Greenville Transit

[kayman]

Interesting. I think the way for GTA to sufficiently fund their transit system is to implement a 1/2 sales tax on car tags or gasoline. It would be a guaranteed way to have a steady income for the transit system. You guys should be able to accomplish this sense you guys do have a county commission with full home rule. Also, I believe the GTA and SPARTA as well as the Anderson area system all need to start trying to cooperate and eventually merge into 1 Upstate system.

Edited October 11, 2006 by Leonard23

[Spartan]

So did anyone else take the trolley from County Square to dowtown for Fall for Greenville? I did. Lets just say County Square was not crowded... It runs every 20 mins. I think its worth it to not have to worry about parking.

Free parking, free trolley.

[RestedTraveler]

Looks like the proposed high speed rail corridor and the location of a possible terminal in Greenville was on City Council's agenda last night. FULL STORY.

[kayman]

That great to know considering the progress Greenville seems to be making. Are the any plans for the Greenville Amtrak terminal to be moved or upgraded to a mult-modal center for this proposed high speed rail line?

[monsoon]

Just to put this in perspective, the federal goverment halted any funding to develop high speed rail. It remains just a proposal with no timetables to even begin studying it.

[kayman]

Just to put this in perspective, the federal goverment halted any funding to develop high speed rail. It remains just a proposal with no timetables to even begin studying it.

Believe me, Metro. I work for a planning commission's transportation planning department, I already know. The chances are that it won't change anytime soon.

[goodbye]

Greenville Transit Authority ridership is up 22 percent through the third quarter for the year, a spokeswoman said this week.

This is from a story on GreenvilleOnline.com. It is encouraging to hear such information.

[GvilleSC]

Scary article about how traffic congestion is likely to double. Read about how to prevent Greenville from reaching 'gridlock': Greenville News

[Spartan]

I was glad to hear GTA's ridership is up. They really need some good news right now.

That was a great article on the future of congestion in Greenville. I'd like to add that this will be common accross the Upstate and South Carolina in general. I hope people will start putting some money where there mouth is in this state, and start to really make some changes.

[RestedTraveler]

OK...all I have to say about THIS is, "Doh!"

[linkerjpatrick]

OK...all I have to say about THIS is, "Doh!"

I might ride the bus some if I knew where in the world the stops were and if I could catch a good spot from my part of town. Yes, I know I can find a schedule somewhere but the Transit Authority doesn't seem to go out of their way to promote usage by the general public by making information on routes, etc. easy to find. I'm saying this without even checking their web site but a bus service should have to use that as their main means of letting the public know. The bus stops are practically invisible, The signs are either too small or the shelters blend into the surround area too much.

[RestedTraveler]

I understand your points and I feel that you may have just touched (inadvertently) on something, linkerj.

Riding the bus is just not "fun" enough for most people.

• The bus stops (if you can locate them) are dull and boring.
  
• The signage is boring (and that's a very bad thing in this city where signage is so bold, colorful, and user-friendly for most everything).
  
• The schedules/timetables are not accessable enough.
  
• Even the web site sucks, I assure you.
  

To me, these seem to be fairly easy things to correct (and relatively inexpensive). The system would nearly promote itself if proper stops/signage/etc. were in place.

I really have to look no further than Orlando and the Lynx to cite examples where the stops, signange, and schedules are all both fun and user-friendly. Pull-offs for stops on some of the major roads in Orlando have even been built in so the bus doesn't hold up traffic while waiting for people to get on and off of the bus...that's how widely used the system is there. I really don't think it's beyond reason to believe that the bus system could be adopted as widely here in Greenville, too.

Edited November 30, 2006 by RestedTraveler

[GvilleSC]

We need make the "West End Field" effect happen to the bus system. "The come and check it out once just to see and then come again later" effect. A modern, hip, and architecturally innovative designed bus station could be a start. In a good part of downtown that will promote ridership. As well as what RT mentioned. The problem exist in the funding. I think Greenville CAN have a self supporting mass transit system, we just need the right people running the system who will do our ideas...

Hmm, maybe BMW will make us some buses...

[gs3]

Excellent points on the above post.

Here is a link to a story abut the transportation summit like RT posted above, only this is a different source. This story says high speed rail should be complete in 6 to 12 years. He must know something we don't. While this would be a nice timeline, seems much quicker than I would expect, considering the US government's lack of support for anything rail related.

http://www.goupstate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...346/1051/NEWS01

[mallguy]

I think we know something that transportation official doesn't: that high-speed rail through SC won't be happening anytime soon.

With a President hostile to Amtrak, a Congress that hasn't done much at all to develop HSR (even when Democrats last controlled both the White House and Congress in 1993-1995), a state government that has done far less than its neighbors to develop passenger trains and relatively light population density, it just isn't going to happen in SC in the near future and especially not in the next 6-12 years.

Short-distance intercity trains in the US have been built up largely by state governments funding incrementally better service over time. Examples of this include California, Washington, Oregon, Michigan and North Carolina. SC doesn't have any Amtrak service now except overnight long-distance trains; just starting slow, short-distance Amtrak trains would be the first step, as NC has done, but SC hasn't done even that.

[gs3]

I think we know something that transportation official doesn't: that high-speed rail through SC won't be happening anytime soon.

With a President hostile to Amtrak, a Congress that hasn't done much at all to develop HSR (even when Democrats last controlled both the White House and Congress in 1993-1995), a state government that has done far less than its neighbors to develop passenger trains and relatively light population density, it just isn't going to happen in SC in the near future and especially not in the next 6-12 years.

