Charleston Transit | Commuter Rail, Light Rail

[Spartan]

The stops will be:

The Columbus Street stop across from the Piggly Wiggly.

The Charleston Visitor Center on Meeting Street.

Calhoun and St. Philip streets next to the College of Charleston.

Calhoun and Jonathan Lucas streets by MUSC.

Here is a second article on the CARTA express bus: Article

[SimCity]

What in the world is SCDOT doing?! I hope they are seriously considering area mass transit and their possible contributions to it since they are unwilling to modernize the neck section of I-26 even with the expected increase in port traffic. Unfortunely that would probably be asking for too much. With the expected developments in the neck area it is more important than ever that I-26 remains a viable evacuation route.

[krazeeboi]

I don't think that's forward-thinking at all.

[SimCity]

I don't think that's forward-thinking at all.

Yes, I would have expected better from the DOT. Maybe the Low Country's newly found legislative strength in Columbia will go to work on this problem.

[Spartan]

Well at least we know that gridlock is the only acceptable reason to improve a road. Who cares as long as traffic is moving just a little.

I don't question the study. Wilbur Smith and BCD are both well respected entities. However, the interstate through there is not in good condition, and even if its not widened, its realighnment would still improve the situation for the Neck. Its so much more than traffic here. Its restoring an otherwise hopelessly blighted brownfield area.

[SimCity]

I would hope that Interstate 26 would be widened on the basis of evacuation needs alone. Charleston has to contend not only with hurricanes but also earthquakes and potential terrorist attacks associated with its port and defense industry. Charleston is probably the most vulnerable city in SC with the exception of Beaufort and unlike Greenville and Columbia has only one major interstate that only goes in one direction. Take Columbia for example: with all of the interstates there one can evacuate to the northeast on I-20,southeast on I-26, northwest on I-26 southwest on I-20, and north on I-77. In Charleston I-26 only runs in one direction as everyone knows and that's northwest to Columbia. Charleston needs all the help it can get in this area.

[SimCity]

Well at least we know that gridlock is the only acceptable reason to improve a road. Who cares as long as traffic is moving just a little.

I don't question the study. Wilbur Smith and BCD are both well respected entities. However, the interstate through there is not in good condition, and even if its not widened, its realighnment would still improve the situation for the Neck. Its so much more than traffic here. Its restoring an otherwise hopelessly blighted brownfield area.

In restoring the brownfields I hope that attention is also given to the residents that live in the neck. You have many poor people living there,mostly African Americans, who have already had their former neighborhoods destroyed by the construction of I-26 and all of the industry there. Now would be a good time to plan for the reknitting of these communities and to see to it that "redevelopment" doesn't force them out of their homes due to rising land values and taxes like what is happening in downtown Charleston.

[Spartan]

This is one of the big questions and major issues surround redevelopments like this one. Who should benefit? When you do a project like this it will raise land values. Thats a guarantee. its these land values that bring in more money and work to restore the communties. The porblem is that the poor people who live there can't afford it, and the land lords can do something better to bring them more money, so they close and build bigger and better. The poor are always going to have to make way for the more wealthy. Its unfortunate, but true.

Its definitely an ethical dilema. Do you improve conditions which may force out the existing community? Or do you leave the community alone so that they may continue to exist? Is it worth it to the larger region to see an improvement in the area's land values and infrastructure? Is it worth it to displace a community just because its low income?

[SimCity]

Your assessment is very correct. It's unfortunate that resonable accomdations can't be made that all parties involved can benefit. Sure,afforable housing may be set aside but we know how that turns out more often than not. The housing is never built, or is built years after it should have been built, or developers backtrack on the promised number of housing units and affordability. And of course government doesn't help by insisting on periodic property value reassessments that are cold and clinical and refuse to take into account any extenuating circumstances besides the Homesteaders Act. As you said, it looks as if the poor are doomed to pay for the advances of society and the wealthy.

[Spartan]

Its always been that way. The poor will always have to make way for those with more money. Its just part of the lifecycle of a city. Its unfortunate, but true. In Europe, the poor are forced to the edges of the city, rather than concentrated in the center like in America.

[SimCity]

Its always been that way. The poor will always have to make way for those with more money. Its just part of the lifecycle of a city. Its unfortunate, but true. In Europe, the poor are forced to the edges of the city, rather than concentrated in the center like in America.

Yes I have heard of that and America and Canada seem to be the exception in the world. I guess a good example of this would be the favelas surrounding the edges of South American and Latin American cities like Mexico City and Sao Paulo and the slums filled with jobless minority and Muslim youths around Paris and other French cities that exploded in violence in 2006.

[Spartan]

In Mexico City, the rail lines are considered "inferior" and for the poor etc, much like the busses are in America, and the opposite is true for their bus system.

