There is no safe bicycle or pedestrian access between Isle of Hope and Sandfly; a recent proposal by Chatham County to make this connection on Skidaway Road did not include significant input from local residents and was therefore not welcomed at a formational meeting for Isle of Hope Neighborhood Association. While construction funding is not currently available, consideration of future bikeways connections for transportation planning is happening right now.
If you are interested in taking part in this discussion, please join us for a meeting to investigate the options regarding safe bicycle and pedestrian access in and around the Isle of Hope and Sandfly communities on Saturday, July 19 at 10:00am at Speedwell United Methodist Church at 7259 Skidaway Road. This comes on the heels of our recent Savannah Wheelie at Wormsloe Plantation and Isle of Hope on June 14, so as you all know it’s a beautiful place to ride, though that causeway on Skidaway Road is mighty narrow.
We will discuss funding options including Safe Routes to School, Bikes Belong, Ward Edwards’ Healthy Communities, federal transportation enhancements, and the Recreational Trails Program as well as discuss concerns about bikeways and crime and what the data show in reference to these topics. Routes that are being considered so far include the Skidaway Road corridor and the Central Avenue corridor on which the old Isle of Hope trolleyway ran.
If you want a poster to put up or to email around, feel free to use this file: Sandfly/IoH Community Meeting flyer.
3 Comments
I feel the statement that there was not significant input by the IOH locals is totally incorrct. The meeting was well attended and it was clear there were no votes in favor of the bike path. The IOH community was developed years ago for model-t cars and the roads are narrow and with open ditches on both sides of the road in many locations that leaves NO room for a bike path with out taking many peoples land.The IOH residents voted against the bike path and I don’t understand why the residents are not considered more. Tour buses drive though now like the local residents are on display. This is our home and I think the residents should have the say in what the island needs. There is a reasonable solution to this but once you get the government involved then you have to do it the way they say. What I have read about the bike path guidelines will destroy the entrance and looks of the island. WHY not take your project to another area that wants it?
In this day and age parents don’t want their elementary children riding to school it is too dangerous. Look up how many sex offenders are in the area. Times a hard and crime is on the rise. I think possible you should focus on middle schools and projects under construction now. Whitfield expansion and Hesse Elementary school, Wilmington Island is wanting a bike path. Thank you for you time I also ride and have little problem in getting around.
Thanks for your comments, Homer. The statement in the opening paragraph refers to the plan proposed by the county and the perceived lack of involvement prior to the initial meeting in Isle of Hope. While I was not at that initial meetng to discuss the county proposal for Skidaway Road, my understanding was that discussion was heated, the drainage project and the bikeway were considered together, and many people who were in favor of a bike path, though not necessarily the drainage project, were upset by the tone of the meeting and left as a result.
I certainly do not think that a project that is not wanted by a majority of residents of Isle of Hope and Sandfly should go forward. That said, I don’t believe your assessment of the situation is completely accurate — there were numerous Isle of Hope residents at the meeting July 19 who spoke in favor of further evaluation, which is all that has been suggested so far.
I think what is best for the communities, Isle of Hope and Sandfly, is to work together to discuss if and how a connection might be made. Certainly there are many arguments to do this ($4 gas, obesity epidemic in our children, safer, more connected and congenial commmunities), but as an organization we are only interested in facilitating the discussion.
Sandfly has identified through master planning efforts its preference for the Central Avenue corridor for a bike and pedestrian path; if that is desired by both communities, I think it should be considered.
To clarify: nothing has been proposed, nor will it, that would require public acquisition of private land. Any off road shared use path created would be done only in public right of way. The primary unsafe part of the equation for bicycles and Isle of Hope is getting on and off, and that is the only question we hope to address at this time.
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