Resident calls attention to dangerous crossings, requests state study for Woodruff Road area

Peter Hoffman, a resident of the Pine Creek Cottages neighborhood near 5 Forks, told Greenville County Council he considers the stretch of Woodruff Road near the 5 Forks library a "danger zone" for pedestrians and drivers and urged action on crossings and speeding.

Hoffman described three "critical dangerous access zones" and said the distance between two signalized intersections is about 0.37 miles with a posted speed limit of 45 mph. He told the council pedestrians who want to reach the library "are forced to" travel a lengthy route to reach a signalized crossing and said some drivers treat the stretch as a racetrack, creating noise and safety concerns.

"So we are forced to take even you cannot walk there, so you have to have a car," Hoffman said. He suggested installing a traffic signal at a bridal (bridal/bridle?) intersection, reducing the speed limit to 35 mph and reinforcing existing limits.

Council members responding said the road is a South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) facility and that a state traffic study would be required for signal installation or speed-change measures. One council member said they serve on the GPATS committee and would take the concern to that forum; sheriff's patrols were noted as another possible remedy.

No formal motion or county ordinance resulted from the comment. The speakers indicated potential next steps: refer the issue to GPATS for study, contact SCDOT about a traffic study, and coordinate with the sheriff's office on enforcement.