[SimCity]

I had no idea that was the case. While I'm not that familiar with Mexico City public transit I believe they have an extensive system of at least 450 miles of underground subway lines. Mexico City apperas to be a very interesting city and I hope to visit there one day and see the few remnants left of the ancient Aztec who founded the original city.

[MikesLogic]

Welcome to the forum andrewsc!

Here is that article from the P&C.

It says that CARTA will start to offer express bus service from James Island, West Ashely, North Charleston, and Mount Pleasant on Jan 22. It will have 4 stops downtown. You can see a PDF map here. They need to offer a discount to people who buy month passes or some other kind of incentive to ride.

The interesting part is that commuter rail would not serve any of these areas, except for North Charleston. The commuter rail would serve the more outlying areas like Summerville and Monck's Corner, at least initially.

The express bus system is doing really great so far. It's neat seeing those things all over the metro and loaded with people commuting to work. The service is free right now I think so the real test hasn't started yet but I'm hopeful.

[Spartan]

Thats good news. I hope they continue to do well. Perhaps it will encourage other cities to try it.

[krazeeboi]

CARTA is moving forward with plans to build a mass transit hub in North Charleston, a project that has been in the works for the past decade. Once completed, the North Charleston Regional Intermodal Facility will be a converging place for passenger trains, Greyhound buses, area taxis and shuttles used by the Charleston International Airport. CARTA officials hope to establish a park-and-ride lot as well.

[ohioaninSC]

That sounds like good news. I really hope Charleston keeps pushing for a good mass transit system. It would really help cut down the horrible traffic throughout the area at rush hour.

[Charleston native]

CARTA is moving forward with plans to build a mass transit hub in North Charleston, a project that has been in the works for the past decade. Once completed, the North Charleston Regional Intermodal Facility will be a converging place for passenger trains, Greyhound buses, area taxis and shuttles used by the Charleston International Airport. CARTA officials hope to establish a park-and-ride lot as well.

Can I ask why the hell it is being named the North Charleston Regional Intermodal Facility?! I'm telling you guys, this kind of stuff just further makes the impression that the metropolitan area's primary city will be North Chas, with the way the region's leaders are making it. They just need to drop the word "North"...the region is the Charleston region.

[krazeeboi]

^You're right. At first I thought it was just specific to North Charleston, but being that it's a regional facility, it should indeed be called the "Charleston Regional Intermodal Facility."

[Infinite1]

Simmer down young fella...LOL. Perhaps. they plan an East Cooper Regional...and a West Ashley Regional in the future. In any event, this property is right next door to my office and this center was one of the reasons we chose this location, so I'm glad to see it moving foward.

[Spartan]

Simmer down young fella...LOL. Perhaps. they plan an East Cooper Regional...and a West Ashley Regional in the future. In any event, this property is right next door to my office and this center was one of the reasons we chose this location, so I'm glad to see it moving foward.

Doubt it. Greyhound and Amtrak usually have one stop in a given town. North Charleston's proximity to the airport and location at the geographic center of the Charleston metro makes it an ideal location for such a facility. Any other location wouldn't make much sense. But I do agree that the "North" Charleston Regional Intermodal Facility is unnecessary. It sort of makes it sound like its only North Charleston's facility.

[Charleston native]

Doubt it. Greyhound and Amtrak usually have one stop in a given town. North Charleston's proximity to the airport and location at the geographic center of the Charleston metro makes it an ideal location for such a facility. Any other location wouldn't make much sense. But I do agree that the "North" Charleston Regional Intermodal Facility is unnecessary. It sort of makes it sound like its only North Charleston's facility.

Exactly. I couldn't have said it any better. Many visitors will get the wrong impression about what the purpose of the facility will be. The facility is going to be the hub for the Charleston region, not limited to one suburban city in the region.

[Infinite1]

Exactly. I couldn't have said it any better. Many visitors will get the wrong impression about what the purpose of the facility will be. The facility is going to be the hub for the Charleston region, not limited to one suburban city in the region.

Noted. But the logical progression would be to create park-and-ride lots in other locations throughout the region and develop express routes between major nodes, with the long-term goal being the creation of a hub and spoke type of system. And while the other facilitites obviously won't have train and Greyhound connections, they could have CARTA, park-n-Ride, and taxi transitions.

[Charleston native]

^ I'll give you those points, all good ones. However, I would wait to see if the first intermodal facility in the region is successful and worth spending additional tax dollars before creating additional spoke-system transport hubs. That way, if the demand for transportation is only centered to this hub, confusion is reduced with the name that applies to this facility only.

[krazeeboi]

Ground was recently broken on the CARTA facility in N. Charleston.