How Myrtle Beach wants to throw the brakes on speeders in Market Common area

It could cost Myrtle Beach nearly $20,000 to enforce speeding regulations in the Market Common area.

As speed, traffic and safety along Farrow Parkway and residential streets remains a concern for residents in surrounding Market Common neighborhoods, city leaders are considering placing six radar speed detector signs along Farrow Parkway, Coventry Blvd and Pampas Drive.

The signs in total would cost about $19,200, according to Public Works Director Janet Curry. Traffic studies performed over the past couple of years have confirmed drivers are speeding in residential streets and neighborhoods in The Market Common area, she said.

The proposed change is part of a traffic calming plan city officials have been working on with the city’s Public Works Department and the Myrtle Beach Police Department since April.

“The department collaborated with our police department to identify the optimum locations of where these signs should be based on the information they’ve received based on citations and warnings,” Curry said during Thursday’s City Council workshop meeting. “Residents have shared with us that they want drivers to change their behavior for the safety for all that are out there.”

Curry said the portable signs, which would be mounted under speed limit signs, offers data collection capabilities that record traffic data and generate statistical reports detailing total vehicle count, average vehicle count, average speeds, total number of speed violations, average number of speed violations, and both minimum and maximum speeds.

The signs also will have flashing strobe lights to alert drivers what their speed is and when they’ve exceeded the speed limit. She said they could be moved if speeding becomes a problem in other areas. Myrtle Beach police spokesperson Cpl. Thomas Vest said the city currently has two similar signs that are moved around as needed to areas that receive traffic complaints.

“This is our direction at this point,” City Manager John Pedersen said.

While the proposed signs haven’t been ordered, Councilman Mike Lowder suggested implementing speed bumps instead, insisting other neighborhoods have seen significantly lower speed problems after the speed bumps were installed. Curry said each bump could cost around $3,500.

With residential complaints dating back a few years, the city has taken steps to conduct traffic speed studies and encourage drivers to slow down through educational forums, larger speed limit signs, message boards and increased police presence along the busy roads.

Between April and June, police have issued 392 warnings and 448 citations in the Farrow Parkway area, including 186 to Myrtle Beach residents and 82 to Market Common residents.

Public works is also implementing a pedestrian safety improvement project at the intersection of Meyers Avenue and Yorkshire Parkway. Project plans include textured and colored crosswalks, ADA ramps, pedestrian signage and pavement markings. Berkshire Ave. will undergo a traffic speed study in September, Curry said.

“I think that the intersection improvement on Yorkshire and Meyers is going to be good,” Councilwoman Mary Jeffcoat said. “I hope we continue to look at traffic calming devices. I don’t want us to depend on police officers giving out traffic tickets.”

This story was originally published August 2, 2019 at 3:39 PM.