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1. How much is a Business License?

This depends on the type of business activity, rate classification, whether the business is located inside or outside of the City limits, and the business's gross receipts. The classification list and fee schedules are at the end of the Business License Ordinance. If this is the first time your business has applied for a license in the City of Spartanburg, please call 864-596-2055 for help in properly classifying your business.

2. I am a non-resident business and do business at clients' homes/businesses - how do I find out whether or not an address is inside the City limits?

You are welcome to call us or email us any time you are not sure whether a location is inside limits! If you need to find the information right away during non-business hours, you can find this information online at the County Assessor's site:

• Go to Spartanburg County Assessors page.
• Read the Legal Disclaimer and click on "I Agree" at the bottom of the page.
• Enter the street number, street name, and direction of the property address and click the Search button.
• Click on the parcel number.
• If the Millage Group data includes the code letter Z in the code (i.e.7SSZ), then the property is inside the City limits.

3. We are moving - how do we go about transferring our business license?

Call, email, or write us with the business name as it appears on your license, the old address, your new address, and a phone number in case we have any questions. If you would like an updated copy of your paper license, please request a reprint, and it will be mailed to you.

If a business is moving into or out of Spartanburg City limits, your rate classification and basis for reporting will change. If the business has reorganized or is under new ownership and the Federal Identification Number or Social Security Number associated with the business has changed, you will need to apply for a new license.

4. What is your mailing address?

City of Spartanburg
Business Licensing
PO Drawer 1749
Spartanburg, SC 29304

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1. What is Hospitality Tax (H-Tax)?

A 2% tax charged on the sales of prepared meals and beverages within the City of Spartanburg.

2. How can H-Tax revenues be spent?

In a county in which at least $900,000 of accommodations tax is collected annually, the revenues of the hospitality tax may be used for the operation and maintenance of tourism-related activities and services, including police, fire protection, emergency medical services, and emergency-preparedness operations directly attendant to those activities.

In order to support the efforts of local partners to promote tourism and quality of life in the City of Spartanburg, City Council may designate a portion of the annual hospitality tax revenue for competitive grant awards. Council will decide the amount of such portion annually.

City Council makes the final decision on all allocations of city hospitality tax funds, including any allocations made through the competitive grant process. The Hospitality Tax Grants Advisory Committee makes recommendations to City Council on grant funding annually.

3. What are the grant eligibility requirements?

• All applicants for the competitive grant process must have an IRS Not For Profit status or be a governmental agency.
• The organization must reside or the Event/Project must take place within the corporate limits of the City of Spartanburg.
• Grantee organizations must not re-grant City H-Tax funds to other organizations. All funds must be spent on direct expenditures by the organization that receives the allocation.

4. What is the Hospitality Tax Grant review process?

Once all applications for H-Tax grant funds are received and eligibility is verified, they will be forwarded to the Hospitality Tax Grants Advisory Committee for review. Applicants will then be assigned a date and time to deliver a short presentation on their program to the committee. The committee will review and score each application and presentation based on the evaluation measures described below. The Committee will then submit its funding recommendations for review by City Council, which makes all final allocation decisions.

The committee will consider the following when evaluating requests:

• The degree to which the organization, program, project, or event is likely to draw visitors to the City of Spartanburg.
• The impact of the organization, program, project, or event has on the quality of life for City residents.
• The expected direct economic impact of the organization, program, project, or event.
• The impact of the event on the image and marketing of Spartanburg as a dynamic and appealing community.
• The degree to which the applying organization or event promotes and affirms racial equity in Spartanburg in accordance with Spartanburg City Council's approved "Healing, Reconciling, and Unity" resolution (PDF).
• The prior success and managerial track record of sponsoring organization.
• The degree to which the organization, project, program, or event is supported by other community partners. Applications should reflect financial support from other local partners. Hospitality Tax Grants cannot be the sole local fund source for any project, program, or event.
• The completeness of the application information.

If your organization, project, program, or event received an H-tax grant in the current year and your request is for an amount larger than that award amount, please explain specifically how the requested increase will result in increased positive community impact of the project, program, or event.

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1. What is the Litter Hero Program?

