Table of Contents
Introduction
4
Serving
8
Neighborhoods
10
Customer Service
12
Core Services
14
Engaging Public Trust
18
Community Building
20
Partnerships
22
Growing
2
16
24
Knowledge Park
26
Local Economy
28
Connectivity
30
City Leadership
Sandra Oborokumo
John A. Black III Ward 4
Ward 1
Kathy Pender
Nikita Jackson
Ward 2
Ward 5
Mayor John Gettys
Kevin Sutton
Jim Reno
Ward 3
Ward 6
David B. Vehaun, City Manager
Jimmy Bagley, Deputy City Manager Steven Gibson, Deputy City Manager Mike Blackmon
Bill Meyer
Phyllis Fauntleroy
Terrence Nealy
Anne Harty
John Taylor
Cindi Howard
Stephen Turner
Mike Jolly
Chris Watts
Mark Kettlewell
Jennifer Wilford
3
Introduction
Strategic planning is the primary method by which the City plans and prioritizes its goals in a transparent and accountable manner. A strategic plan enables the City to efficiently move the community forward. Decision making about government services combines consideration of needs, balancing available resources, and utilizing best practices to provide for current obligations and support for our long term success. The strategic plan is an active document, referred to daily by staff at all levels of the organization, and at the heart of each day’s work. It serves as a roadmap to guide us from vision to reality. We use this plan to align our limited resources with prioritized initiatives tied to a broader vision for the future of our community. Our strategic plan also is a promise to our stakeholders—we are committed to live up to our motto of being ‘Always On’ in our pursuit of making Rock Hill a preferred place to live, do business, and visit. The FY2019-FY2021 Strategic Plan is structured around three core strategic initiatives:
Serving • Engaging • Growing
Serving em bodies ou r com m itm ent to the com m u nity. The City pr ovides im po r tant core services— services that promote the health and safety of our residents. We pledge to embrace innovative and ambitious solutions to the challenges of tomorrow. Engaging r epr esents ou r r esponsibility to actively com m u nicate and connect w ith our residents. Placing an emphasis on public trust, inclusivity, and empowerment we are compelled to take Rock Hill from a successful to a significant city. Growing encom passes ou r pledge to w or k together to encou r age the balanced growth of Rock Hill. Individual success and a vibrant, sustainable local economy are vital to our shared prosperity. 4
Development of the Plan
This FY2019-2021 Strategic Plan is the sixth iteration of our strategic plan. Updated every three years, our new strategic plan is focused primarily on results. All the work we do as an organization is important; however, measuring results will inform us as to whether we are achieving the City’s larger goals. This new strategic plan is solely focused on those outcome measures that will move our community forward. A number of important steps are undertaken to ensure the plan fairly represents the concerns of our stakeholders. The first step in developing the new strategic plan is gathering data from our residents. A citizen survey is conducted by an independent, third party in which residents are randomly selected to provide their assessment regarding everything from service delivery to support for specific projects. The City also utilizes this third party to complete resident focus groups. These focus groups provide the City with a greater understanding of resident perceptions and opinions. When asked which words residents use to describe Rock Hill, participants said:
The City also provides a survey to local business owners and managers. This internally-created and administered survey seeks to identify the opinions and perceptions of those running local businesses. Almost 200 businesses completed the survey this year. From this survey, the City gains insight into concerns businesses have in relation to public services and regulations. Additionally, we survey our employees to gauge their opinions on topics like customer service, safety, and communication. Employee support of the City’s strategic plan is vital to the success of our future goals. The combined input of these key stakeholders provides the justification for our strategic plan. 5
Plan Structure
The plan is structured from very general ideas at the highest level down to specific, measurable tasks. Five levels exist within the plan: Strategic Initiatives: The m ajor core values-
Objectives: How to addr ess the go al
Tasks: Specific activities w e plan to work on
Serving Engaging Growing
Goals: W hat w e intend to accom plish Performance Metrics: The par am eter by which we determine success
Goal
Objective
Task
Performance Metric Focus Area
6
Monitor our Progress
www.cityofrockhill.com/transparency We are committed to providing continuous updates on our progress. Departments provide monthly data on their websites, highlighting dozens of output measures. A more comprehensive effort is undertaken biannually when the City publishes mid-year and yearend performance reports that quantify the City’s progress in meeting the tasks listed in this Strategic Plan. These performance reports provide qualitative and quantitative data to easily understand our successes and challenges. Along with these biannual reports, the City publishes a Performance Dashboard which provides graphical representation of progress.
