Council Approves Angled Parking Along Palm Boulevard
Over the past few months, the City of Isle of Palms, Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall, and the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) have worked together to quickly and collaboratively address concerns over parking, beach access, and the safety of pedestrians and motorists. We continue to work together to identify potential solutions for both residents and visitors and our highest priority remains the safety of those using our roads daily.
Since the implementation of parallel parking on this section of Palm Boulevard in the fall of 2018, the City has seen an increase in the number of vehicle collisions. To address the safety and operational issues identified in this area, SCDOT engineers have opined that parking along the non-ocean side of Palm Boulevard between 22nd and 40th Avenue should be modified to 60-degree angled parking and pushed away from the edge of the pavement of Palm Boulevard.
On Tuesday, March 23, 2021, City Council approved the implementation of angled parking along the non-ocean side of Palm Boulevard between 22nd and 40th Avenue.
The 60-degree angle would allow vehicles traveling on the east-bound lane to pull into the parking space without needing to make a 3-point turn or drive through the residential neighborhoods to turn around and park.
By moving parked vehicles away from the active and busy travel lane to the interior of the shoulder closer to the sidewalk, motorists will have ample room along the shoulder to back out of the parking space without backing out directly on the narrow lanes on Palm Boulevard. This would also restore a shoulder area for vehicles traveling westbound to pull into while yielding to the right to allow passage of emergency vehicles traveling on Palm Boulevard.
To ensure that safe, orderly and consistent parking on the landside occurs at an angle, SCDOT proposes the installation of parking stops to delineate each parking space. Parking stops would prevent vehicles from driving straight into the sidewalk to exit the parking space and as a result, protects pedestrians using the sidewalk.
The modification will increase the number of public parking spaces from approximately 190 to 267.
The City’s Managed Beach Parking Plan, which was approved by SCDOT in 2015, will be modified to reflect the change from parallel parking to angled parking on the non-ocean side of Palm Boulevard between 22nd and 40th Avenue. The balance of the parking plan will remain in place, including the boundaries of the residential and beach parking districts.
The City and SCDOT are working together on an implementation plan to be completed prior to Memorial Day.
The City is optimistic that the new modifications will meet both the needs of our growing visitors and the safety concerns of our residents.