A Grand Boulevard for Columbia: Assembly Street Improvements

[Spartan]

I think if people really don't want to cross Assembly, they can use the tunnel between the Coliseum and the School of Law. I would rather see Assembly narrowed in such a way that it allows for ped crossings without traversing 150' of asphalt.

[mr. chips]

I think if people really don't want to cross Assembly, they can use the tunnel between the Coliseum and the School of Law. I would rather see Assembly narrowed in such a way that it allows for ped crossings without traversing 150' of asphalt.

That is really not a practical solution if people are going from the Horseshoe area of campus to the School of Public Health or School of Music, etc. Besides the fact that the tunnel is very depressing, and one has to go up a huge flight of stairs at the law school end. There needs to be a people-friendly solution eventually.

[sojay]

That would be great. Since the University is expanding across Assembly in a big way (Koger Center, School of Music, Colonial Center, School of Public Health, Innovista all across the street from the main campus) there are more and more people crossing this big street. I have noticed an increase in traffic accidents there - including a well-known music professor who was hit by a car when he was crossing the street.

Here is a "creative solution" that could be interesting. If you notice, the part of Assembly street in front of the Koger Center is the top of a hill. If the road could be lowered here, and the block between College and Green St. made into a pedestrian bridge, this would connect the two parts of the campus, allow for foot traffic across (much like the pedestrian bridge over Pickens street, except wider) - and it could be made into a wonderful green area with some kind of monumental sculpture as a centerpiece that would be seen far down Assembly street. I am thinking of what Chicago did with Millennium Park built over the railyards and turned into a fabulous park with incredible outdoor sculptures.

I can't believe we have a very similar idea! Do I know you - have we talked about this????

I cross Assembly every day fearing for my life and I can't cross it without thinking about what kind of solution could solve the problem of that place. You are basically forced to take chances crossing if you don't want to wait what feels like 10 minutes, and you can't see the traffic racing over the hill.

It's an expensive but life quality enhancing solution to cut a tunnel right at the college street crossing and let Assembly stay horizontal till it comes out the other side of the hill just after the Green street crossing (going south: entrance in front of the music building or even further north at CVS, exit in front of the Colisseum). Green could be a bridge over Assembly with no turns possible, and the entire area in front of Koger could be pedestrian or single lane traffic. In other words, A very wide pedestrian bridge with lots of large scale greenery and more. A real plaza.

I was also thinking that without the traffic in front of Koger, that steep hill between Koger and the street could inexpensively be turned into an outdoor amphitheatre for outdoor concerts.

Another place for a large pedestrian street ... (I don't take credit for this idea, but I like it (Mr Chips, if this is YOUR idea, than I know who you are!...)) ... is at Gervais in front of the State House. Remember, the park is already elevated. If the park continued over Assembly into that empty lot on the west side, it would connect the Main street area with the Vista and help bring more after hours activity to Main Street.

I really think the neighborhoods Vista, Innovista, Main street, and the older part of USC campus seriously need to be better connected for pedestrians, bikes etc. Some serious investment, but gee, it would be worth it.

How many pedestrians have been hit by cars there? I've heard it's many.

[Spartan]

That is really not a practical solution if people are going from the Horseshoe area of campus to the School of Public Health or School of Music, etc. Besides the fact that the tunnel is very depressing, and one has to go up a huge flight of stairs at the law school end. There needs to be a people-friendly solution eventually.

True. I am aware of this. I used to live on the Horseshoe and park at the Plaza lot, which is now the School of Health

I can't believe we have a very similar idea! Do I know you - have we talked about this????

I cross Assembly every day fearing for my life and I can't cross it without thinking about what kind of solution could solve the problem of that place. You are basically forced to take chances crossing if you don't want to wait what feels like 10 minutes, and you can't see the traffic racing over the hill.

It's an expensive but life quality enhancing solution to cut a tunnel right at the college street crossing and let Assembly stay horizontal till it comes out the other side of the hill just after the Green street crossing (going south: entrance in front of the music building or even further north at CVS, exit in front of the Colisseum). Green could be a bridge over Assembly with no turns possible, and the entire area in front of Koger could be pedestrian or single lane traffic. In other words, A very wide pedestrian bridge with lots of large scale greenery and more. A real plaza.

I was also thinking that without the traffic in front of Koger, that steep hill between Koger and the street could inexpensively be turned into an outdoor amphitheatre for outdoor concerts.

Another place for a large pedestrian street ... (I don't take credit for this idea, but I like it (Mr Chips, if this is YOUR idea, than I know who you are!...)) ... is at Gervais in front of the State House. Remember, the park is already elevated. If the park continued over Assembly into that empty lot on the west side, it would connect the Main street area with the Vista and help bring more after hours activity to Main Street.

