Rails to Trails

[Exile]

When I lived in FL, in a similar spot on the local trail, they built a tunnel under a busy intersection and installed gates on either end. They closed the gates before the sun set and opened them up after sunrise, and it was policed pretty well. I imagine they had cameras, too, though I don't remember. It  provided as much security as you could and eliminated the risk of getting run over.  And I don't recall seeing any graffiti, even after a few years. Hopefully they'll do something similar here.

3 minutes ago, gvegascple said:

We walked the new section the other day and looking around it made me wonder what kind of safety measures the trail system has.  I didn't see any cameras up  (maybe I missed them?) which I think is pretty much a no brainer for any new construction where a lot of people will be, let alone jogging paths which historically are magnets for assaults.  IMO cameras and lights and call boxes should be some of the first things that go up.

 

[transplant08]

Underpass at 253 has more clearance than I expected.  Sidewalk to get to it will be tight on busy days. Hope they find a way to smooth out the route to/from the trail.

[gman430]

Trail extension moving forward but without a bridge for Verdae Blvd which in my opinion is utterly ridiculous: https://www.postandcourier.com/greenville/business/city-of-greenville-takes-charge-of-bridges-for-swamp-rabbit-trails-laurens-road-extension/article_c2aaaf5e-f9e8-11eb-9fb1-5726278fbbbf.html

[GvilleSC]

29 minutes ago, gman430 said:

Trail extension moving forward but without a bridge for Verdae Blvd which in my opinion is utterly ridiculous: https://www.postandcourier.com/greenville/business/city-of-greenville-takes-charge-of-bridges-for-swamp-rabbit-trails-laurens-road-extension/article_c2aaaf5e-f9e8-11eb-9fb1-5726278fbbbf.html

As long as it happens later, I don’t see a problem. The important thing is moving forward and advancing the trail, IMO.  Hopefully money will be appropriated in the near future?

[NewlyUpstate]

2 hours ago, GvilleSC said:

As long as it happens later, I don’t see a problem. The important thing is moving forward and advancing the trail, IMO.  Hopefully money will be appropriated in the near future?

Agree, getting the Laurens corridor from Washington to Verdae built is the critical component here. It honestly wouldn't bother me if they stopped there for now in order to get the budget under control and the schedule moving along.  Check that... even just getting it to Haywood would be huge.  

Edited August 11, 2021 by NewlyUpstate

[bikeoid]

2 hours ago, GvilleSC said:

As long as it happens later, I don’t see a problem. The important thing is moving forward and advancing the trail, IMO.  Hopefully money will be appropriated in the near future?

I agree that the trail to Verdae is the most critical.   I still see the Verdae bridge as critical to be scheduled soon after - using the ICAR parking garage as a trailhead, extending the line to the Golden Strip area, etc.

[gman430]

I believe this expansion is gonna go all the way to ICAR and Verdae will just have a road crossing for now…at least until somebody gets hit by a car again. 

[Galley]

I, for one, can't wait to get a bridge across Laurens Rd.  I fractured my wrist in April, turning onto Hillside Dr. from Laurens Rd., with an SUV bearing down on me.

[SVL]

https://greenvillejournal.com/community/greenville-city-council-notes-att-gives-500k-to-unity-park-swamp-rabbit-trail-gets-pedestrian-bridges/

Quote

Council voted to enter into a contract with Palmetto Infrastructure for the construction of the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail pedestrian bridges at Laurens Road and Haywood Road.

 

[vicupstate]

Cleveland Connector

[Galley]

They have begun to remove trees along Hillside Dr.

[gman430]

New bike/pedestrian bridge coming to Highway 253/West Blue Ridge Drive crossing. The developer of Union Bleachery Mill site is paying for it as part of the tax incentives package with the county. A portion of the trail will also be relocated. 
 

 

Edited December 31, 2021 by gman430

[gman430]

Mauldin looking to add Swamp Rabbit trail connection: https://www.postandcourier.com/greenville/news/mauldin-considers-swamp-rabbit-trail-connector-off-east-butler-road/article_7eb0ad0a-5dc8-11ec-a2fd-33cc5a89f8e2.html

[Horatio Nelson]

 

On 12/31/2021 at 10:13 AM, gman430 said:

New bike/pedestrian bridge coming to Highway 253/West Blue Ridge Drive crossing. The developer of Union Bleachery Mill site is paying for it as part of the tax incentives package with the county. A portion of the trail will also be relocated. 
 

 

Is this instead of going under the road? Or was that a different crossing?

[gman430]

On 1/1/2022 at 3:28 PM, Horatio Nelson said:

 

Is this instead of going under the road? Or was that a different crossing?

Same crossing. This is going in instead of the underpass which is why work has stopped on it. 

Edited January 4, 2022 by gman430

[gman430]

The county also plans to give the developers permission to build a 12-foot-wide pedestrian bridge over Highway 253 that would eventually replace a street-level trail crossing of five-lane Highway 253.

Dean Warhaft, one of the development principals, called the bridge a key piece of their development, though it still has hurdles to cross to make it a reality.

The developers are in discussion with Duke Energy on a proposal to relocate electrical transmission lines that are too close overhead to where the bridge would be built. The proposed bridge would also require approval and assistance from multiple agencies, including Renewable Water Resources, which has sewer lines in its path, and the state Department of Health and Environmental Control and the Environmental Protection Agency, since part of the bridge would be located in what remains for now as a Superfund site with environmental contamination.