The Litter Hero Program is a 90-day pilot created by the City of Spartanburg, OneSpartanburg Inc., Spartanburg County, and a wide range of homeless service providers that will employ up to four individuals who are experiencing homelessness or housing instability as part of a litter crew working in Spartanburg County. Participants will be employees of the Spartanburg Opportunity Center, reporting to work at the center in the morning to engage in case management and life skills training as assigned prior to heading to the work site.

2. What needs does the Litter Hero Program serve?

This pilot program was initiated as an innovative means of helping address a noticeable increase in litter throughout Spartanburg County and in order to provide an innovative path toward sustainable employment opportunities for individuals experiencing homelessness. 

3. What are the requirements for participants?

Organizations will assist in referring individuals to the program. Once referred, those who wish to participate must meet the following conditions:

• Must engage in case management weekly as assigned
• Must agree to drug testing at any point in time during the course of the program
• Must agree to and complete background check
• Must agree to and pass a physical
• Must be able to meet the requirements and work hours as set by the employer

4. What are the work schedules and compensation for participants in the program?

Participants will average 25 hours per week, typically weekdays, 10 am-3 pm. All participants are paid $12 per hour and receive case management and life skills training, as well as post-program connections to the traditional work force. Housing for participants is provided by Miracle Hill for the duration of the program, as well as 30 days following its completion.  

5. Who is funding the program?

The Litter Hero Program is funded by the City of Spartanburg, OneSpartanburg Inc., Spartanburg County, Keep OneSpartanburg Beautiful, and Palmetto Pride.  

6. What are the program’s partner organizations?

This program represents the coming together of a wide variety of local institutions and organizations to address issues associated with homelessness and litter in our community including, Spartanburg County, City of Spartanburg, OneSpartanburg Inc., Spartanburg Opportunity Center, United Way of the Piedmont, H.O.P.E. Ministries, Keep OneSpartanburg Beautiful, Miracle Hill Ministries, SPIHN, SC Works, and GoForth Recovery.

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1. What is the City of Spartanburg Homeless Court?

The City of Spartanburg Homeless Court is a voluntary program created to help individuals who are either currently homeless or homeless at the time they were charged with a criminal offense that falls within the criteria for Homeless Court participation. The purpose of the Homeless Court is to encourage participants to receive and complete treatment and rehabilitation programs in exchange for the dismissal of the fines associated with a criminal offense and, in some cases, the dismissal of an offense.

2. How was the City of Spartanburg’s Homeless Court created?

The Homeless Court was created on September 19, 2019, by Order of the Supreme Court of South Carolina, as an alternative court for South Carolina residents. The Order grants the City of Spartanburg Municipal Court the authority to preside over cases for eligible Homeless Court participants.

3. What charges are considered?

• The Solicitor’s Office will consider any offense that occurs in the City of Spartanburg that carries a penalty of no more than 30 days.  
• Offenses that are not eligible for consideration include Criminal Domestic Violence (CDV) and Driving Under the Influence.   
• The Solicitor’s Office will consider bench warrants resulting from any offense that occurs in the City of Spartanburg that carries a penalty of no more than 30 days. 
• Bench warrants that are not eligible for consideration include Criminal Domestic Violence (CDV), Assault and Battery 3rd Degree, and Driving Under the Influence.  
• A Homeless Court participant must be homeless, formerly homeless, or facing homelessness as a result of pending or past charges or bench warrants.
• Any eligible participant must be able to prove to the Solicitor’s Office that they are receiving treatment or have received treatment and are transitioning out of a homeless lifestyle.
• The Seventh Circuit Solicitor’s Office has the sole discretion to admit or deny participation in Homeless Court.  No individual will be allowed to participate in Homeless Court without the authorization and consent of the Seventh Circuit Solicitor’s Office.  The Seventh Circuit Solicitor’s Office has the sole authority to refuse any Defendant’s participation in Homeless Court.

4. How does Homeless Court work?

The Homeless Court is a formal proceeding with a judge, solicitor, an attorney for the Homeless Court participant, bailiff, treatment providers, and court administration.  Although the proceeding is formal, Homeless Court is held outside of a traditional courtroom. Therefore, the program is brought to Homeless Court participants to help them resolve their matters quickly and in a setting that makes the participant feel comfortable.

5. Does a Homeless Court participant receive a lawyer?

Yes, provided that a homeless court applicant meets the criteria and is selected for participation, the applicant will be assigned an attorney to help manage the case pro bono.