I really think the neighborhoods Vista, Innovista, Main street, and the older part of USC campus seriously need to be better connected for pedestrians, bikes etc. Some serious investment, but gee, it would be worth it.

How many pedestrians have been hit by cars there? I've heard it's many.

My only problem there is that its too expensive. I like the idea though. The major issue is that Assembly Street is as wide as an Atlanta freeway with traffic that goes almost as fast.

It would be much easier to create "bulb-outs" of concrete that take up the width of the parking lane on each side, and then expand the median at the intersection to cover the parking lane width just around the intersection so that you create refuge islands for the pedestrians. You reduce the amount of asphalt they have to cross by 4 lanes while still maintaining traffic flow and making it safer for everyone.

This is sort of an example of what I mean. It would require moving those turning lanes into the one of the 3 through lanes (do we really need 3 in each direciton?) But it works.

[waccamatt]

Spartan's right; it would cost a fortune to bury Assembly Street there, especially considering the extensive tunnel system that exists under downtown Columbia. I still feel that a wide, park-like median on Assembly Street would break up the difficult crossing because many people could stop in a wide median and not feel that they have to cross the entire street at once. Assembly Street is very important for north-south traffic flow, however, because Huger, Assembly, Sumter and Harden are the only major north-south streets that completely traverse downtown Columbia.

[Captain Worley]

I like Spartan's 'bulbs.' Looks like a pretty cost effective solution to me.

[sojay]

Of course it would be extremely expensive, but one can dream, right... If you shoot for the sun, you're bound to get further than if you just shoot for the moon.

The problem with medians is that people still take chances because you don't want to get stuck there. Even if the medians are very wide, heavily landscaped and with a large shade canopy. (which is sorely needed)

I think the speed over the hill is a major issue here. It's blind jay walking.

What's the street behind the horseshoe towards 5 points where there's a similar wide pedestrian bridge over a sunken street? Nobody would like to imagine that one not be there.

[krazeeboi]

Any plans to overhaul Assembly should also include bike lanes, and I'm not just talking about a narrowly-separated strip from vehicular traffic. I'm thinking something like this, implemented in NYC.

[BrasilnSC]

^ That's Pickens St.

I think median bulbs are the best and most feasible solution. I don't think they would take out the left turn lanes however. Getting rid of the median parking is essential, bulbing one side of the median and both sidewalks. The bulbs not only make more room for pedestrians, but they also slow traffic down.

I think Assembly St is wide enough to add bike lanes (probably 4'). I don't think the NYC plan would quite fit.

BTW, anybody that tries to cross Assembly @ College or Greene without waiting for a "walk" signal, is just asking to get killed.

Edited because of awful grammar

[Spartan]

Don't get me wrong, sojay. I like your idea. But being in a profession that deals with this very situation on a day to day basis forces me to respect the realities of the situation.

The bridge over Pickens Street is slightly different because at some point in the past, College Street used to connect all the way to Bull Street, which used to cut through behind the Horseshoe. You can still see the wall that lines the sidewalk that used to be adjacent to Bull Street. Anway, College Street was there, and has since been turned into a pedestrian only zone due the the fact that the BA building, Humanities building and tower, Capstone, Gambrell Hall, and all of the other major destinations create an overwhelming number of pedestrians in part of the core of USC's campus.

That being said, Pickens Street is a minor thoroughfare at best and is completely different than Assembly or Greene. I think that with Assembly, you don't want to make it easier for cars to go through there, even if that means its easier for pedestrians too. We should be striving for a mixed used environment and accommodates all modes of transportation. You can design Assembly St in such a way that it really is easier for pedestrians to get across, and ultimately the Greene Street intersection will have to be addressed because USC has stated that it wants to be the axis of USC all the way down to the river.

[krazeeboi]

The report that was just completed by the DC-based consulting firm on a downtown retail strategy mentioned strengthening the connection between Lady and Main streets via Assembly. This article in today's edition of The State explores the idea of totally overhauling Assembly, what it could cost ($90 million), and what can be done in the meantime to make it a bit more pedestrian friendly at the key intersection at Lady.

[waccamatt]

You beat me to it, Krazee I was just about to post that article. If we could get city council to read UP they could save a lot of money on surveys.

[BrasilnSC]

^ I was thinking the same thing.

[Spartan]

LOL, you guys are too much

Its true though....... But then you never know who reads UP, or where their ideas are generated. We know for a fact that elected officials in Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson read UP. We had one from Anderson post not long ago. In other forums like Charlotte, Grand Rapids, Providence RI, etc. we know that they are reading too. Its reasonable to assume that Columbia is in the same boat.

