Presbyterian College English professor Dr. Justin Brent looks over the busy intersection of Broad Street and Carolina Avenue in Clinton where improvements will be made.

Dr. Justin Brent and his collaborators were awarded $200,000 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation, which will go towards safety redesigns at the intersection of East Carolina and Broad

by Sarah Murphy

A Presbyterian College English professor is on a mission to make downtown Clinton more accessible for pedestrians, starting at the intersection of East Carolina Avenue and Broad Street, which will undergo a major transformation thanks to his recent efforts.

English professor Dr. Justin Brent partnered with the Laurens County Trails Association (LCTA), Jamie Kendrick of Mead & Hunt and Clinton city manager Tom Brooks, to write a grant application for a Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The SS4A funds regional, local and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries.

In the application for downtown Clinton, Brent and the team spoke of the need to improve pedestrian accessibility at the Carolina-Broad intersection — an area where multi-lane highways and a railroad crossing all converge near downtown retail, parking and park space.

“In this country, we design infrastructure primarily for car drivers in order to help them get where they’re going as quickly as possible,” said Brent. “Unfortunately, that makes life for non-drivers very dangerous; the per-capita rate of auto-related fatalities for non-drivers in the US is often twice as high as rates in other comparable countries. Living with this danger is bad for business, it’s bad for the environment, and it’s bad for human health.”

In December 2023, Brent learned that his project would be awarded $200,000 from SS4A, and the city of Clinton/county of Laurens would match with $50,000. “It was the best Christmas present I could have asked for,” said Brent. “It inspired me to continue to do more.”

Brent’s initial inspiration for the SS4A grant application sparked from a long-term goal of his: to make downtown Clinton more walking and biking safe.

“Bringing people downtown on foot or by bike would greatly benefit the city economically, environmentally, socially and healthily,” said Brent. “When it’s not safe to walk, people who don’t have to don’t. That’s bad not only for their own health, but it’s bad for everyone. Fewer people engage with the resources available in our town and income disparity worsens, and Clinton becomes an interstate for people passing through. If we want people to live in and enjoy Clinton, we have to build a place where you can enjoy being outside, especially downtown.”

The full scope of work and timeline for the intersection — which sits just a half mile from the heart of the Presbyterian College campus — has yet to be determined. Brent and his fellow project leads are currently preparing paperwork for companies to bid on the work.

In addition to the proposed safety improvements, Brent says there is potential to create a quieter experience with the railroad intersection.

“If we can afford to upgrade the train’s grade crossing at that intersection, it’s possible that trains would no longer need to whistle when coming through downtown Clinton,” said Brent. “This would make our downtown a lot more attractive to prospective small businesses.”

To learn more about the English Department at Presbyterian College, visit the program website.

Presbyterian College English professor Dr. Justin Brent leads a pack of cyclists through the City of Clinton’s busiest intersection where a new grant will address safety concerns for pedestrians and cyclists.