6. What is the process and steps for Homeless Court?

1. Homeless Court applicant fills out an application 
2. The application is sent to the Solicitor’s Office and the Public Defender for review and consideration.
3. After an application is approved, the applicant is assigned a pro bono attorney and is introduced during Homeless Court.  The applicant will begin working with a service provider to develop a “plan” that addresses the applicant’s barriers in order to transition out of homelessness.
4. Upon completion of the Plan, the applicant will return to Homeless Court with his/her attorney and explain his/her progress in overcoming barriers.
5. Upon the Judge’s discretion, the applicant’s charge(s) will be dismissed or reduced.

7. Who are some of the qualifying treatment providers currently involved in the City of Spartanburg Homeless Court?

• South Carolina Legal Services 
• Miracle Hill  
• Forrester Center for Behavioral Health 
• Spartanburg Interfaith Hospitality Network 
• Alston Wilkes Society
• Regenesis
• Access Health
• United Way
• Department of Mental Health
• Upstate Workforce Investment Board
• Urban League

8. Where is Homeless Court held?

The City of Spartanburg Homeless Court is held at the Spartanburg Soup Kitchen located at 136 S Forest Street Spartanburg, South Carolina 29306.

9. How do I obtain an application for the Homeless Court?

The best way to obtain an application and learn more about Homeless Court is to contact a local service provider. In addition, you may contact the Spartanburg Municipal Court at 864-596-2038 for more information about the City of Spartanburg Homeless Court.

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1. What does the City prohibit/what constitutes a Nuisance Violation?

The City prohibits the following on residential lots:

• Construction / demolition debris
• Inoperable / unregistered vehicles
• Overgrown weeds and grass
• Auto parts and scrap metal
• Appliances/furniture
• Standing water
• Junk, debris, trash, and litter

2. What are examples of Housing Violations?

All residential properties must be well-maintained, safe, and sanitary. Violations that may trigger a property maintenance action include:

• Peeling paint
• Deteriorated/damaged roofs
• Unsanitary facilities
• Electrical and lighting hazards
• Unsecured buildings
• Damaged doors or windows
• Absence of a heating system or damaged heating system
• Deteriorated/damaged fences and walls
• Substandard or inoperable plumbing

3. What do I do if there is a nuisance property in my neighborhood?

There are a number of options available to you:

• Contact the property owner or tenant. Describe your perception of the problem. Discuss how the problem affects you and possible solutions.
• Attend your Neighborhood Association meetings. Get involved with problem solving. If you do not know if you have a Neighborhood Association, call the Community Services Department at 864-596-2052.
• File a complaint. Call City Property Maintenance Inspections Division at 864-596-2915.

4. What happens when a violation is reported?

Our goal is to encourage both owners and tenants to voluntarily correct any violations. When a violation is reported, we open a complaint and work toward resolving the violation through a process of education, inspection, and notices. In most cases, the person responsible for a violation is given an opportunity to voluntarily comply with the law and correct the situation.

5. What happens if a violation is not corrected?

Each violation has a set of enforcement procedures and a time limit for compliance. If the violation is not corrected in the time allowed, the City has two enforcement options:

• Abatement: In a typical case, the City's Property Maintenance Team will hire a private contractor to either demolish or board and secure a structure, or to clean a property of junk and debris.
• Judicial Remedies: Failure to correct violations can result in fines of as much as $440 and/or jail time.

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1. When do I need to have my cart by the road for pickup?

Carts must be placed on the curb no later than 7:30 am on your scheduled pickup day.

2. What if I have a bulk item that does not fit in my cart?

Bulk items such as furniture or appliances must be placed 3 feet away from your cart for pickup. Collection personnel will notify the City's Solid Waste staff of the large item and will have it removed within 1 to 2 business days. If there are multiple items or larger/heavier items, please expect it to take longer to collect. 

3. What if I need an extra garbage cart for my home?

Citizens may request additional roll carts for a fee of $60 per roll cart. Please submit the online request on this page if you need additional roll carts. 

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1. What do you accept for recycling in the blue roll carts?