Excerpt from Year-end Report
Our Strategic Plan guides the formation of our budget, work programs, and capital plans. With such far reaching implications, the City has made a commitment to transparency using a variety of mediums. A financial dashboard provides monthly revenue and expenditure data comparing budgeted and actual figures. Financial information is further described in the City’s monthly financial reports. Additionally, the City provides benchmarking comparisons with a number of other municipalities through the Ranking Rock Hill site. The City strives to be competitive in every service we provide, from public safety to credit ratings.
7
Serving
The heart of our community is the residents who work, live, and recreate here. “Serving” highlights our dedication to local efforts—safe neighborhoods, local recreational opportunities, reliable utility infrastructure, and customer service. People choose to live in Rock Hill because of what our community offers residents—welcoming neighborhoods, stable employment, and a community rallied around a common purpose— cultivating the best community in America. Our new Strategic Plan continues to emphasize customer service. Tasks include a new customer satisfaction survey, completion of work orders in a timely fashion, and decreasing the average wait time for phone calls. Through meeting these specific targets, the City should continue to see an increase in overall satisfaction with city services in the next Citizen Survey.
Overall Satisfaction with City Services 80% 70% 60%
72%
70%
66% 59%
61%
2005
2008
61%
50% 40%
30% 20% 10% 0% 2003
8
2011
2014
Percent respondents rate as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’
2017
Serving Goals 1. Foster thriving neighborhoods throughout the City and a safe, family-
friendly community 2. Ensure exceptional customer service and proactive communication through courteous,
responsive, and knowledgeable employees 3. Provide important core services and invest in
infrastructure needs to become more reliable and predictive
9
Goal: Foster thriving neighborhoods throughout the City and a safe, familyfriendly community Reduce the crime rate and support community efforts to improve resident safety Respond to all Priority One public safety calls
Below the NCLGBA benchmark average of 4.7 minutes
Reduce citywide property crime
By at least 2% annually (based on five year average)
Reduce citywide violent crime
By at least 1% annually (based on five year average)
Contain residential fires to the room of origin
At least 75%
Maintain the Fire ISO rating
Maintain ISO 1 rating
Increase the percentage of residents who feel very or somewhat safe
More than 73% satisfaction
Spotlight: REDI Neighborhoods The Resource Education & Development Initiative (REDI) is a neighborhood focused effort to understand and prioritize concerns of local residents. Using this input, the City is then better able to identify and target resources to address specific needs. The pilot neighborhood is Catawba Terrace, located off of Cherry Rd. Since beginning this effort in 2017, there have been community clean-ups, a decrease in crime, and a reduction in fire issues.
10
Catawba Terrace Clean-up by Alpha Phi Alpha members
SERVING ENGAGING GROWING
Improve the overall well-being of neighborhoods Maintain a voluntary compliance rate within REDI neighborhoods
Of at least 75%
Reduce the property and violent crime rates in REDI neighborhoods
At least 10% annually
Reduce the number of major code violations in REDI neighborhoods
At least 10% annually
Co-host job fairs in neighborhoods
At least 2 annually
Institute stormwater mitigation techniques
In at least 2 neighborhoods annually
Reduce residential refuse tonnage per capita
At least 2% annually
Provide additional park + recreational opportunities for residents Deploy the REC in the Box program throughout the community
At least 100 times per year
Increase recreation center participation
By at least 10% annually
Complete the construction of a splashpad at Armory Park
By 6/30/2021
Increase the percentage of residents who are satisfied with City parks
Above 81% satisfaction
Increase the percentage of residents who are satisfied with recreation programs
Above 65% satisfaction
11
Goal: Ensure exceptional customer service and proactive communication through courteous, responsive, and knowledgeable employees Continue to enhance the customer service experience Create and distribute customer satisfaction surveys
By 12/31/2018
Increase paperless billing customers
By at least 5% annually
Attain call wait times
Below 90 seconds
Increase the percentage of residents whose overall impression of City employees was positive
Above 77% satisfaction
Enhance current communication methods to provide various information to all of the City’s audiences Deploy an electronic newsletter
At least quarterly
Implement a targeted ad strategy for a specific audience
At least twice per year
Increase the percentage of residents who rate public information services positively
Above 60% satisfaction
12
SERVING ENGAGING GROWING
Spotlight: Wholistic Communication Efforts Communication efforts are always a focal point for the City. Similar to feedback obtained in prior focus group settings, participants in the 2017 resident focus groups discussed information that is important to know versus information that is nice to know. This new strategic plan seeks to balance communication— selecting the appropriate information to share and using the most effective methods of reaching out to a diverse population. There are a number of specific tasks that address efforts made to broadly address communication mediums that are available. This includes newer options like social media and more traditional mediums like printed publications, postcards, electronic newsletters, billboards, video messaging, etc. The messaging of important information will continue to be addressed. One of the most pressing communication efforts will be the Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) deployment. A comprehensive toolkit for residential and commercial accounts will be deployed by the end of 2018. This will include educational information about utility consumption, cost saving efforts, and a customer self-service portal. There will also be social media blasts, inclusion of AMI updates in the enewsletter, phone hold messages, and video messages that will provide customers the information they need to utilize their AMI system effectively. During the focus group sessions, there were a number of important projects that were discussed with participants. These included the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center, the Performing Arts Center, Knowledge Park, and the Legacy East Business Park. Out of the seventeen participants, the most well-known project was Knowledge Park; however, only 24% of participants were familiar with this development. Upcoming efforts to communicate will include more of an emphasis on the these important special projects that will change the face of Rock Hill for decades to come.
