Richland County Councilman Jim Manning will hold a virtual meeting Thursday, Aug. 27 on the Kneece Road sidewalk project in the Woodfield community near Decker Boulevard.
The sidewalk project, running about a half-mile from O’Neil Court to Brookfield Road, aims to provide a safe route for pedestrians, particularly students walking to Richland Northeast High School who access Brookfield Road by way of Kneece Road.
“I’m excited about the progress of this project,” said Manning, who represents District 8. “Adding sidewalks to this community will improve safety and increase walkability.”
The sidewalk also illustrates the role residents can play in improving their communities.
“This project is a direct result of a resident’s input and concern for the community,” Manning said. “County Councilmembers are always looking for ways to improve their districts in meaningful ways. Residents oftentimes have the best ideas on what their communities need and want. We encourage their input and engagement.”
In 2018, Manning forwarded a request from a resident to the County Public Works Department to install the sidewalk along Kneece Road to provide students a safe walking route. Public Works presented the project to the state-funded County Transportation Committee (CTC), noting a sidewalk would complement work planned in the area under the County’s own transportation program.
The CTC, established in the early 1990s by Richland County state legislators to administer the County’s allocation from the state program funded by the gasoline tax, approved the project. Construction gets underway in January 2021 and is expected to be completed by June.
The sidewalk will augment the Transportation Penny Program’s Decker/Woodfield neighborhood improvement plans, which include sidewalk and pedestrian projects on nearby streets.
Manning will be joined at the virtual meeting by Public Works staff and project engineers, who will give an overview of plans for the area and answer questions from residents. The meeting will be streamed live from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 27 and can be viewed via the following platforms:
Residents can submit questions live during the meeting via:
- Email: rctownhall@richlandcountysc.gov
- Facebook and Twitter: RichlandSC
- Phone: 803-766-5678 (This number will be active only during the meeting timeframe.)