Short-distance intercity trains in the US have been built up largely by state governments funding incrementally better service over time. Examples of this include California, Washington, Oregon, Michigan and North Carolina. SC doesn't have any Amtrak service now except overnight long-distance trains; just starting slow, short-distance Amtrak trains would be the first step, as NC has done, but SC hasn't done even that.

True. The only way it will work is with one stop, centered in Greenville, to draw the million plus from the region for long distance travel.

[linkerjpatrick]

I understand your points and I feel that you may have just touched (inadvertently) on something, linkerj.

Riding the bus is just not "fun" enough for most people.

That's exactly what I am talking about. The bus system is not being run like a business. I know my business wouldn't survive if it wasn't for clear communication, consistent branding and great service by listening to my clients. The Bus system is run more like a government welfare agency or something. In another thread MAST Store was mentioned and you can learn a lot of lessons from MAST. MAST is not just another store. It is an experience that feeds of the nostalgic feeling of the "good 'ol days". If they is something that is considered "me" as far as the way I dress or like to dress it's what MAST sells. MAST is almost the L.L. Bean of North and South Carolina. Other than cheap imports one of the things that doomed textiles in Greenville and the south was a lack of direction and positive branding that could make one proud to buy southern textiles.

[RestedTraveler]

Crazy thought: Do you know how art organizations in other cities parade artisticly decorated/painted animals (cows, bears, bass, horses, mastadons, etc.) throughout their cities? Perhaps the UVA or Metropolitain Arts Council could sanction something similar for x number of new mushroom-shaped bus stops throughout town?

Can you see it? Giant colorfully painted mushrooms positioned throughout Greenville both serving as interesting pieces of art as well as shelters for bus stops? The higher traffic the stop, perhaps the larger the mushroom or a cluster of mushrooms for that stop. The possibilities are absolutely endless.

What better way to make the bus stops both interesting and fun and to increase both ridership and interest in mass transit? I can see it now. People would ride the bus all about town just to see all of the different works of art (bus stops). Some would even make a scavenger hunt out of photographing them all.

There would, of course, need to be some sort of safeguard in place to ensure that these are maintained. Perhaps the individual artists that contribute their works could sign an agreement to maintain them over a period of time or something.

[GvilleSC]

I could see this. I was thinking something more sleek and modern, but artistic works too I guess.

[Spartan]

True. The only way it will work is with one stop, centered in Greenville, to draw the million plus from the region for long distance travel.

Maybe if its in Greer, near the airport. In reality you need multiple stops in Greenville and Spartanburg if this thing is going to be effective. Think of it like a modern interstate- the original idea behind it was to connect all of the large urban areas in the country (50,000 or larger in population) to each other. Just move that over to HSR... you need to connect the large urban areas to eachother to increase commerce, and industry and reduce reliance on the automobile where ever possible. If you're going to run HSR through the Upstate, Greenville and Spartanburg are the only logical stops.

Aside from that, I like your thinking here. GTA has some good people behind the scenes but they desparately need money just to maintain the level of service they have now... which is sad. They won't be able to expand without more of it! You should all encourange your county council representatives to find a way to contribute to GTA. The City can't go it alone.

I think that if the service was more convenient and had longer hours it could attract riders to downtown with no problem.

[Spartan]

Interesting talk on WORD 1330/950 AM with Stew White, the Chairman of GTA right now thru 5pm. They are talking about BRT, LRT, and the future potential of transit in Gville.

[linkerjpatrick]

The mushroom thing sounds interesting but why mushrooms? Anyone have any other Bus stop ideas?

[Spartan]

Interesting talk on WORD 1330/950 AM with Stew White, the Chairman of GTA right now thru 5pm. They are talking about BRT, LRT, and the future potential of transit in Gville.

I had mixed opinions on the results of this discussion. Basicly they talked about the issues I mentioned above, and they discussed

- the fact that density- or rather the lack of it -is a reason for the lack of transit in Greenville.

- One caller said that now is the time to start doing something about it.

- a $5 car fee would be enough to make GTA solvent and not have to cut back anymore

- BRT from Fountain Inn to downtown would be the next big step

- Mr White talked about how transit is a part of conservative values too

- fear of "Atlanta" was discussed. They planned ahead, and they are now benefiting form transit where it exists.

The problem is that Mr White did not have the answers to a lot of questions asked by Ralph Bristol. But he did get the word out that GTA needs help by next year, so I hope that people were at least educated on the issue a little more.

[RestedTraveler]

The mushroom thing sounds interesting but why mushrooms? Anyone have any other Bus stop ideas?

Because they have a natural canopy shape to them...that's pretty much the only reason.

Perhaps umbrellas would be another option? I'd fear that'd give people the wrong impression about Greenville though (i.e. "wow...it must really rain here a lot").

As for the GTA discussion, I missed it. It's a bit after the fact, but I would have called in on that one. I believe now is the time to start putting the infrastructure in place BEFORE the density gets here. Not only is it foresight, but it'll save money in the long run too because it'd be less expensive to put in place today than it would be 30 years from now.

[GvilleSC]

I believe now is the time to start putting the infrastructure in place BEFORE the density gets here. Not only is it foresight, but it'll save money in the long run too because it'd be less expensive to put in place today than it would be 30 years from now.

Someone needs to move to the city and join council or join county council