Food Truck Friday
13
Goal: Provide important core services and invest in infrastructure needs to become more reliable and predictive Spotlight: Investing in Infrastructure Rock Hill has been a full-service City for over 100 years and provides electric, water, sewer, and stormwater services. Over the past few years, the City has become the regional provider for water and wastewater throughout York County. As a result of the explosive growth seen in Rock Hill and York County, there is a need to ensure we are appropriately investing in our infrastructure. The electric system serves just over 35,000 customer accounts. The City is a member of and purchases electric power from Piedmont Municipal Power Agency (PMPA) - a joint action agency formed by ten municipal electric utilities in South Carolina. The City has been proactively making the system more reliable through additional substation projects and overhead electric lines to underground conversions in key corridors like Cherry Road. The water system serves just over 32,000 customer accounts—with additional wholesale agreements with the Town of Fort Mill, County of York, Catawba Indian Nation and the City of York. The current plant capacity is 36 million gallons per day (MGD) - which the City is actively expanding to a future capacity of 48 MGD. This $53 million project will provide for clean, safe drinking water for decades of community growth. Additionally, the City has been investing in upgrading water main transmission lines down Eden Terrace and Mt. Gallant. The sewer system serves about 33,000 customer accounts—with additional wholesale agreements with the Town of Fort Mill, York County, Catawba Indian Nation, and City of Tega Cay. The current plant has a 20 MGD capacity. We are actively preparing for future expansion. This includes a new clarifier, grit removal system, and equalization tank—as well as maintenance on existing infrastructure.
14
Water Filter Plant Expansion Rendering
SERVING ENGAGING GROWING
Strengthen the reliability of our utility infrastructure Complete the overhead to underground conversion on Cherry Rd.
By 6/30/2021
Complete the water plant upgrade from 36 MGD to 48 MGD
By 6/30/2021
Complete the initial wastewater plant upgrades
By 6/30/2021
Promote efficient, predictable services and measures that will enhance core services Maintain a system average interruption duration index (SAIDI)
Less than 160.18 minutes
Reduce non-metered loss of water
By at least 1% annually
Complete utility related work orders in a timely manner
70% completed within 7 business days
Complete pothole work orders in a timely manner
100% completed within 2 business days
15
Engaging
The success of our community is closely intertwined with our ability to engage residents in the future of Rock Hill. “Engaging” highlights our civic responsibility to involve all relevant stakeholders through outreach efforts, placemaking, and partnerships. The City is committed to excel in efforts supporting inclusivity, creating a positive sense of place, and Rock Hill as a Place to... connecting the 100% community around 90% inviting public 80% spaces. 70%
87% 79% 72% 69%
60%
Hard data shaped 50% the development of 40% specific goals, 30% objectives, and tasks 20% for this focus area. 10% Our new Strategic 0% 2003 2005 2008 2011 2014 2017 Plan continues to Place to live Place to raise children Place to retire Overall appearance emphasize placemaking efforts Percent respondents rate as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ to create amenities and make us the preferred place to live. This includes efforts like workforce housing development; sports tourism facilities and events; athletic programming; greenspace; art; and special population programming.
