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SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) — The Summerville Town Council approved an ordinance Thursday night allowing people to carry beer or wine while walking through designated areas of the downtown business district.

Under the proposal, open containers would be permitted Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in a defined area around the town’s main square.

Mayor Russ Touchberry said the council looked at the impact a similar ordinance had in Hartsville, S.C., before moving forward.

“This council has been working extraordinarily hard to create a business-friendly environment and to make sure that the atmosphere of Summerville is vibrant for all users,” Touchberry said. “And it creates opportunities for folks to come into town and enjoy our shops and our restaurants and all of our businesses.”

Touchberry described the ordinance as opt-in and opt-out, with the open container zone confined to the business district. That includes parts of South Cedar Street, West Doty Avenue, East Doty Avenue, South Magnolia Street, South Main Street, East Richardson Avenue, Central Avenue, West 2nd South Street, and West Richardson Avenue.

“It’s intended to kind of increase foot traffic, create a vibrant atmosphere, and it’s completely opt-in, opt-out as people deem necessary,” he said. “But the area will be very confined to the business district and a lot of structure around that.”

Some residents and business owners have raised concerns about enforcement and liability. Community members Diane Frankenberger and Amy Pereira questioned who would be held responsible if someone drank and drove.

“Who is responsible then?” Frankenberger said. “Is it the town or the business? Where they’re last served. Is it all of the above?” Pereira said.

Frankenberger, who has worked and lived in Summerville for decades, said she was hesitant when she first heard about the proposal.

“The first time it was brought up at a town council meeting, I thought this is nuts and who does that benefit,” she said.

Since the first town council meeting, however, Frankenberger said she trusts the mayor, police force and council to make the right call.

“I want to see accountability of did business really improve?” Frankenberger said. “What has made the difference?”

Touchberry said he does not expect behavior to change among bar owners or consumers.

“I know our bar owners are all very good professionals and they’re not going to serve somebody who’s already indicated that they’re overserved,” he said.

The ordinance takes effect immediately.

Copyright 2026 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Outlining transportation goals and future road projects was crucial to Summerville’s 2020 Comprehensive Plan, which recently underwent a five-year review. The Town Council held a first reading Sept. 14 and is expected to have a second reading and public hearing on Oct. 8.

Reviews of the Comprehensive Plan are done due to population changes. The Journal Scene previously reported on some of the development changes coming to Summerville. The Comprehensive Plan includes a framework of how to mitigate traffic issues that correspond with population growth in the region.

Long-Range Transportation Plan

Since the initial adoption of the comprehension plan, the Berlin G. Meyers Parkway opened ahead of schedule. This has helped reduce the amount of heavy truck activity through downtown Summerville.

There are a handful of road-widening projects that remain, including roadway projects involving Dorchester County, such as West Richardson intersections through Parsons Road. This project has been a part of road infrastructure improvement plans since at least 2024, according to documents from Dorchester County Transportation.

Pedestrian and cyclist pathways

As change continues to take place in Summerville, pedestrian and cyclist pathways become more important to residents. This was a big takeaway from a survey conducted by Dorchester County in 2025 as part of its Complete Streets Plan. Both the county and town of Summerville are lending their support in raising revenue for all aspects of road infrastructure improvements. Attracting more tourism or businesses has a great impact on 1 percent transportation sales tax revenue, which is utilized for road and sidewalk construction.

Mayor Russ Touchberry has said before that improving the walkability of downtown to decrease the need for vehicles for short-distance trips is crucial and more cost effective.

Summerville Director of Planning Jessi Shuler explained the cost associated with sidewalk construction. According to department estimates, the design and engineering of one mile of sidewalk averages just over $1 million. This is in addition to actual construction and right-of-way acquisition costs. The final price tag can be higher depending on variables such as the width of a sidewalk and materials used.

For example, Dorchester County is in the process of extending a section of the Sawmill Branch Trail from Oakbrook YMCA to Dorchester Road. This popular asphalt trail is 10 feet wide. Just 0.65 of the extension is budgeted to cost about $2.4 million, with right-of-way acquisitions already included.

