September 2022 Edition
Hello again everybody! Like many of you, several around here have spent the summertime or Labor Day weekend traveling the highways and byways of the land. So we thought we’d have a look at traffic counts!
Our colleagues at SCDOT maintain traffic counting stations at more than 400 locations throughout the county. They perform the counts using specialized equipment and have a methodology they use to determine Annual Average Daily Traffic, or AADT, at these locations.
We’ll share some general observations here, but if you want more info go to https://scdottrafficdata.drakewell.com/publicmultinodemap.asp, where SCDOT maintains an interactive mapping applications that will allow you to search traffic statistics in your community!
INTERSTATE LOVE SONG
NOTE: All traffic count data below reference calendar year 2021
The highest volume traffic counts are, as you might have guessed, on Interstate 85, where SCDOT maintains twelve counting stations within Anderson County’s borders. The distinction of highest traffic count in all of Anderson County goes to traffic station (STA) #2287, located in Powdersville between SC 153 and the Saluda River. This station had average daily traffic (ADT) of 109,600 vehicles. The volume of traffic observed here is 20% higher than that observed at the second-busiest station in Anderson county, which is located in…you guessed it! Powdersville! STA 2285 counts traffic on I-85 between 153 and River Road, and its ADT in 2021 was 90,800.
Traffic volumes decrease steadily as one moves southwest on I-85 through Anderson County, reaching around 71,000 approaching Exit 27, down to 53,000 nearing Exit 19, and dropping to 44,500 as one crosses into Oconee County.
EXIT RAMP
Let’s see how local traffic volumes compare in general to that on the interstate. The non-Interstate counting station recording the highest traffic volume is STA #221, and its ADT is 38,700. Where would you guess STA 221 to be located?
A) Saylor’s Crossroads B) Craytonville
C) Varennes D) Powdersville
Yep—it’s Powdersville. STA #221 counts traffic on Hwy 153 between the Interstate and SC 81. And the second-highest volume station is also on 153. That would be STA #222, which weighs in with an ADT of 33,300 between SC 81 and the Pickens County line.
HANDS ACROSS THE WATER, HANDS ACROSS THE SKY
It is worth noting here that funding for highway and related transportation projects in Powdersville is managed by an entity known as the Greenville-Pickens-Anderson Transportation Study (GPATS). Administration of GPATS is hosted by Greenville County, and the GPATS board and support committees are comprised of elected officials representing counties and municipalities within the GPATS borders. As the Greenville area has the majority of population in the GPATS boundary area, it so has a controlling number of voting representatives on the GPATS board. Funding for projects in Powdersville has to compete with projects all throughout Greenville and Pickens counties.
LIVING FOR THE CITY
Let’s look at traffic volumes in our municipal areas. The highest volume station in the City of Anderson (STA #131) is located on Clemson Boulevard and counts traffic along the section from US 178 (Wal-Mart) down to near Anderson Mall. The 2021 ADT count there was 31,300. Other areas of interest in the Anderson City Limits are:
- Pearman Dairy Rd. from Whitehall Rd. to Clemson Blvd. (24,200; STA #197)
- Highway 81N between E. Greenville St. and Reed Rd. (26,400; STA #209)
- S Murray Ave. from Whitner St. to Sayre St. (17,200; STA #121)
- E River Street at crossing of Rocky River (19,700; STA #111)
♫…FROM THE WEST DOWN TO THE EAST…♫
The latest major local thoroughfare to come into service is the East-West Connector. How does traffic look there as of 2021? Moving from west to east:
- 13,800 ADT between Clemson Blvd. and Kings Road (STA #464)
- 12,300 from Kings Road to Concord Road (STA #466)
- 15,100 from Concord to Highway 81N (STA #468)
I WAS BORN IN A SMALL TOWN…
City of Belton: Quiz time! Is traffic in the Belton City Limits heavier on South Main Street or Anderson Street (US 76)?
As it would be, traffic is heavier, by the width of a Wheaties flake, on South Main Street. Located just south of town square, STA #145 has an ADT of 10,000 while STA #143 (near Wendell’s) has a count of 9,800.
Town of Honea Path: Highest traffic volume is observed at STA #153, which counts 8,600 trips per day on the section of E. Greer Street between Church Street and Highway 252. The count is 7,600 ADT on Church Street near McCoy Lumber.
Town of Iva: We see 6,000 ADT recorded at STA #201, located on Highway 81 between West Broad Street and Good Hope Church Road.
Town of Pelzer: According to SCDOT, there’s an ADT of 4,000 at STA#174, located on Highway 20 between Highway 8 and the bridge into Greenville County.
Town of Pendleton: Pendleton’s highest traffic volumes are observed on US 76 at Tri-County Technical College, where STA #124 has an ADT of 17,300. Highest volume in the more “traditional” town area is seen on South Mechanic Street between US 76 and West Queen Street (8,300; STA #187).
Town of Starr: “America’s Mayor” Ed Sokol boasts an ADT of 8,000 at STA #203, located on Highway 81 in the heart of his jurisdiction.
Town of West Pelzer: Average traffic volume on Main Street is 8,100 trips per day (STA #160).
Town of Williamston: Spring Water Park is so beautiful that 11,700 vehicles pass by it each day!
AND FINALLY…
And what, you might ask, is the least-travelled road in Anderson County? We cannot say for sure—SCDOT does not monitor every road, and we have not had the opportunity to ask what criteria the agency uses for such determinations.
That said—SCDOT’s data tells us that the lowest traffic volume of any station in Anderson County was recorded at STA #491, located on Manning Road in southernmost Anderson County. Manning Road has an ADT of 75 between Barnes Station Road and the Elberton Highway.
ENCORE! ENCORE!
Before we go, how about some miscellaneous traffic data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey[1]?
Out of an estimated 88,997 workers aged 16 years and over:
- 84% drive to work alone; 10% carpool
- 20% leave for work between 6AM and 7AM; 27% head out between 7AM and 8AM
- 34% have a travel time to work of 30 minutes or more, with 5% having a travel time in excess of one hour
- 42% have three or more vehicles available to them to get to work
Until next time …So Long Everybody!
♫…GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66…♫
[1] U.S. Census Bureau, 2016-2020 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=means%20of%20transportation&g=0500000US45007&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S0802