As more traffic flows through Fort Mill, police are watching high-volume roads

If you’ve noticed a greater police presence on the town’s most heavily traveled roads and around some communities, chances are you have a neighbor to thank for that.

In the nearly 14 months since the Fort Mill Bypass was completed, traffic congestion has eased in one of the town’s still growing areas, but there appears to be an unintended consequence. It appears that, with more room to roam, many drivers habitually exceed the 45 mile-per-hour speed limit. And although officials suspect much of the speeding may not be a conscious choice, it has not gone unnoticed.

Maj. Bryan Zachary, the public information officer for the Fort Mill Police Department, said Springfield Parkway, which connects to the new Bypass, and S.C. 160 East are two other major roads that get special attention.

“People mention they think people are speeding on Fort Mill Bypass. When we receive specific requests to watch an area or receive specific information that someone seems to be noticing more of that, or they perceive they are seeing more of that in a particular area, then we’ll address that,” he said.

“On Springfield Parkway, we get a considerable number of requests in reference to people driving at excessive speeds.” However, “the majority of requests we get are specific to neighborhoods. We’ll have residents or someone who’s an elected representative of an HOA contact us on occasion,” Zachary said.

It’s not just local police paying attention to traffic.

“Compared to what (local traffic) used to be, most of the day it looks like a super highway,” Mayor Guynn Savage said about the bypass. “But now I think a lot of people are driving too fast without realizing it and that’s not safe.”

Savage is among those residents who experienced near instant traffic relief when the Pennies for Progress project was completed more than a decade after it was approved by voters. Completed in phases, the newest section accommodates more than 20,000 cars daily.

“I live in the Doby’s Bridge Road area and while before I wasn’t able to turn onto Doby’s Bidge, now I can,” Savage said. “There’s less bumper to bumper traffic there.”

Zachary also knows the local traffic patterns firsthand. He’s become aware of a dangerous tendency among morning commuters.

“I drive up 21 Business/Spratt Street every day and it’s very rare when I go from a 45 mile-an-hour zone to a 30 (mph) coming into town that I don’t have someone hooked to my bumper. It happens pretty much daily and that lends itself to a lot of accidents in town,” he said.

As Fort Mill has grown from small mill town, to Charlotte bedroom community and now a destination in its own right, so has the police department — and its emphasis on traffic safety. Zachary said there are now two officers dedicated to traffic patrol. One recent municipal court docket had 46 cases, nearly all related to traffic stops.

IT’S SAFETY FIRST

Contrary to popular belief, there’s no economic incentive for a municipality to hand out traffic fines. Some of the money collected from fines goes to the county and the state to help fund the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy and for other law enforcement expenses. What’s left would hardly offset the cost of an officer’s time. Rather, Zachary said, the only motive in enforcing traffic laws is public safety. Some numbers he provided would show why:

▪ 2016: 817

▪ 2015: 644

▪ 2011: 444

With thousands of new residents moving into town and nearby communities, traffic accidents have nearly doubled in the previous five years leading into 2017.

“There are varying reasons, but the increase in the population and increase in the density of the population, not just in our town but in the areas that surround us are obviously a contributing factor in that,” Zachary said.

“The collisions that occur are based on a number of factors,” he explained, “but normally the largest number of collisions we have are comprised of failure to stop for a traffic signal or sign; driving too fast for conditions; or following too closely. Those are probably the three primary reasons we see traffic collisions occur.”

It was important to Zachary to make the point that not all traffic stops for suspected infractions result in a citation. If a driver is pulled over for suspected speeding and has a reasonable explanation — a medical emergency, for example — he or she should expect a level of compassion, Zachary said.

“We’re fortunate here,” he said. “We all have a shared philosophy of how we do our job from the chief on down and we try to do the job as fairly and equitably as we possibly can with regard to everyone we deal with and do it in a way that officers are courteous and understanding of people.”

ARE TWO OFFICERS ENOUGH?

It seems likely the steady increase in traffic volume means the town will have to invest in more police officers to patrol roadways.

“ I think we’ll have more than two officers assigned to that type of duty (in the future),” Zachary said. “As things continue to grow and traffic volume continues to increase, I think you’ll see a natural increase in the number of officers dedicated to that issue.”

It’s a sentiment Zachary is confident other town officials share.

“We get tremendous support from our town staff, mayor and council and I’m sure they have a clear understanding of what we’re dealing with here,” he said.

The mayor seconds that motion.

“I think they’re doing a wonderful job,” Savage said about Fort Mill police, “and as the community continues to grow, it stands to reason we’re going to have additional (officers) to maintain that level of service.”

This story was originally published August 23, 2017 at 4:27 PM with the headline "As more traffic flows through Fort Mill, police are watching high-volume roads."