“The long term solution would be to get a pedestrian bridge over 253,” Warhaft said. “A nice signature pedestrian bridge also frames our project beautifully.”

In the near-term, the county, developers and other organizations are working to clear sand and build a tunnel using existing culverts under Highway 253 to divert the trail under the road next to the Reedy River.

Source: https://www.postandcourier.com/greenville/business/200m-tax-deal-for-250-acre-greenville-superfund-site-redevelopment-set-for-final-vote/article_76503624-6e87-11ec-98db-efe79965551d.html

[GMoxley]

City council approved the closure of the Richland Way underpass yesterday. 

[NewlyUpstate]

55 minutes ago, GMoxley said:

City council approved the closure of the Richland Way underpass yesterday. 

I wonder how this went over with the local residents. Gotta feel for them potentially, but hard to deny that this is a huge win for the swamp rabbit trail.

[gman430]

5 hours ago, NewlyUpstate said:

I wonder how this went over with the local residents. Gotta feel for them potentially, but hard to deny that this is a huge win for the swamp rabbit trail.

At the public meetings literally every single local resident wanted it closed. It’s a pointless road just like that bridge over the falls was.

[johnpro318]

1 hour ago, gman430 said:

At the public meetings literally every single local resident wanted it closed. It’s a pointless road just like that bridge over the falls was.

Which kinda makes sense since it was mostly used as a cut through for people that didn’t live there. 

[NewlyUpstate]

On 1/11/2022 at 3:42 PM, gman430 said:

At the public meetings literally every single local resident wanted it closed. It’s a pointless road just like that bridge over the falls was.

That's great to see! I found this Instagram post with the vote totals. Glad to see consensus on that path forward. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYj5wMCOOTM/

[gvegascple]

On 1/11/2022 at 4:51 PM, johnpro318 said:

Which kinda makes sense since it was mostly used as a cut through for people that didn’t live there. 

Hey I resemble that remark! 

[SVL]

There is an article on Greenville News that is titled  " New trail would make walk to Greenville's Heritage Green safer ".  Unfortunately it's behind the pay wall.  Anyone have any information on this? 

https://www.greenvilleonline.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.greenvilleonline.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fgreenville%2Fdowntown%2F2022%2F01%2F11%2Fnew-trail-connect-north-main-street-heritage

[GVLover]

44 minutes ago, SVL said:

There is an article on Greenville News that is titled  " New trail would make walk to Greenville's Heritage Green safer ".  Unfortunately it's behind the pay wall.  Anyone have any information on this? 

https://www.greenvilleonline.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.greenvilleonline.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fgreenville%2Fdowntown%2F2022%2F01%2F11%2Fnew-trail-connect-north-main-street-heritage

Greenville officials and staff are kicking off planning for an urban trail connection from North Main Street to College Street, adding improvements that would make the walk to Heritage Green safer for pedestrians. 

Also called the "cultural corridor" project, the idea is to install a wide, tree-covered multi-use trail for pedestrians, Mayor Knox White said. The improvements would make crossing from downtown to destinations like the Children's Museum of the Upstate, Hughes Main Library and the Upcountry History Museum safer. 

Greenville officials and staff are kicking off planning for an urban trail connection from North Main Street to College Street, adding improvements that would make the walk to Heritage Green safer for pedestrians. 

White said he hopes the project will be under construction this year, and he anticipates the project would take roughly six months to complete.

"Of all of all the things in downtown Greenville, from a design standpoint this is the last really significant piece of design we need to take care of," White said. 

The trail has been in the city's capital improvements budget for 10 years, White said, but the project has been delayed by wrangling with the state highway department, which had to approve a road diet so the city could make improvements.

Now, the city has appropriated $4 million for design and construction of the trail in its fiscal year 2021-2022 capital improvements program. Staff are planning a public information session at the end of January, city spokesperson Beth Brotherton said.

Edited January 13, 2022 by GVLover

[SVL]

1 hour ago, GVLover said:

Greenville officials and staff are kicking off planning for an urban trail connection from North Main Street to College Street, adding improvements that would make the walk to Heritage Green safer for pedestrians. 

Also called the "cultural corridor" project, the idea is to install a wide, tree-covered multi-use trail for pedestrians, Mayor Knox White said. The improvements would make crossing from downtown to destinations like the Children's Museum of the Upstate, Hughes Main Library and the Upcountry History Museum safer. 

Greenville officials and staff are kicking off planning for an urban trail connection from North Main Street to College Street, adding improvements that would make the walk to Heritage Green safer for pedestrians. 

White said he hopes the project will be under construction this year, and he anticipates the project would take roughly six months to complete.

"Of all of all the things in downtown Greenville, from a design standpoint this is the last really significant piece of design we need to take care of," White said. 

The trail has been in the city's capital improvements budget for 10 years, White said, but the project has been delayed by wrangling with the state highway department, which had to approve a road diet so the city could make improvements.

Now, the city has appropriated $4 million for design and construction of the trail in its fiscal year 2021-2022 capital improvements program. Staff are planning a public information session at the end of January, city spokesperson Beth Brotherton said.

Thanks for the info! Can't wait to find out more details about this, sounds like maybe soon at the public info session.