..from the desk of the director..

Charleston Moves is at a crossroads. We've been making big gains, but we're about to suffer a big loss.

We've got real traction. We've become become an effective, persuasive and pervasive voice for a more vibrant, active kind of living in our community that includes chances to travel other than by car.

We championed getting a lane over the Ashley. Now, it’s in the works, awaiting further funding and engineering work.  But it’s already a victory.

We are leading the charge to find a safe, legal way for people on foot or on bikes to use the James Island Connector (or a portion of it).  It involves a lot of behind-the-scenes work.   Some of us in our all-volunteer organization are putting in full-time hours on this issue.

Why is the Connector so important? Because there’s no other safe way between downtown Charleston and James Island. Because it’ll be a key link in the Battery2Beach route, a planned 32-mile-long bike/ped route stretching from Isle of Palms through East Cooper and via the battery all the way to Folly Beach.

It's also the keystone in an ambitious plan by Charleston County Parks and Recreation to link all county park facilities together for cyclists and pedestrians.

But there’s much more. Charleston Moves own Chris Tullmann has been reviewing as many as 60 street and road projects, in many cases nudging them toward improvements everyone will welcome.  He put back the bike lanes on drawings for Route 17 in Mount Pleasant.  He’s working with engineers on the configuration of Spruill Avenue.  His expertise has been welcome more widely than you might imagine.  He ‘s among the people who get the first round of plans for projects on the drawing board.

But Chris is leaving Charleston. His lovely wife Paige, a surgeon, has received a very desirable appointment to a prestigious hospital in Boston.  So, Chris, Paige and their son Max are headed back to the northeast.

But we’re not taking this lying down.  We’re actively campaigning for the funding necessary to hire his replacement – full-time – as well as a support staff.

Charleston is poised to enter a new era of spectacular progress.  So is Charleston Moves.  Se what you can do to help.  

To do this correctly, we must raise many thousands of dollars.  It is time for Charleston Moves to re-open a full-time office and step our efforts up.

This isn't your normal funding pitch.  This is a watershed moment.  Charleston Moves can help greater Charleston immeasurably.  Can you pitch in?

Tom Bradford, Director