[digital_sandlapper]

So glad The State put this in. And as usual, we are ahead of the curve! I do hope UP is read by our city leaders, movers, and shakers. I think the mayor for one does read it. His forum, too, gets similar posts (or has).

Crosswalk improvements are on the way, I have a feeling. However, just putting them in at Lady and Gervais is certainly not enough. On the contrary, WAY more pedestrians already exist at the USC intersections with Blossom, Greene, etc., not to mention the Innovista's ever-burgeoning effect on this foot traffic. Crosswalk improvements must be done at those intersections at the same time as the other two (or before, IMO.)

[krazeeboi]

Even though Assembly might have to wait its turn (and with the 2nd phase of Main getting pushed back, along with the setbacks sure to occur there and along North Main, and who knows when Harden will get started--so we could be looking at 2018 before its time comes), I think it would be good to go ahead and draft up some plans now.

[Spartan]

I agree that all intersections on Assembly need to be improved, and should addressed in any long range plan. However, if we're going to cherry pick these things, Lady and Gervais jump out to me. There are several around USC that could be improved too.

[krazeeboi]

I agree about Lady and Gervais. I think Hampton would be another good candidate as well; it may actually make those surface lots look more attractive for development if that intersection were to be improved.

[BrasilnSC]

I hope they will make the intersection of Assembly and Blossom more pedestrian friendly soon (but more realistically once the Horizon Block is complete). I cring everytime students try to cross there . It's one of the busiest intersections in the state and there is a lot of asphalt to cross, not to mention all the turning movements (left turn arrows, right turn arrows, etc..)

I know there are pedestrian bridges leading to the Strom Wellness Center, but unless one is coming from behind the colesium or from Wheat St, they are not going to back track to use the bridges.

I do hope with the revitilization of Assembly St , when they get to it, that all the median parking is eliminated.

[Hybrid0NE]

I know there are pedestrian bridges leading to the Strom Wellness Center, but unless one is coming from behind the colesium or from Wheat St, they are not going to back track to use the bridges.

I have the same thoughts. There should definitely be more Pedestrian bridges crossing Assembly at key intersections. Unless, the DOT is willing to shave a couple lanes off but that only would produce traffic bottlenecks up-and-down the corridor.

This is a kinda-urban (it's in an Atlanta edge city) pedestrian bridge that could work on Assembly.

It crosses the wider portion of Cobb Parkway near a busy freeway exchange. I've used it before and it's definitely would beat trying to rush across 6+ lanes of traffic. Making it similar to Columbia's dilemma.

[krazeeboi]

^Is that near Galleria?

[Hybrid0NE]

^Is that near Galleria?

Have you been in my neck of sprawl recently, krazee?

It actually connects The Galleria to Cumberland Mall. The road between the two is enormous and would be hazardous on foot with all the traffic going to/from 285/75 junction. Plus, it's in the middle of suburbia and we know pedestrians don't have the right-of-way out there.

[krazeeboi]

A good friend of mine lives in Vinings off Paces Ferry, so I've gotten familiar with the area. Before, I had no idea there were that many towers out that way. Too bad Vinings is the only thing urban about the area.

[Spartan]

Pedestrian bridges are a horrid invention. Columbia should avoid building these at all costs because building them means that they lack the ability to manage traffic flow in and out of the city. When in an urban environment, ped bridges are the signs of a BAD pedestrian environment. If we all truely want Columbia to become a better, more urban city, then we should be pushing for narrower lanes, narrower roads, and wider sidewalks to encourage more pedestrian activity. Congestion is inevitable, but with Columbia's downtown grid it should be able to handle it very easily.

Lets not forget that despite Representative Clyburn's best efforts, the ped bridge over 277 is not used. People still walk across the interstate!

[Hybrid0NE]

Lets not forget that despite Representative Clyburn's best efforts, the ped bridge over 277 is not used. People still walk across the interstate!

You are not lying. The last time I was in Columbia, I'm flying down 277 doing 70mph and I see a person standing in the median by the fence. I wanted to stop and say, don't you see that really nice bridge a couple yards away?

I think a pedestrian bridge like the one in Cumberland wouldn't be as bad as the traditional ones. The ped. bridges that I know of in Columbia know are like skytubes connecting one tower to another or a garage. This one goes from one sidewalk to another, so it encourages you to be on the street. Although, here it's only really utilized by office workers going to Cumberland Mall for lunch or dinner and spillover during the Holiday shopping seasons.