Craig Forest outlines outreach and funding priorities for Beaufort County transportation advisory committee

Craig Forest, who said he worked 27 years for state transportation agencies and served 17 years as director of transportation planning for Baltimore County, Maryland, outlined his background and priorities for the Beaufort County Transportation Advisory Committee.

Forest told the meeting he has focused on securing additional funding for transportation, including past efforts to raise the gas tax. "I worked 27 years uh for DOT in Maryland. I worked 17 years as director of transportation planning for Baltimore County, Maryland," he said, and recalled serving four years on the South Carolina DOT commission where the goal was increasing funding for DOT.

Why it matters: Beaufort County officials and committee members said they are preparing the public ahead of a 2026 tax referendum that would increase revenue for transportation projects. Committee members emphasized community outreach and information-sharing as essential to gaining support.

A committee member representing a Beaufort County district said Sun City residents are an important voting bloc and announced a local meeting on March 13 called by County Council member Joe Passimmit to discuss the proposed revenue increase and provide information to residents. The committee member said staff and council members will rely on county websites and local meetings to ensure residents understand proposals and timelines.

Speakers also raised environmental concerns tied to standard congestion fixes such as roadway widening. A presenter said any widening should include site-specific safeguards — including drainage, guardrails and careful signal placement — to protect the Lowcountry environment that attracts residents and visitors.

The presenter closed by directing listeners to county information about the committee and the 2026 tax referendum; the transcript provided a URL (buercenenny.com), which may be a transcription or spelling error—official information is available on Beaufort County’s website.

No formal motions or votes were recorded in the provided transcript excerpt; the discussion focused on background, outreach and environmental considerations. The committee is scheduled to hold community meetings over the coming months and to continue public engagement as the referendum approaches.