Kicking off the new year, Concerned Citizens of the Sea Islands will be holding a Design Charrette (I had to look it up too) aimed at finding alternatives to the expansion of I-526. The collaborative sessions will be lead by Glatting Jackson, experts in progressive transportation solutions, and explore better ways to use the $420 million set aside for the expansion. The 3-day event kicks off January 2nd at 9 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Riverview (full schedule here).

It seems like those millions could be better spent easing traffic congestion and providing public transportation around the metro area. While on the surface the expansion makes sense visually, I’m not sure if rapid growth on the islands is a good thing – it’s putting people farther away from where they work, shop, and recreate – just like in Mount Pleasant and Summerville. More cars, more cars, more cars.