Trains cross Rivers Avenue near Durant Avenue about nine times a weekday, and 548 crashes hit the corridor in five years. A $1.2 million study is taking public comment now.
A study of the railroad crossing on Rivers Avenue near Durant Avenue is asking the public what should change. Its first online meeting is open now, with early traffic, train and crash findings for the corridor.
The City of North Charleston and the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments (BCDCOG) are leading the work. The Federal Railroad Administration oversees it, and the South Carolina Department of Transportation is giving technical help. The study’s website says it should run through May 2027.
What the study found so far
The study team published these findings in its online meeting:
- Trains: a one-week count on the CSX line south of Durant Avenue recorded an average of 9.2 train crossings each weekday and eight each weekend day.
- How long they block traffic: 69% of crossings blocked traffic for less than five minutes. Ten percent lasted 10 minutes or longer, which leaves 21% between five and 10 minutes.
- Crashes: 548 crashes were reported from 2021 to 2025 on about two miles of Rivers Avenue between Mall Drive and Helm Avenue.
- Compared with the state: the crash rate on that stretch was 162% above the statewide average for similar roads. For fatal and serious injury crashes it was 217% above.
- The worst spot: one in five crashes happened where Rivers and Durant avenues meet Meeting Street Road.
- People walking and biking: they were in less than 5% of crashes but more than 20% of fatal and serious injury crashes.
Several of the severe crashes near the Rivers, Durant and Meeting Street Road intersections happened after dark, in areas with streetlights that were not working, the study team said.
What the study covers
The study area runs along Rivers Avenue from about Piggly Wiggly Drive to Columbia Avenue. It also takes in the low bridge at Hock Avenue and the Seven-Mile Viaduct.
The study team says delays at the crossing could grow as rail traffic rises and the planned Lowcountry Rapid Transit bus line starts running in the corridor. It also points to growth from the new Roper Hospital.
It is a Planning and Environmental Linkages, or PEL, study, not a construction project. The study’s frequently asked questions say no solution has been chosen yet. Any project that follows would need more design, environmental review, approvals and money.
Who is paying
The study costs $1.2 million in total:
- $940,000 from a competitive federal Railroad Crossing Elimination grant
- $260,000 from the City of North Charleston
The city intends to adopt the study’s recommendations, including its statement of purpose and need, according to the online meeting.
What it means for you
- If you drive, ride the bus, walk or run a business on Rivers Avenue: this is the first chance to shape what gets built. The online meeting asks what problems you see and what would make the corridor safer.
- To comment: use the form at the end of the online meeting, or email info@RiversDurantPEL.com.
- To follow along: the study’s schedule shows more public meetings in early 2027 and a final report around May 2027. You can sign up for notices on the study website.
- Day to day: our road construction and closures page and getting around guide cover current work and routes in the city.
Have your say