• Aluminum and Steel Cans (empty and rinse)
• Plastic bottles, tubs, jugs, and jars
• Mixed paper (newspaper, magazines, inserts, office paper, unwanted mail)
  • NOTE: DO NOT include shredded paper
• Paperboard (e.g. shoebox, tissue boxes, cereal boxes, paper towel tubes)
• Corrugated Cardboard/Cardboard Boxes
  • NOTE: MUST be free of all packing material, trash, Styrofoam
  • Please flatten large boxes and stack next to your recycling cart for later collection

**ALL RECYCLABLES MUST BE PLACED LOOSE IN YOUR ROLL CART; DO NOT BAG RECYCLABLES**

**DO NOT PLACE GLASS, STYROFOAM, PLASTIC BAGS, OR GARBAGE IN YOUR ROLL CART**

2. Why is the city no longer accepting glass?

The City of Spartanburg regrettably does not accept glass through its residential curbside recycling collection program. Sweeping changes in the recycling marketplace forced this change several years ago, including a dramatic drop in the price for glass recyclables. As a result, there are no outlets for residential glass recycling and no viable opportunities for the material to be reused. 

3. Is this glass situation unique to Spartanburg?

No. Many communities across the nation have been left with no viable opportunities for their glass recyclables and have stopped accepting glass. Some are facing even more widespread issues and making more significant cuts to their recycling programs.

4. Can I take my glass to the County's recycling centers?

No. Spartanburg County also has also been forced to stop accepting glass.

5. How do I dispose of paint, fluorescent tubes/bulbs, batteries, hazardous materials, medications, or syringes?

-All Spartanburg County recycling centers offer a paint exchange where any City resident may drop off or pick up paint during their open hours. Click here to view Spartanburg County recycling center addresses and hours of operation. 

-Compact fluorescent tubes/bulbs may be taken to big box stores such as Lowe's or Home Depot, Cleanlites Recycling in Spartanburg, or the Spartanburg Annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event (which is held in the City limits in the spring of each year). Please call 864-596-2932 for further information. 

-Lead-acid batteries are accepted for recycling at all Spartanburg County recycling centers. Alkaline batteries may be disposed of with household trash, or taken to the Spartanburg Annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event. All other types of batteries (e.g. NiCd, lithium, lithium-ion) may be taken to Lowes, Home Depot, Best Buy, Batteries Plus, or Cleanlites Recycling, OR can be taken to the Annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event. *NOTE: DO NOT DISPOSE OF LITHIUM OR LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES IN HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE. THEY ARE NOT ACCEPTED FOR DISPOSAL IN YOUR GARBAGE ROLL CARTS OR AT COUNTY RECYCLING CENTERS, AS THEY POSE A SIGNIFICANT FIRE RISK.

-City residents may dispose of household hazardous waste at the Spartanburg Annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event which is held in the spring each year. For more information on this disposal event or how to safely dispose of hazardous materials if you are unable to attend the event, please contact us at 864-596-2932, or contact Spartanburg County Solid Waste at 864-949-0211. 

-Both the Spartanburg Public Safety Department at 145 W Broad St. and Spartanburg County Sheriff's Department at 8045 Howard St. operate a medication drop-off kiosk year round. Please take medications to either location for safe disposal. Medications are NOT accepted at the Spartanburg Annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event. 

-To properly dispose of syringes, please place them in a sturdy plastic jug (e.g. laundry detergent or bleach jug), tightly screw on the lid when full, and mark on the jug, "CONTAINS SYRINGES." Dispose of the plastic jug with household garbage. Please do NOT put a jug containing syringes in your recycling roll cart, and please do NOT dispose of loose syringes in bags. See SC-DHEC's website for more information on safe syringe disposal. 

6. How do I recycle an item that isn't listed on your website?

Our rule of thumb is, "when in doubt, throw it out." Items that you're not sure about should most likely go into your garbage roll cart. If you want some more specific information, however, please feel free to email tatkins@cityofspartanburg.org or call 864-596-2932. 

7. Why can't I recycle Styrofoam, plastic bags, etc.?

Typically items are not accepted for recycling for a variety of reasons including low market values, logistical concerns, processing issues, or the nature of the raw materials used to make the product. 

Styrofoam, while it may contain a recycling symbol, requires expensive specialized equipment to prepare into a marketable product. It is often too lightweight to justify the cost to transport, let alone the cost to prepare. Very few municipalities accept Styrofoam for recycling, and it is universally considered unacceptable in curbside collection programs nationwide.  

