Transportation Element

Just as a location quotient is ideal for identifying the economic base of an area, it also identifies the industries that are unspecialized, lacking or in need of. Unsurprisingly, Hanahan has a very low LQ ratio in the Manufacturing and Utilities industries, likely due to the limited space available for such businesses and the high concentration of these industries in the BCD Region. Based on a shift share analysis5 conducted at the County level, it indicates that Berkeley County is highly competitive in the Retail Trade, Transportation and Warehousing, Professional, Scientific and Technical Services and Administrative and Support Services industries. Hanahan has an opportunity to attract these competitive industries, enhancing the diversity of industries and strengthening the local economy. Transportation Element A community’s transportation network influences the future direction that a community can embark on, impacting quality of life, economic development, public safety, the environment and so much more. Decisions made in the past have left communities dissected and inaccessible for households without access to an automobile. By focusing on connecting the different neighborhoods of Hanahan through a broader range of transportation modes, it may promote healthier lifestyles for its residents and reduce emissions. Connectivity, accessibility, optionality, and affordability are four important factors in providing a safe and efficient transportation network for residents of Hanahan. • Accessibility refers to the ability of people, goods and information to reach a desired destination. This can also include the coverage area from public transportation stops. • Connectivity is the density of roadways, sidewalks, bikeways, paths, and transit routes that make up a transportation network and the directness of the routes between trip origins and destinations. A well-connected network usually has many short segments linked by intersections and usually has few dead-ends, reducing the overall travel distance while increasing the number of route options. • Optionality describes the range of transportation options that are available to people in a transportation network, such as walkways, bikeways, pathways, public transit, driving a personal vehicle, and sharing a ride. • Affordability is the household’s ability to purchase basic modes of mobility within a specified budget (generally less than 10% of monthly income). These can be expensive and could include car payments, gas, electricity, transit passes, tolls, or ridesharing costs. The main intention of an effective and productive transportation network is to safely and efficiently transport people and goods from one place to another via land, water or air. Using the four factors mentioned above as a guide for improvements in the transportation network, the City NOV PC DRAFT of Hanahan can continue to provide quality infrastructure and services for residents and visitors. This Element assesses the condition and capacity of the existing infrastructure and identifies the potential areas of improvement related to the connectivity, accessibility, optionality, and affordability of the local transportation network.

5 An analysis used to determine the competitiveness of an industry