Traffic can make commutes feel less like a drive and more like a crawl in downtown Columbia.

A report conducted by Inrix in 2024 revealed that Columbia, South Carolina, is ranked 121 in the country for traffic congestion. Since then, construction in its urban core has been booming, signaling both exciting growth and new challenges for the city’s transportation network.

With growth comes change, and many are wondering: What will this do to traffic?

Sam Cokley has been an employee at The Muffler Shop located off Huger Street for about three years. 

For Cokley, traffic hasn’t necessarily been something he has worried about. But after he caught wind of recent developments on either side of the shop, his opinion could change.

Verve, a 697-bed, 233-unit student housing project, and Antique Apartments, a six-story, 174-unit complex, are being built nearby. That the busy Huger Street and Blossom Street intersection is just 0.4 miles away from The Muffler Shop.

Cokley is anticipating the new residents of the Huger developments to be students commuting by foot.

“Honestly, (traffic is) not something I’ve given too much thought to,” Cokley said. “… I’m hoping it’s more college kids that are going to be walking to campus. But for sure, if there are more workers and commuters moving in, that will impact our traffic.”

Huger Street has a daily average of nearly 22,000 cars, making it one of the busier key roads in downtown Columbia, according to the 2024 Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) by the Department of Transportation.

Despite construction and concerns, the city of Columbia has looked into the overall impact of the developments on traffic patterns, said Assistant Manager of Columbia City Water Clint Shealy.

“Each of these developments has to perform a traffic study before the city would approve (it) from a planning standpoint,” Shealy said. “A vertical apartment complex, whether it’s student housing or market rate, they are required to do a traffic study to see the vehicular movements to and from the complexes and how that is going to affect the overall flow of traffic.”

Those studies show the need for roadway modifications, such as extra turning lanes and traffic signals to help avoid congestion. 

Columbia’s urban core is seeing increased interest in development. Huger Street, for example, is expecting to welcome a Residence Inn – a four-story, 123-bedroom complex at the corner of Huger and Senate streets. Also coming is the extension of neighboring Williams Street, which is expected to allow development closer to the Congaree River.