Bicyclists Hannah and Bennett Dixon estimate they were in five wrecks due to reckless drivers across Greenville.
In an accident, Bennett’s carbon-framed bicycle, a wedding present he received, was totaled when a driver hit him head-on in downtown Greenville.
Hannah’s wreck last year left her with persistent lower back pain so she was unable to enjoy hiking, kayaking, and swimming, activities she used to love.
The husband and wife are avid cyclists who run an after-school program, PMAC, where they often cycle with their students to a nearby gym and park.
As they cross Pete Hollis Boulevard, they worry about the children’s safety.
The problem there and elsewhere in the city are drivers who constantly run over red lights and stop signs.
They think Greenville could do more to improve security.
Answer from the city: Greenville’s traffic response after pedestrian deaths raises issues of inequality
“In the past few years we’ve just seen such an increase in the number of cars with red lights and stop signs,” said Hannah.
Bennett, a native of Greenville, agrees with what people call the city a “cycling mecca”. But “if you just want to bike to work, or bike around, or take kids with you, I wouldn’t call it a Mecca,” he said.
Since early 2020, there have been 50 vehicle collisions with bicycles in Greenville County, according to preliminary data from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety. According to the SCDPS, ignored signs or signals were a factor in five cases.
Now that city officials are pledging more resources for pedestrian and bicycle safety, the Dixons share their stories and urge the city to make the streets safer for everyone – cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists.
More than a thousand people agree with them.
Greenville couple are pushing the city onto safer streets
On July 7th, the Dixons petitioned the Greenville City Council. They want to raise awareness of what they believe is not being enforced at the city’s red lights and stop signs, and they have asked the city leaders to impose stronger penalties and increase community deterrence.
The idea of addressing such a problem seemed daunting at first.
“But we were like, ‘Okay, we’ve got to start somewhere,'” said Hannah.
The petition had 1,613 signatures on Monday.
Hannah said she saw three, four, or even five cars run over red lights in front of officers at intersections, but she said she did not see officers issuing tickets to drivers.
Police department spokeswoman Leslie Fletcher said it was difficult to answer these allegations without further information.
“In general, there are several possible reasons for not stopping a vehicle that passed a red light or stop sign,” Fletcher said in an email. “The officer could have gone to a higher priority call, was about to stop another vehicle, thought it was safer for the public not to stop the vehicle, or did not see the violation.”
When police responded to Hannah’s wreck in 2020, the officer checked the Dixons and made sure they had exchanged insurance information with the driver who hit them, she said, but the officer didn’t write the driver a ticket to drive a stop sign like her asserts.
Fletcher said an officer answered Hannah’s call and found that both parties had agreed to handle the collision between themselves, so no report was made.
The police are unable to isolate data specifically for red light quotes, said Fletcher. The data show, however, that in the last two years the number of citations due to “non-compliance with traffic signals / non-compliance with traffic control devices” has decreased.
Patrol officers and the strategic planning and analysis department regularly review incident reports to keep track of what violations – and where – are occurring so the department can focus on those areas, Fletcher said.
There were no reports of any collisions between the Dixons as the couple did not call the police to report them.
The Dixons turned to the city council at their July 12th session.
“It’s scary driving down the street making cars honk and yell at just because they’re on their bikes. “Hannah told the city council. “Most of my friends who used to ride racing bikes now only ride mountain bikes, mainly because our roads have become unsafe.”
The Dixons said they felt the councilors were receptive to their message.
Hannah said she had emailed city officials and staff since that night. Some have pointed to a traffic study the city is funding in which a consultant will investigate and improve dangerous areas around Greenville, a measure passed after two pedestrian deaths last month.
Hannah said she was happy to see the city respond. At the same time, however, she wonders if the trial following the death of Greenville-resident Brittany Lawson, which resulted in a hit-and-run accident on Augusta Street Jan.
In addition to the city’s study, the South Carolina Department of Transportation, which ultimately owns Augusta Street, hosted a community meeting with residents and business owners last month. The city’s traffic engineers are looking into new safety measures for the road, including expanding buffers between the sidewalks and the road, modernizing traffic lights, introducing speed tables – a wide speed bump – or even redesigning the carriageway to turn Augusta into a three-lane could be a middle lane road.
Road safety does not have a simple solution
Since the petition began, Hannah said she had heard from many other Greenville residents who had dangerous interactions with drivers in the city.
They also spoke with board members of Bike Walk Greenville, an advocacy group for pedestrians and cyclists, about how they can work together.
While the problem is real, “the solution remains extremely elusive,” said Frank Mansbach of Bike Walk Greenville.
State law doesn’t advocate traffic light tickets based on photo evidence, and a study shows little to no association between police checks and fewer accidents, Mansbach said.
The city’s decision to fund the local traffic study “focuses on sidewalks, traffic calming, and bicycle and pedestrian protection, and promotes the priorities of the Public Safety and Mobility Council,” Brotherton said.
In June, the city council also approved a $ 32 million infrastructure loan to fund streets, sidewalks and public spaces, Brotherton said.
The Dixons, hearing stories from other local residents showed that they are not alone in their desire for safer streets. More enforcement and deterrence wouldn’t just benefit urban cyclists, Hannah said.
“That would benefit everyone,” she said. “These are drivers; this is everyone who is out and about in Greenville.”
Macon Atkinson is the city watchman reporter for The Greenville News. She is powered by long runs and strong coffee. Follow her on Twitter @maconatkinson.
