Little Fish Blog

I joyfully present to you: A Bike Lane on Folly Road !!!

The petitions are already full of signatures and on their way to “the powers that be.” Why Folly Road? For a cyclist, it is the main thoroughfare connecting all of James Island with Folly Beach and downtown. Many of us lost a very good friend there on his bike. No one who ever knew or heard the music of Hawke Morffi will ever forget him. Hawke, a gypsy style multi-instrumentalist, was an absolute character to remember. His humor, voice, stories, solos on the strings, woodwinds, percussion, and keys, have changed us forever. He was killed four years ago riding his bicycle home from work on Folly Road. A group of us promised we would get this much needed bike lane in. We had a petition signed years ago, but we apparently dropped it into the wrong hands. We should have taken it to Jim Armstrong, the Charleston County Director of Transportation Development. I had a beautiful conversation with Armstrong, who told me that all he really needs is one signature and then when the time comes to resurface the road, a bicycle lane will be added. Hwy. 171 is a state road which one would assume would be maintained by the state. However, according to our friend Jim, he and the county are actually responsible for its maintenance. Of course when the road is resurfaced, it will be done in sections over time to avoid major traffic issues and fall within budget limitations.

Ben Sollee; cellist, composer, vocalist, and activist; was quite the inspiration as he and his four piece entourage cruised into town a few weeks ago for a concert on their bicycles! The group has been on tour carrying all instruments, gear, and merchandise on their bicycles in support of fossil fuel reduction and to bring awareness to a nonprofit called “Oxfam” which is an international organization that “creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice.” The tour loops around the entire south east. I went to the show and spoke with Sollee and told him that he had inspired me to ride my bike to the show. After having biked this entire side of the Mason Dixon, his comment to me was, “isn’t that Folly Road a dangerous one!” I told him about our friend Hawke, and he said something along the lines of hoping he doesn’t have to get killed to make a change. Well, he doesn’t. All we need are a couple of signatures. The state of SC is actually very supportive of bike lanes and has an entire sub-department dedicated to it

If you would like to see a bike lane on Folly Road, please send a short email in favor of the bike lane to Jim Armstrong (Charleston County Director of Transportation.) JDArmstrong@charlestoncounty.org. Even though we are told that all we need is one signature, the more pressure we apply the faster things move along. Thanks to everyone!