Percival Road sidewalk completed with transportation penny funding in Richland County

A 1.5-mile sidewalk on Percival Road in Richland County has been completed, financed largely by the county's transportation penny and supplemented by state funds at a cost of about $4 million, a presenter and a lawmaker said.

The presenter described the project as intended to "creating connectivity and pathways" and called the new route "a connecting pathway through many districts throughout Richland County." The county's transportation penny, the presenter said, has funded projects ranging from road widening to repaving and helped make the sidewalk possible.

"It's about a $4,000,000 project, partly funded by state money, but mostly the, transportation penny," the lawmaker said. The lawmaker added the sidewalk had been a high priority for residents and said that during 2022 door-to-door outreach many residents asked him, "mister Weaver, if you get elected, will you do something about a sidewalk on Percival Road?" He said, "And here we are today. It's done."

A resident at the presentation emphasized safety and mobility concerns for people without pedestrian access, saying, "Anywhere there is a resident of Richland County and they don't have access, for me, it's always a safety concern." The resident said lack of safe walking routes can limit whether people with mobility issues leave their homes and access services they need.

County proponents framed the project as an example of how the transportation penny operates at the local level: funding a range of transportation improvements aimed at improving safety and connectivity. The presenter reiterated that the transportation penny "continues to be a successful endeavor for our residents in our community." The project was described as complete; no vote or formal motion was recorded in the transcript.

Next steps for maintenance or related pedestrian projects were not specified in the transcript.