the bottle-necking this would cause, Robertson said.

North Augusta recorded $158M in new construction value last year... but what's ahead?

There could be more options out there, though, and the city is likely to pursue additional study of Georgia-Carolina-Jackson convergence.

That’s not to hold up implementation of other improvements.

A final report from Robertson’s group is forthcoming, and Georgia Avenue is likely to leapfrog other initiatives also being funded by the current round of the penny sales tax: North Augusta City Council has indicated it’s likely to pass the necessary resolution to do so on March 4.

The city is also looking at funding all $2.5 million of recommended improvements with the next round of the sales tax, which comes to voters in November.

If this all goes to plan, the first improvements could get underway next fall or early in 2026, with phase one centering on the stretch between Pine Grove and Spring Grove avenues.

GA Ave traffic_Buck, Zier and Williams.jpg — Joe Robertson, traffic engineer with Kimley-Horn, gave an update Feb. 21 on North Augusta’s Georgia Avenue traffic calming study, here outlining the $1.19 million in recommended improvements for the stretch between Pine Grove and Spring Grove avenues. In foreground are, from left, Councilman David Buck, city attorney Kelly Zier and Mayor Briton Williams.

Elizabeth Hustad/Staff

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These improvements, as now drafted, are estimated at $1.19 million and would convert all angled parking in that block to parallel parking and narrow each of the drive lanes to 11 feet. With the extra space these changes would create, the idea is to install a 12-foot-wide central median — not just a striped median but the kind that’s got dimension to it.

High visibility crossings at both intersections, and for all four crossings at each, are also part of the recommendations.

Business, walkability in downtown

The Georgia Avenue traffic study was commissioned with the goal of creating a downtown corridor that promotes business and walkability.

“What we want is to have things here [on Georgia Avenue] to where it’s not your thoroughfare anymore. It can be, but in the meantime, I’m also stopping here and here and here,” Mayor Williams had said during those public input sessions of 18 months ago.

Councilwoman Jenafer McCauley had said then that figuring out Georgia Avenue was “one piece to the whole vision of downtown.”

Kimley-Horn’s Robertson said it’s estimated that Georgia Avenue, 10 years hence, could see its vehicle traffic increase by up to 70%, at least at its lower end, between Center Street and Buena Vista Avenue.

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This section of Georgia Avenue sees about 25,000 vehicles a day, according to traffic counts taken in August of 2022. By 2032, that could be closer to 43,000 vehicles at Center Street and 34,500 at Buena Vista.

Which would make “stopping here and here and here,” per Williams’ comment, trickier for pedestrians unless improvements are made to accommodate the additional vehicles — and new development going up nearby, namely Beacon Bluff at Georgia Avenue and Center Street, but also possible new construction in Riverside Village.

Few changes to this lower section of Georgia Avenue, though, are recommended in the draft reviewed by Council last month, and officials indicated they’d like to build in the pedestrian crossings, particularly at East Clifton, that could catch the spill from new development and from the future downtown Greeneway connector.

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Augusta, GA

Another portion of Augusta Canal towpath is reopening to public

Published

6 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Another portion of Augusta Canal towpath is reopening to public

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Another section of the Augusta Canal towpath is reopening after being closed since Hurricane Helene.

The storm on Sept. 27, 2024, left the path strewn with debris as broken branches hung precarously overhead.

On Friday, the path will reopen between the raw water pump station and the Interstate 20 bridge.

In preparation, crews have made safety improvements along the previously closed section of the trail.

Visitors are asked to observe all posted signs and stay behind safety barriers.

Embankment repairs have been delayed, but will take place in the future.

Once repair work begins, portions of the towpath will be temporarily closed at various times. Advance notice will be shared with the public before any closures.

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Augusta, GA

Augusta budget approved, but battle could rage on

Published

18 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Augusta budget approved, but battle could rage on

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Greg Costello is getting his steps in at Diamond Lakes, and he thinks Augusta took the right step on the budget.

“I like that, that’s good. That was probably something that was needed right,” said Greg Costello.

Commissioners approved the 2026 budget without a tax increase. Instead, there’s a 5 percent cut to city departments and the elimination of funding for some non-government organizations.

“For this budget and we went through line item by line item through the budget we had to make some difficult decisions to make cuts,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Wayne Guilfoyle.

At Diamond Lakes, those cuts will likely be felt.

MACH Academy Inc., the nationally recognized tennis mentoring program, is losing $200,000 in funding, and a 5 percent cut to Recreation that maintains it, creates worries.

“Yes, I am, because I think parks are very well needed,” said Costello.

Commissioners can make changes to the budget at any time, and some would like that instead of the cuts.

“We have a responsibility to support programs that help our kids stay out of trouble to help our community stay healthy and strong, to help add quality of life and museums and things of that nature,” said Commissioner Jordan Johnson.

“The only other option we have is to raise taxes to fund the NGOs. As a steward of the taxpayers, I can not do that,” said Guilfoyle.

It was a battle getting next year’s budget approved. Expect another one if there’s a move to amend it.

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Augusta, GA

Augusta nonprofits unite to raise $200K for medical supply center

Published

1 day ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

Augusta nonprofits unite to raise 0K for medical supply center

AUGUSTA, Ga (WJBF)- Two local nonprofit groups are teaming up to expand their mission to provide medical equipment to those in need.

Cutter’s Resource Closet and Sons of Consolation Ministries collect, refurbish and distribute used medical equipment to people who can’t afford it.

“We see roughly around anywhere around about 100 people. And we only operate for 4 hours one day a week,” explained Cutter Mitchell of Cutter’s Resource Closet. “Through that time, we’ve given out about $1,000,000 worth of equipment and supplies. And these are just growing. I mean, we’re at capacity. We literally can’t do more without more.”

The two organizations have been working together for some time. Now they are partnering to raise a total of $200,000 to buy, renovate and operate a full-time community medical resource center in Augusta.

“Really what we’re trying to do is have a central location to be able to distribute the medical supplies and equipment. But more than that, connect people with resources,” said Mitchell.

They told NewsChannel 6 the new center will help them do even more for the community.

“Here, we also are looking at adding a couple of things that we’re not presently doing, like some exam rooms to do, just basic health screening and maybe some minor wound care,” said Don Cummings, Sons of Consolation Ministries. “Because a lot of people, they’re just not being taken care of because they won’t or don’t go to the doctor or can’t afford it or whatever. So we’re really looking for this to be a supplement to what we started.”

So far, they’ve raised about $60,000. Now they’re asking for the community’s help and generosity to get the center up and running.

“I’ve often thought the right thing to do, right, is not what you could do, not what you want to do, but it’s what you should do. And it often isn’t easy, often comes at a cost to you personally. But that’s why it’s called the right thing to do,” said Mitchell.

“You know, every little bit helps. You know, a lot of times people, they feel like they don’t have enough to make a difference or they just don’t know where to send it. And I believe that this is a good cause,” Cummings added.

If you are in need of medical equipment or have equipment you would like to donate, just go to the websites for either Sons of Consolation Ministries or Cutter’s Resource Closet to find out how they can help.

If you are interested in contributing financially to the capital campaign, the organizations have a GoFundMe set up.

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