In regards to the Sawmill Branch Trail, recommendations were made to identify and create connections from neighborhoods to the north of Berlin G. Myers parkway to the trail. The five-year review notes these pathways were completed from Bear Island and North Maple Street.

Fatal accidents involving cyclists continue to occur in Summerville. One of the most fatalities occurred on Aug. 31, according to the Berkeley County Coroner’s Office.

While the establishment of more bike lanes are part of the design for road widening projects, some residents have raised concerns in the past about how these designs actually benefit pedestrians and cyclists. Bike Walk Summerville CEO Christopher McClure said these projects are not only costly but also do not always solve traffic problems or make it safer for pedestrians.

"It has to be carefully balanced," McClure said. "When we widen roads to four or five lanes and increase pedestrian and cyclist traffic, we have to make sure that crossing the street is not going to be a life or death experience."

McClure said not all road widening is bad, but where possible, something like the Berlin G. Myers parkway is often a better option. It allows for the redirection of traffic without affecting downtown or areas where an increase of walkability is the goal.

Expanding public transportation

Original plans for expanding public transportation mentioned partnering with Lowcountry Rapid Transit (LCRT) to establish working routes to come all the way to downtown Summerville. Specific details on the strategies to make this happen have slightly shifted, partly due to a recent study put out by TriCounty Link.

Recent reporting shows CARTA is coordinating with TriCounty Link to expand service to Berkeley and Dorchester counties. Future plans include a 25-mile route connecting downtown Charleston to Summerville along the Dorchester Road corridor.

Earlier plans for integrating LCRT proposed establishing a route that came through Summerville, which would have benefited the rural areas of town. Those will no longer be part of phase one of the LCRT project; instead, attention will be on creating routes “from Summerville to the fairgrounds, utilizing TriCounty Link.”

Park-and-ride stations are being considered, but are not a priority due to funding constraints.

The next story in this series will explore greenspace goals of the Comprehensive Plan.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCIV) — Dorchester County leaders unveiled preliminary plans Thursday for a major improvement project along U.S. 17A, giving residents their first opportunity to weigh in on a proposal aimed at reducing congestion and improving safety on one of Summerville's busiest corridors.

The public information meeting at Summerville High School featured maps, concept plans and project displays outlining proposed improvements along approximately 6.6 miles of U.S. 17A between Research Center Drive and Luden Drive. Anyone who couldn't attend can still review the meeting materials, project maps and submit comments on the Dorchester Transportation website.

The proposed project includes road widening, intersection improvements, new sidewalks, a 12-foot shared-use path for pedestrians and cyclists, and drainage upgrades.

County leaders said the meeting marked the beginning of the public input process and stressed that the plans are still preliminary.

"We're here for the 17A or Boone Hill Road Improvement Project," said Mackenzie Kelley, transportation development manager with Dorchester County. "This is our first public information meeting. So we're inviting the public to come out to look at our initial concepts and proposals for this plan and get public feedback."

READ MORE | BCDCOG seeks public input on US 17-A corridor congestion and safety plan

Residents who attended said congestion along the corridor has become increasingly frustrating as Summerville continues to grow.

"Traffic in Summerville is terrible. It's gotten worse over the years," resident Billy Wiggins said. "It's unbelievable the amount of time that people spend on the road in stop-and-go traffic to get home in the afternoons."

According to Dorchester County, traffic studies project vehicle volumes along the corridor could increase by 200% by 2050 if no improvements are made.

"We're projecting, based on our traffic studies, traffic to increase by 200% by 2050," Kelley said. "We already have seen the delays at peak times through the corridor. So we definitely know that this is a needed project."

While many residents supported the proposal, some also offered suggestions for potential changes, including widening additional sections of the corridor to better address existing bottlenecks.

County officials said that's exactly the type of feedback they're hoping to receive before the design is finalized.

"It absolutely could," Kelley said when asked whether the plans could change based on public input. "We want the public's feedback. The public may know more about certain areas and be able to propose what they're seeing or what they'd like to see in the corridor."

The project is estimated to cost about $213 million. According to project materials, it's currently funded through the preliminary design phase. Right-of-way acquisition is expected to begin around 2028, with construction anticipated to start as early as 2030, pending additional funding.