16
Engaging Goals 4. Enhance public trust and encourage civic pride 5. Foster community
building, placemaking, and inclusive efforts 6. Facilitate partnerships that encourage a wide range of cultural, community, and educational activities for all ages
17
Goal: Enhance public trust and encourage civic pride
Facilitate efforts to support workforce/affordable housing throughout the community Explore the creation of a workforce/affordable housing funding mechanism
By 6/30/2019
Propose tax credit policies to incentivize workforce/affordable housing development
By 6/30/2020
Complete the full build out of Arcade
By 6/30/2021
Spotlight: Workforce/Affordable Housing Providing affordable workforce housing is an ongoing challenge for communities nationwide, and Rock Hill is no exception. Housing is considered affordable for a household when the cost of does not exceed 30% of that household’s income. The goal of affordable workforce housing is ensuring the availability of housing in reasonable proximity to the workplace for those with earned income that is often at or below the area median income. These workers are critical to the local economy but often struggle to access safe, decent housing. As Rock Hill has grown, the cost of real estate and rent in our community has continued to rise, making housing unaffordable to many in our community’s workforce. In order to meet these challenges, we will be exploring ways to improve, expand, and evolve our existing programs to better serve those in need of workforce housing. This will include increasing capacity and partnerships with local nonprofits and developers committed to the development of affordable housing. The challenge is not one that can be addressed by a single entity or organization, but with a combination of public policy, financial incentives, and A success story of affordable housing in Rock Hill strategic partnerships.
18
SERVING ENGAGING GROWING
Promote fiscal sustainability efforts Increase the City’s General Fund balance
By at least 1% annually
Increase the City’s average cash on hand
An additional 2 days per year
Compare costs per capita related to the UNC School of Government’s benchmark average
Annually for: - Police services costs per capita - Fire services costs per capita - Building services cost per capita
Enhance transparency and participatory activities Maintain compliance with all regulatory requirements
100% annually
Host general community meetings to increase stakeholder participation
At least 3 meetings annually
Support local leaders representing the city on statewide organizations
See at least 2 community members serve on state boards or commissions
19
Goal: Foster community building, placemaking, and inclusive efforts
Continue to excel in sports tourism efforts Increase the hospitality tax revenue generated
By 4% annually
Increase the overall utilization of sports tourism facilities
By 5% annually
Begin planning for the next major regional park site
By 6/30/2021
Increase the direct economic impact of sports tourism
Above $30 million annually by 2020
Create a compassionate, inclusive community Expand the Youth Council grant program scope and awards
By 6/30/2019
Implement recommendations developed out of the livable wage summit
By 12/31/2019
Increase participation in athletic and outdoor programs to support healthy lifestyles
By 2% annually
Engage Clinton College in inclusive community efforts
At least twice per year
20
SERVING ENGAGING GROWING
Incorporate and support greenspace throughout the City Establish a tree mitigation fund
By 12/31/2019
Maintain a tree canopy across the City
Of at least 45%
Increase park acreage
By at least 15% by 6/30/2021
Complete the trail connection from Riverwalk to Manchester Meadows
By 6/30/2021
Spotlight: Community Events Out of all the focus group feedback, participants were most complimentary about our efforts tied to community events and sports tourism. Residents were very aware of the popularity and the draw associated with high end sports tourism facilities and events such as Food Truck Friday, Blues and Jazz Festival, Come See Me Festival, and Christmasville. Participants discussed the impact these events have in not only building a community feel, but also in the economic impact seen through hospitality taxes and direct spending at local area hotels, restaurants, and retail stores. The City will continue its emphasis on maintaining and exploring options for future park sites. The City is proud to continue offering popular community events and will continue to explore opportunities for partnerships to do more for our community. Red, White, & Boom festival
21
Goal: Facilitate partnerships that encourage a wide range of cultural, community, and educational activities for all ages Provide opportunities for community-wide cultural and artistic efforts Offer or co-sponsor community events or festivals
At least twice per month
Increase the Only in Old Town followers on Facebook
By 10% annually
Work with community partners in the art community
To complete one public art installation outside of Knowledge Park by 6/30/2020
Spotlight: Miracle Park The City is proud to partner with the York County Disabilities Foundation, Winthrop University, and a number of other local organizations to bring Miracle Park from a concept to a reality. The Miracle Park will be an outdoor park built with special populations in mind. There are three total phases—with Phase I expected to be built in the coming year. Phase I includes a playground, synthetic turf field, new restrooms and new parking lot. This $6 million development will be fully accessible. At full build out, there will be additional multipurpose fields and a retail component that will be run by individuals with special needs. The City is excited about providing unique facilities for all of our residents.