Plastic bags, though they almost always have a recycling symbol, clog the machinery used to sort and separate recyclables at local processors. They are known as "tanglers" and can cause time-consuming and costly equipment malfunctions if they become entangled in sorting equipment. Oftentimes, however, local grocery stores do have a separate bin available for plastic bags and plastic film recycling. These bags are not sent through the same sorting equipment, and are accepted by recyclers in bulk, therefore can be processed. While we strongly encourage residents to reduce waste by using reusable bags for groceries, if you choose plastic grocery bags, please return them to grocery stores for recycling. More information can be found here. 

Batteries, especially lithium and lithium ion batteries, and fluorescent tubes are unable to be recycled in traditional programs due to safety hazards. There are multiple recycling options for these types of products locally, including the Spartanburg Annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event, and private programs, such as the battery recycling program at Best Buy, Lowe's, Home Depot, Batteries Plus, or Cleanlites Recycling. 

We encourage you to contact Solid Waste Coordinator, Tim Atkins, if you have questions about hard to manage items: tatkins@cityofspartanburg.org or 864-596-2932. You may also contact Spartanburg County's Solid Waste Department about materials that the City cannot accept for recycling in your roll cart, such as motor oil, cooking oil, lead acid batteries, electronics, tires, and antifreeze at 864-949-0211. 

8. How do I recycle electronics, what is "e-waste," where do I recycled electronics?

All residential electronics, also known as e-waste, is defined as televisions (flat screen, projection screen, wood console, and CRT/"old" style TVs), computers (towers, laptops), computer monitors, printers, keyboards, mice, and other computer accessories. These items are NOT collected by the City, and residents must take these materials to a Spartanburg County recycling center. The County recycling centers that accept electronics for recycling are: 

-White Stone, 379 Brown Rd. Spartanburg, SC 29306

-Wellford, 595 Little Mountain Rd. Wellford, SC 29385

-Cooley Springs, 390 Sulphur Springs Rd. Chesnee, SC 29323

-Hobbysville, 1493 Kilgore Bridge Rd. Woodruff, SC 29388

 The County also accepts electronics at events throughout the year. Please contact them at 864-949-0211 or visit their website for more information. Please note that the County accepts residential electronics free of charge from all City residents. 

Please note that residential electronics MUST be recycled, per South Carolina state law. 

9. How do I recycle tires?

The City does NOT collect tires for recycling. City residents must take any tires to the Wellford Landfill, 595 Little Mountain Rd. Wellford, SC 29385 to be recycled. Residents may bring up to 5 tires per household free of charge, and anything past that is $1.50 per tire (passenger sized) or $3.50 per tire (oversized). Tires are also accepted at some County clean-up events. Contact them at 864-949-0211 for more information. 

If someone has illegally dumped tires onto your residential property, please contact the City's Environmental Services Enforcement Department at 864-596-2911, or fill out the form on their page here. 

If you are a business needing to recycle tires, please contact Spartanburg County Solid Waste at 864-949-0211. 

10. I heard someone goes through all the trash, so there's no point in separating it into different roll carts. Is that true?

No one goes through your trash, and no one goes through your recyclables. We rely on residents to learn what recyclables are accepted, and to properly separate recyclables from household garbage and place into the correct roll carts. If you choose to recycle using the City's curbside collection program, it is important that you place only recyclable material in your recycling roll cart, and you place your roll cart on the curb to be serviced on your scheduled collection day. 

11. Do my recyclables actually get recycled, or does it all get thrown away?

Recyclables get recycled. Recycling is a huge industry in Spartanburg and in South Carolina, and there is value in recyclable materials. Recyclables that the City collects from your curbside roll cart are delivered by City trucks to local processors who are responsible for sorting and separating recyclables and selling them on the open market to manufacturers who then process those materials into new goods. 

While recycling is important, it's just one step in the "3 R's" process, and we encourage reducing waste, reusing products, and recycling materials that are accepted in our municipal program. We urge residents to consider the "end-of-life" disposal options for any product they buy, and encourage residents to look into packaging for goods they purchase in order to make informed decisions on the products they buy. Purchasing products made from recycled materials helps keep the recycling process sustainable by creating demand, conserving resources, and supporting a strong economic market for recycled materials. 

