City Paper Staff | The City of Charleston launched its evening ride-share pilot program May 1 as a strategy to try to streamline traffic in the Central Business District, specifically along the King Street corridor between Spring and John streets.
Under the new six-month pilot program, all vehicles picking up or dropping off passengers between John and Spring streets will use one of five pick-up/drop-off zones on upper King Street. This includes rideshare users who will be routed to the zones through the Uber and Lyft apps.
These zones are strategically positioned to alleviate congestion, city officials said.
“Not only does this help police maintain an orderly flow of traffic on upper King Street, but this will also support our rideshare providers by offering safe and efficient service to folks who visit this district,” said Meg Thompson, Charleston business and neighborhood services director .
“By designating space for this activity, we’re also keeping this activity contained and not encroaching into the surrounding neighborhoods.”
Pick-up/drop-off zones will be active from 6 pm to 3 am daily through the Uber and Lyft apps. During this time, vehicles should not stop on Upper King outside the designated zones.
Leveraging insights from Uber and Lyft, the program selected five optimal locations along the King Street corridor, targeting high-traffic areas to maximize convenience for passengers and drivers:
- On King Street between Spring and Cannon streets
- On Woolfe Street at the corner of King Street
- On Morris Street at the corner of King Street
- On Radcliffe Street at the corner of King Street
- On John Street at the corner of King Street
Last week, city crews installed new signs to designate the pickup and drop-off zones as well as directional signage to direct riders to the zones. The Charleston Police Department will also increase patrol officers to provide assistance to drivers and riders during the transition.
