Traffic and Transportation Committee

TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION September 10, 2019 A meeting of the Committee on Traffic and Transportation was held this date beginning at 3:06 p.m., at City Hall, 80 Broad Street, First Floor Conference Room Notice of this meeting was sent to all local news media. PRESENT Councilmember Seekings, Chair; Councilmember Wagner, Councilwoman Jackson, Councilmember Moody and Mayor Tecklenburg Also Present: Robbie Somerville, Janie Borden (arrived at 3:14 p.m.), Rick Jerue, Tracy McKee, and Bethany Whitaker, Council Secretary The meeting was opened with a moment of silence provided by Councilmember Wagner. APPROVAL OF MINUTES On the motion of Councilmember Moody, seconded by Mayor Tecklenburg, the Committee voted unanimously to approve the minutes of the August 20, 2019 meeting. Application for Original Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for Approval:  Zannis Executive Transport, LLC DBA Tri-County Transport Limo Service (Limo) Mr. Somerville said that everything looked in order and they supported approval. Chairman Seekings asked if they had seen a decline in these applications because of Uber and Mr. Somerville said they had. On the motion of Councilmember Moody, seconded by Councilwoman Jackson, the Committee voted unanimously to approve the above item. To amend the Code of the City of Charleston, South Carolina, Chapter 19, Section 92 to extend the period of time permitted, for the Police Department and the Traffic and Transportation Department to study scooters as a transportation option in the City, by sixty days. Mr. Somerville stated that Mr. Benjamin wanted additional time on this item to discuss it with the Chief of Police. Chairman Seekings said they had first discussed this a while ago and asked what had happened. Mayor Tecklenburg said that his personal belief was that the scooters as a transportation option for rent was not a safe one for the City. He would just as soon take it off the table. He thought that was where they were headed and they wanted a little more time to look at it. He said he wouldn’t deny it because that would open up the opportunity for companies to bring in scooters, because they didn’t have an ordinance yet to forbid it. Chairman Seekings said the extension would allow it to continue to be banned until they could get a permanent ban in place. Mayor Tecklenburg said that was correct. Councilmember Moody asked what the definition of a scooter was. Chairman Seekings said this was for the commercial scooters, so if someone had a personal scooter, that was different. Councilmember Moody said that the ordinance would need to define the scooter and what the parameters would be. On the motion of Councilwoman Jackson, seconded by Mayor Tecklenburg, the Committee voted unanimously to approve the above item with the added directive that within 60 days they would make a motion to permanently ban scooters as described by the ordinance. Miscellaneous Business Chairman Seekings thanked Traffic and Transportation for their work during the storm and asked how many lights were down. Mr. Somerville said he thought they got up to about 31 locations that were damaged, but there were four intersections that were completely out. Having no further business, the Committee adjourned at 3:16 p.m. Bethany Whitaker Council Secretary