The well-known "chasing arrows" recycling symbol represents the three steps in the recycling process: 

-Step 1: your recyclables make it into your City roll cart and get taken to a local processor

-Step 2: a manufacturer buys those raw materials from the processor and uses them to manufacture new goods

-Step 3: consumers "close the loop" by purchasing goods made from those recycled materials. 

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1. What is a stormwater fee? What does this fee cover?

The stormwater utility fee is the annual fee that goes toward the cost of maintaining and upgrading the City's stormwater drainage infrastructure, and operating a comprehensive and proactive stormwater management program that fully complies with EPA mandates.

The fee will be used to cover the follow stormwater-related expenditures: 

• Emergency repair of City-owned stormwater infrastructure
• Maintenance of City-owned stormwater management infrastructure
• Construction site inspection for erosion control
• Stormwater management master planning 
• Stormwater system mapping
• Public education and outreach
• Drainage capital improvement plan
• Flood control improvements

2. Why do I pay a stormwater fee?

The EPA issued new stormwater permits that require communities to address water pollution caused by stormwater runoff. In addition to meeting the City's current stormwater needs, the Stormwater Utility Fund, adopted in 2010, provides the City with necessary resources to fully address unfunded federal and state regulatory requirements. 

Previously the City dealt with stormwater management on a reactive, as-needed basis. The age, size, and condition of the City's stormwater infrastructure demands a consistent, proactive approach. To do that, the City must join all other major cities and counties in South Carolina in adopting a stormwater utility fee. Spartanburg County adopted a stormwater property tax charge in 2005, which will now be removed from the property tax bill for City properties. 

The Stormwater Utility Fund covers the cost of our mandated stormwater management program, funds drainage improvement projects that alleviate flooding problems, and protects streams from erosion and sedimentation. 

3. How is the fee calculated?

• Residential property 
  • Properties with 1,640 square feet or less will be billed $30 annually.
  • Properties over 1,640 square feet will be billed $42 annually. 
  • Fees will be assessed on a resident's annual Spartanburg County property tax notice for residential properties. 
• Non-residential property 
  • Fees are based on the amount of impervious area each property contains.
  • Impervious is defined as any surface that does not absorb runoff, such as building roofs, asphalt, or concrete surfaces. 
  • These properties are assessed a rate based on $30 per 2,000 square feet of impervious area.
  • Fees will be assessed on a business's annual Spartanburg County property tax notice listed as City Fees.

4. How do I appeal the amount of my fee? What if I think there is an error in my bill?

A customer must submit an appeal form, and may provide additional information for their property, including a stamped survey or approved (stamped) site plan showing all impervious surfaces in addition to property boundaries. An appeal form can be downloaded from the City's website, or obtained by calling 864-596-3690. City staff will review the appeal (along with all supporting documentation), and respond to the appeal within thirty (30) days.

5. What is stormwater?

Stormwater is a term for what becomes of rain after it falls onto our rooftops, driveways, sidewalks, and other impervious surfaces that prevent the rain from naturally soaking into the ground. Stormwater runoff is a significant public concern, because if it is not properly controlled, it can cause serious damage to our properties and environment. Local governments maintain systems of ditches, pipes, tunnels, culverts, and basins to enable stormwater to reach creeks and streams without damaging homes, businesses, and other infrastructure. 

6. What does impervious mean?

Impervious is a term used to describe a surface that does not absorb runoff. Examples of impervious surfaces include roofs of buildings and asphalt or concrete (such as driveways or parking lots). Governments typically use the amount of impervious surface on each property as the basis for the fee calculations because it is the most accurate, readily available indicator of the impact each property has on the stormwater system. 

7. How does the City know the amount of impervious surfaces on each parcel?

The City employed qualified engineering consultants to compute all impervious surfaces for each non-residential property located in the City limits. The firm utilized Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis of aerial photography, along with other public records, to identify and measure the amount of impervious area for each parcel. 

8. How long does the appeal process take?

Appeals will be reviewed within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the appeal form along with all supporting documents. Customers will be notified by mail of the outcome of the appeal. 