22
Miracle Park Full Build out
SERVING ENGAGING GROWING
Work with the community to expand opportunities for special populations Complete the second phase of Miracle Park
By 6/30/2021
Increase participation in PRT special population programs
By 5% annually
Hold cycling events targeted toward special populations
At least 2 events per year
Support initiatives that reflect the City’s commitment to ongoing education Co-sponsor the creation of a reader certification program
By 6/30/2019
Host a statewide robotics competition with Comporium
By 12/31/2019
Create City-led bicycle team programs at area schools
At least two new bicycle teams per year
TAP Participants showcasing their work
23
Growing
Working in unison with local businesses, individual entrepreneurs, and local educational institutions, the City sees the future of Rock Hill’s success in balanced growth. “Growing” demonstrates the City’s commitment to providing the right circumstances for people and businesses to excel. The City is fully engaged in the future development of Knowledge Park— a hub in the heart of Downtown that will be the epicenter of our knowledge based economy. Our success in Knowledge Park will be tied to our ability to help support talent development of our youth and community readiness for the jobs of tomorrow. Beyond the center city, the City will continue to explore options to make Rock Hill the most business-friendly location in the state of South Carolina. Over the next three years, the City will work towards greater connections through a fare-free bus system, additional sidewalk and road efforts, and trails. Similar to the other focus areas, data shaped the development of specific goals, objectives, and tasks for this focus area. The City’s Business Survey was completed in 2016 and indicated that 90% of respondents would recommend Rock Hill as a business location to someone who asks. Additionally, 94% of respondents indicated they planned on keeping their business in Rock Hill for the next three years. In exploring opportunities for improvement, the top four issues facing local businesses are: the cost of doing business—taxes and fees (55%), federal and state regulations (34%), workforce quality (31%), and local regulations (28%). Moving forward, the City will continue to explore ways in which we can assist with workforce quality, as well as ways to ease the burden of local regulations and fees.
24
Growing Goals 7. Make Knowledge Park a vibrant, active, and connected urban
destination 8. Promote a strong and diverse local economy to promote business prosperity and
business park success 9. Improve connectivity to reliable and sustainable transportation modes
25
Goal: Make Knowledge Park a vibrant, active, and connected urban destination
Provide foundational infrastructure needs to facilitate continued growth in the city’s core Institute recommendations from the Knowledge Park Master Plan
By 6/30 annually
Complete Phase III clean-up of the Bleachery site
By 6/30/2021
See a new building constructed in the Fountain Park area
By 6/30/2021
Increase the value of assessed property in the Downtown and Textile Corridor TIF districts
Maintain coverage of at least 1.2x debt service annually
Promote continued new and redeveloped residential efforts in and around the Knowledge Park area Work with developers and non-profits to create workforce housing in the opportunity zones
Provide biannual updates
Work with developers to provide age restricted development in and around Knowledge Park
Provide biannual updates
Partner with a community group to incorporate art in Knowledge Park
By 6/30/2020
See voluntary compliance for substandard issues in neighborhoods surrounding Knowledge Park
Less than 30 days
26
SERVING ENGAGING GROWING
Link Downtown, University Center, and Winthrop University through a variety of connective mediums Connect Laurelwood Cemetery to the Winston Searles Trail
By 6/30/2020
Complete a bike/ped route between Winthrop University and Downtown
By 6/30/2021
Implement recommendations of the comprehensive parking management plan
By 6/30 annually
Increase the percentage of residents who affirmed they walked or biked instead of driving
Above 34%
Spotlight: Opportunity Zones Opportunity zones are geographic areas eligible for a new community development tool incentivizing long-term private investments in certain communities. Leveraging federal tax reform legislation passed in late 2017, our census tracts in Downtown Rock Hill—including Knowledge Park, the Saluda Road corridor, and the Dave Lyle/ Anderson corridor—have been designated for this investment program. The City hopes to see these areas develop in ways that promote workforce and affordable housing, new infrastructure, and new business development. The designation of these opportunity zones will be a key part of the redevelopment strategy for the Knowledge Park area. For more information about the City’s opportunity zones and current efforts, please visit: www.cityofrockhill.com/opportunityzones
Map of Rock Hill Opportunity Zones
27
Goal: Promote a strong and diverse local economy to promote business prosperity and business park success Encourage a business-friendly environment in Rock Hill that creates new jobs and private investment Support small businesses through the Open for Business program
Maintain or increase above prior year
Establish a small business co-op focusing on governmental relations
By 6/30/2019
Support the creation of new jobs across the City
See at least 500 new jobs annually
Support private development in the Albright/ Saluda Corridor
By at least $1 million annually in new investment
Assist in the development of at least one new business park
By 6/30/2021
Spotlight: Business Parks Rock Hill has a rich history of developing business parks—TechPark, Waterford, Antrim, Riverwalk, Airport Industrial, SouthCross, etc. These business parks are vital to providing a number of jobs to our community. Legacy East is the newest business park located off of Anderson Rd. near I-77 on 300 acres. It will host prospective industrial businesses similar to the Ross Distribution facility located in Legacy West. The Rock Hill Economic Development Corporation (RHEDC) has been partnering with the City to support the development of new business parks, as well as speculative buildings—buildings used to entice new businesses to locate in Rock Hill.
