Columbia Transit

[Captain Worley]

Multimodal? What's that? the first time I saw it, I was thinking intermodal, which I KNOW isn't correct.

[803metlife]

I was reading the state and I thought this was a excellent ideal .A telephone survey to analyze the region

[Spartan]

I'm glad to know that things are still moving....

[Firefox]

I understand it costs money and does take up space but I have seen the success of the one in Charlotte and Sumter is currently building one out of a old plant in downtown so they must not be such bad ideas. But is there anyway we could built a covered bus transit center. I mean I am sure those people do not want be in the building then have to walk out into the rain to board a bus and you can have more buses in the building so they don't block traffic and no large crowd near the road, so no pedrestains possibly getting hit while waiting to board a bus. I mean the one on Sumter street looks new built I just think a covered on would have been better.

[Spartan]

I dont see why not. Greenville currently has one... the roof is a parking lot/deck. It basicly comes down to a need for a new one, and the williness to build something like they have in Charlotte. If Columbia were to build something like that then I think they need to look into plannign for connections with future rail links....

[BrasilnSC]

CMRTA Extends Bus Service to Village at Sandhills, the Free-Times reports. Service will be extended along Two Notch Rd to the VAS and new service will be added along Alpine and Faraway Rds starting June 1. No additional costs will be incurred due to the shifting of schedules of existing routes.

[803metlife]

CMRTA Extends Bus Service to Village at Sandhills, the Free-Times reports. Service will be extended along Two Notch Rd to the VAS and new service will be added along Alpine and Faraway Rds starting June 1. No additional costs will be incurred due to the shifting of schedules of existing routes.

I think this is a pretty good ideal. Especially considering the time and distance from the city to the Village of Sandhill. The city bus service is starting to expand it's reach

[Spartan]

I'm glad to see this happen. I'm not sure I favor it over cutting back other route schedules though. I guess it depends on where and how they do it.

[krazeeboi]

I'm not sure if we've discussed this, but do you guys think Columbia would be better served by implementing commuter rail first or light rail?

[Spartan]

Commuter. Columbia has the second largest CBD employment base in the Carolinas, so there is a very strong inbound-outbound flow of people. Light Rail requires density, and Cola just doesn't have the needed density at this point.

[krazeeboi]

Thanks for the information. I'm not familiar with the specifics regarding transit options at all, so I just thought I'd throw that out there.

[Spartan]

That doesn't mean Columbia shouldn't go ahead and start planninf for an LRT system though. They are incredibly expensive, so getting the ROW secured now would put them in a better place in the future. I know it won't happen- but its what they SHOULD do.

[BrasilnSC]

Yesterday I noticed a huge ad on the left side and back of a CMRTA bus on Garner's Ferry Rd. I thought to myself, why haven't they done this earlier? Having ads on the side of buses will raise a nice amount of cash to help fund the system . I can't recall what the ad was for, has anyone else seen this?

[krazeeboi]

The Central Midlands Council of Governments' (CMCOG) commuter rail feasibility study is available online. It's pretty lengthy. I skimmed over it, and it appears to be some good stuff in there. I just hope it won't sit on the shelf and collect dust.

[sonofaque86]

The trolly's that used to be downtown I have seen all over NE Cola off of Clemson and Two Notch Rds. with CMRTA on the side. I see they're using them for something!

[krazeeboi]

^That's interesting. I think Columbia should seriously consider a streetcar system for downtown and adjacent areas.

[johnpro318]

yup i saw it saturday at the village at sandhill. which was creepy cause then it really did look like a downtown kinda.

[Spartan]

A real streetcar system would be nice. It could probably be pretty successful if it followed its former route and connected Shandon and Elmwood Park to downtown (via USC & the Vista).

[waccamatt]

I would love it. I live near Hyatt Park, which was the northern terminus of the original Columbia streetcar system. It was pretty extensive at one time.

[CorgiMatt]

Construction of the bus barn on Lucious Road is really coming along. A couple of weeks ago they had the metal frames of the buildings completed. Once it's finished the current bus barn site on Huger near the State Museum will open up.

[johnpro318]

hopefully something very urban will be built by the bus barn. or is something already planned. cause that location would be great for a connector for the vista to canalside.

[krazeeboi]

^That site may be incorporated into the Innovista masterplan.

[waccamatt]

^That site may be incorporated into the Innovista masterplan.

The current bus barn isn't in the area covered by the Innovista masterplan; it is north of Gervais.

[krazeeboi]

You're right. I'm sure that parcel is being eyed by someone.

[Spartan]

Wasn't that part of the Kline Steel development?