9. What is the City doing to minimize the impact of stormwater?

The City of Spartanburg has a number of programs that specifically target the problems associated with stormwater, including:

• Inspection and Prevention--City staff inspects and monitors construction sites to ensure proper controls are in place to minimize runoff.
• Planning and Engineering--The City Stormwater Manager reviews design and construction plans for t he impact of stormwater.
• Maintenance--The City Stormwater Manager and Public Works crews work together to design and maintain stormwater infrastructure. 

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1. When did South Carolina begin using the flashing yellow turn arrow?

SC-DOT began installing flashing yellow turn arrows in 2013. The practice began in Columbia and has spread throughout the state. 

2. Why did the SC-DOT change and begin using the flashing yellow turn arrow?

This change was implemented as the result of a Federal Highway Administration study, which demonstrated that the new signals:
• Help prevent crashes
• Move more traffic through an intersection
• Provide additional traffic management flexibility

3. How is the flashing yellow turn arrow better than a left turn signal?

• They're safer--The study demonstrated that drivers made fewer mistakes with the new signals than with traditional left turn arrow signals.
• They're more efficient--The new signals provide traffic engineers with more options to handle variable traffic volumes.
• They're more consistent--You'll see the same signals in every state because the new signals are being introduced throughout the United States.

4. Are pedestrian signals a guarantee of safety?

In short, not exactly. While pedestrian signals are installed to improve visibility, aid pedestrians, and improve safety overall, the signals do not take the place of personal responsibility. Pedestrians must exercise good judgment and remain alert when crossing any roadway.

Pedestrians should keep the following points in mind when considering the safety:

• Push the pedestrian signal button if one is present
  • Note that pushing the button midway through a signal cycle will NOT extend the signal period
• Do not wait too long after given the notification that it is safe to walk--doing so may not allow ample time for you to clear the intersection. When you receive the indication that it is safe to walk, pause for a moment to look both ways to ensure the intersection is clear, then proceed to cross expediently. 
• Watch for any potential vehicular traffic crossing your path--by law, vehicles must yield to pedestrians that are walking lawfully within an intersection, but pedestrians must be responsible for their own safety before crossing.
• Always cross roadways as quickly and safely as possible. 

5. Will more stop signs slow traffic on our street?

UNJUSTIFIED STOP SIGNS

Stop signs are the most widely used and misused of all traffic signs. Stop signs installed incorrectly usually create more problems than they solve. Many requests are received for stop signs to interrupt traffic or to slow speeding vehicles. However, studies across the country show that there are a high number of intentional violations when stop signs are installed as nuisances or "speedbreakers." 

Studies show that speed is reduced in the immediate vicinity of nuisance stop signs, however, speeds are higher between intersections than before the signs were installed. This is caused by motorists making up for lost time. Nuisance stop signs also increase air pollution, waste fuel, and create more traffic noise. 

EFFECTIVE USE OF STOP SIGNS 

Under the correct conditions, stop signs can play an important role in traffic safety. National standards have been established to determine when stop signs should be installed. These standards consider traffic speed, the number of vehicles, sight distance, and the frequency of gaps in traffic to allow safe vehicle entry or pedestrian crossing. 

For safety purposes, when stop signs are used, they should stop vehicles on the street with less traffic. Four-way stops are helpful only when traffic is high and approximately equal on all four approaches. At least 500 cars per hour, for a substantial portion of the day, are needed to make fourway stops beneficial. 

Most drivers are reasonable and prudent. When confronted with unreasonable and unnecessary restrictions, motorists are more likely to violate them, and they usually develop contempt for all traffic signs, often with tragic results. 

6. How safe are pedestrian crosswalks?

Marked crosswalks are considered safety devices, and must jurisdictions give the pedestrian right-of-way when walking in them. However, many pedestrians feel overly secure when walking in a marked crosswalk, which could lead to undue hazards due to the mistaken belief that a vehicle can and will stop in all situations (even when it may be impossible to do so). 

A crosswalk should be considered a warning device to vehicles, yet studies indicate that distance, road alignment, pavement irregularities , and other variables like weather, lighting, or glare may diminish a driver's perception and view of the crosswalk. Pedestrians do not contend with the same visual impediments as drivers may, and make the assumption that a driver's view results in the same clear view of the crosswalk as the pedestrian has. Pedestrians should not feel overly confident and make assumptions as to visibility.