28
Business Parks in Rock Hill
SERVING ENGAGING GROWING
Support opportunities for talent development and workforce readiness Co-host manufacturing job fairs with York Tech Create a City run apprentice program for students Place college students into career-related internships through the Talent Pipeline Internship Program Recruit new companies in the Technology Incubator
At least two job fairs annually By 12/31/2019 At least 15 students annually At least three new successful companies annually
Deliver City services that enhance safety and efficiency for the business community Maintain competitive commercial cost to serve rates for all City services
Within 5% of the benchmark cities averages
Complete initial plan reviews for new commercial buildings and civil constructions
Average less than 7 business days
Maintain fire safety through commercial inspections
Within 5% of the benchmark cities averages for inspections completed per fire inspector
Continue to incorporate long range planning efforts Work with York County to develop recommendations for balanced growth
Provide updates twice per year
Identify and study the next key corridor
By 12/31/2019
Complete the full re-write of the Comprehensive Plan
By 12/31/2020
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Goal: Improve connectivity to reliable and sustainable transportation modes
Develop a public transit system to support mobility amongst residents and visitors Begin public bus operation
By 5/1/2019
Achieve an on-time goal for all City bus routes
Of at least 90%
Ensure exceptional customer service with City bus routes
With less than 1 complaint per 50 passenger trips
Invest in road, sidewalk, and airport infrastructure to provide for connections and future growth Achieve a pavement condition index average
Of at least 75% by 6/30/2021
Develop a plan to address Citywide sidewalk issues
By 6/30/2019
Begin airport runway extension construction
By 6/30/2021
Increase the percentage of residents who rate street repair positively
More than 26% satisfaction
30
SERVING ENGAGING GROWING
Spotlight: Connectivity As we continue to grow as a community, there is a need to ensure a variety of transportation modes allowing people to get where they need to go. One of the biggest issues brought up in focus group meetings revolved around traffic. Traffic congestion in key intersections was broadly discussed— finding ways to widen intersections, fix the quality of roads, traffic signal timing, and exploring new roads that could alleviate some congestion. Over the last few years, the City has substantially increased funding to address road issues—seeing almost $1.4 million in general fund paving annually, the addition of two pothole trucks, and deploying techniques to add life to existing pavement. Using the Rock Hill-Fort Mill Area Transportation Study (RFATS), the City continues to explore any external funding options to help alleviate traffic concerns. Additionally, participants felt the population of Rock Hill was now large enough to justify the capital investment in a public transportation system. Fortunately, the City was already in the process of bringing a fare free public bus system to the area. Slated to begin service in the spring of 2019, there will be four bus routes—the Downtown circular, Dave Lyle, Cherry Rd, and Heckle loop. Operating 14 -15 hours per day, the City hopes to alleviate further traffic concerns and provide a service to those transit -dependent residents of our community. Adding to the road and bus efforts, there is a broader emphasis on additional key trail connections and sidewalk maintenance issues across the City. In the coming three years, we hope to complete connections between Winthrop and Downtown as well as a connection from the Winston Searles Trail to the new development in Knowledge Park. In addressing sidewalk maintenance efforts, the City is diligently working to fix a number of sidewalks in the REDI neighborhoods.
Pedestrian/Bike Primary Routes
On the other end of the alternative transportation spectrum, construction projects at the Rock HillYork County Airport are included to keep the facility competitive and provide added amenities to stakeholders. 31
www.cityofrockhill.com/transparency
City of Rock Hill 155 Johnston St. PO Box 11706 Rock Hill, SC 29731
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