Jun

20

2020

From The Blog

A Safer Stroll Takes Shape in West Beach

West Beach is a little more walkable with infrastructure improvements, planned for the area since March of 2019, now finished in time for the summer season.

Last year, West Beach property owners expressed concern about pedestrian safety due to an increase in vehicular traffic from recent and future development. Funded jointly by KICA and Kiawah Partners, the recently-completed work expands and, improves leisure trails in the area, as well, as adding speed tables (flat-topped speed bumps) on the roadway to slow vehicular traffic. Areas where paths cross the road benefited from additional striping to draw the attention of motorists.

Duneside Road’s curves were originally designed to slow traffic in the area but they also limited visibility. Roadside paths were added in places where members often walked in the roadway. Landscape changes opened up lines of sights along the road’s curves.

The Duneside area has long been part of a favorite walk to the beach for West Beach members. A popular leisure trail that comes across Beachwalker Drive from Belmeade Hall Road was rerouted to sweep around behind the pool on Duneside Road. The new location of the path makes the walk to the beach shorter and more scenic. The path runs down near two beach access points, boardwalk 1 and KICA’s newest boardwalk next to Timbers. Boardwalk 0 was conveyed to KICA at the May 4 board of directors meeting. Bike parking has been added at boardwalk 1 for member’s use. Due to safety concerns, vehicular parking at boardwalk 1 has been eliminated.