The I-85 mini skyline

[RestedTraveler]

I tend to disagree about an earlier post about running LRT down the median of Laurens Rd. In my experience, ecspecially on these systems, to really be an effective way of transit, meaning faster than the car, and moving more people, you can't run an LRT down the median. Look at Minneapolis, Houston, Dallas, Boston, San Francisco, and every other city that has street running LRT. It bottlenecks at the lights, even with light priority. Dallas's DART system is a prime example, as it uses elevated, subway, grade crossings, and is extremely fast, comparable to MARTA heavy rail in Atlanta. But once it exits the subway into the downtown area, with street running, it gets held up at every traffic intersection, every light, every block. If the government wasn't so cheap, have them build the LRT on an elevated line between Haywood and ICAR, and have a path/bike trail beneath the columns/viaduct. I've seen it in Atlanta, so there isn't any reason why it couldn't be done here.

We should probably have this discussion moved over to the Light Rail/Mass Transit thread; however, I had to chime in and retort

I would think that if these traffic signals along Laurens were primarily timer-actuated rather than vehicle-actuated and then secondarily LRT-actuated, things should run smoothly. It's possible. Just because some of these other cities haven't gotten it right doesn't mean it can't be done. Take a look at MAX in Portland, Oregon, for example.

[krazeeboi]

Just did some fact checks:

Noisette is 340 acres

Magnolia is 500 acres

Verdae is 1,100 acres

OK. Since it's obvious that a development of that scale will take years to complete, it will be interesting to see how all the development along I-85 will affect it. TOD, anyone???

[gs3]

OK. Since it's obvious that a development of that scale will take years to complete, it will be interesting to see how all the development along I-85 will affect it. TOD, anyone???

I would think, if anything, it would speed things up.

[goodbye]

I know it is scheduled to take roughly two or three decades to complete, so hopefully it will be grand by that time. Quality before quantity.

[NYTransplant]

It'll be worth the wait.

[gs3]

Everytime I drive down 85 lately, my attention is on everything happening on the south side....ICAR / Millenium / Hubbell / The Point / etc / etc. (well my attention is really on my driving ). That said, today for the first time I noticed the activity starting on the north side of 85, along through the Verdae area. Site work is definitely being done (up close to 85). The first sections of Verdae are single family homes?

Anyway, take a look your next trip down I-85.

[goodbye]

I counted seven (7) cranes in the air while heading south on I-85 in Greenville today. Most of them can be seen in the same horizon from the Woodruff Road bridge. Also noticed another crane being erected at CU-ICAR. It is very exciting, and really is just the beginning, since the vast majority of projects in this area haven't yet broken ground.

[g-man430]

Were starting to become a mini-Dubai.

-Is it 1 at Hubbell, 4 at ICAR, and 2 at the future JL Mann high school or different than that?

[goodbye]

Were starting to become a mini-Dubai.

-Is it 1 at Hubbell, 4 at ICAR, and 2 at the future JL Mann high school or different than that?

Actually, there were 2 at Hubbell, 3 at CU-ICAR, and 2 at J.L. Mann High School, plus the new one being erected at CU-ICAR.

Edit: you edited your post before I could reply.

[g-man430]

Thanks, Skyliner. I don't expect the two at Hubbell to be up very long though, because the steel part of the building is already finished.

[g-man430]

Somebody should go out and take some pics. I would, but i'm too busy at the moment. I'll be able to get some Saturday though.

[gs3]

Article in GSA Business about the section of I-85 between Woodruff and Laurens with all the cranes. The new nickname for this section is "The Power Corridor". Hmmmm. The Power Corridor on the 85 Boom Belt. Sounds nice.

http://www.gsabusiness.com/