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Columbia Traffic Congestion, Road Construction, and Planning


Spartan

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According to this article in The State, Richland County may bring the sales tax for roads back to voters this fall. The key difference is having a 10 year sunset date instead of a 25 year sunset.

I hope that they let voters decide on this again. It makes a lot of sense and it's a good way to fund much needed improvements to the street system in Richland County.

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According to this article in The State, Richland County may bring the sales tax for roads back to voters this fall. The key difference is having a 10 year sunset date instead of a 25 year sunset.

I hope that they let voters decide on this again. It makes a lot of sense and it's a good way to fund much needed improvements to the street system in Richland County.

I think at this point because of the citizens being selfish its time to go away from voting and just do it. Because if the county see it as a need and will make things better for citizens I think it's best for them to do the sale tax anyway without a vote. and let council take care of this.
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I changed my ideas on the interstate/freeway ideas i had. i was thinking what about Connect SC 277 to I-126 Via Elevated above the train tracks.

I travel down Elmwood and Bull street alot during the afternoon commute from 330pm-about i say 600pm its pretty busy people going from 277- 126 I believe if there was a connection without traffic lights like 277/126 connection it would relieve congestion from the downtown roads.

just my opinion and suggestion to the Department of Transportation.

just looks at this little map i made. 6873690530_743634095e_b.jpg

Edited by growingup15
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I changed my ideas on the interstate/freeway ideas i had. i was thinking what about Connect SC 277 to I-126 Via Elevated above the train tracks.

I travel down Elmwood and Bull street alot during the afternoon commute from 330pm-about i say 600pm its pretty busy people going from 277- 126 I believe if there was a connection without traffic lights like 277/126 connection it would relieve congestion from the downtown roads.

just my opinion and suggestion to the Department of Transportation.

just looks at this little map i made. 6873690530_743634095e_b.jpg

277 was originally supposed to connect to 126 and continue along the river to 77 near Bluff Road. This plan was nixed because it would have ruined the Cottontown, Earlewood Park and Elmwood Park neighborhoods.

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277 was originally supposed to connect to 126 and continue along the river to 77 near Bluff Road. This plan was nixed because it would have ruined the Cottontown, Earlewood Park and Elmwood Park neighborhoods.

I thought so.

 

I was thinking many ways of connecting it. I see why they didn't, my Idea would just have it follow the Train Tracks elevated dual deck Freeway.

I mean it was always a old idea and dream of mines. including one that connects around the city following the train tracks around USC and stuff. but again Like I said it was a old Idea.

I still think the one through the Neighborhood is still a good idea. just a lot of Sound Barriers have to put up and stuff.

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Last night I was watching a recent Columbia City Council meeting and for an hour some of the people whose neighborhood was split apart by 277 were complaining about the bad effects it has had on their quality of life. 

oh my that's not good. I Think 277 Was a good Idea its a easy way into town from the NE Area.

I already know my idea will bring a lot of backlash from people of those neighborhoods so I rather not even start to begin with so I won't have to hear it from them later on.

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oh my that's not good. I Think 277 Was a good Idea its a easy way into town from the NE Area.

I already know my idea will bring a lot of backlash from people of those neighborhoods so I rather not even start to begin with so I won't have to hear it from them later on.

The whole point is that catering to motorists at the expense of neighborhoods is over with.

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The chairman of a powerful state transportation board wants to take money from a proposed Interstate 77 project and use it to start work on the dreaded “Malfunction Junction” interchange in Columbia.

State lawmakers gave the state Transportation Infrastructure Bank board about $550 million earlier this year, and board members are trying to decide how to spend it.

The state Department of Transportation sent four projects to the board for approval – including a $38 million project to widen I-77 from I-20 to S.C. 277 – based on a prioritized list of state projects.

Redesigning Malfunction Junction, the bottleneck of Interstates 20 and 26 in Columbia, is No. 1 on the Transportation Department’s priority list. But that project was passed over because it would cost at least $700 million, which is more the Infrastructure Bank has to spend.

http://www.thestate.com/2013/10/24/3056814/malfunction-junction-could-get.html

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I'm still headstrong on Columbia changing some of its roads into one ways especially in the Downtown Area. Like I noticed a lot of roads in downtown where cars are more dense going 1 way but never the other. Like Hampton St. bearly anyone goes West but most people go East. Taylor st is a major road where people goes both ways.

I just think a few one way roads throughout Columbia will help the flow of traffic a lot and would make way for wider sideways in some areas also.

 

I don't know I'm just rambling. I'm been wanted to bring this back up for a long time. since 2013

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It’s all about branding on South Carolina roads these days.

Some state senators call a proposed state gas-tax hike to help pay to fix highways a “fee increase.”

And now the S.C. Department of Transportation has adopted a new moniker for Columbia’s most notorious rush-hour bottleneck: the intersection of I-26, I-20 and I-126.

So, Malfunction Junction is not the most positive, hopeful name (and it’s likely many readers have called the area other words that can’t be mentioned in a family publication).

So DOT is now calling the corridor “Carolina Crossroads.”

http://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/the-buzz/article20100141.html

Edited by growingup15
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COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) -For years, tens of thousands of Midlands commuters have been hoping for some kind of fix to the now infamous intersection of interstates known as "Malfunction Junction."

The preliminary steps needed to make that happen are now in progress as the South Carolina Department of Transportation with the Federal Highway Administration develop an Environmental Impact Statement of the corridor, which was originally designed in the 1950s

The project, which has been dubbed "Carolina Crossroads," will encompass portions of Interstates 26, 20 and 126 northwest of Columbia. Its goal is to reduce congestion, increase safety and increase capacity in the area.

From now until the end of 2015, project team members will be canvassing the area around the roadways looking at possible impacts to wetlands, streams, neighborhoods and businesses, and collecting information on current conditions in and around the corridor.

The first of a series of community impact meetings will take place this week on May 12 from 5-7 p.m. at Seven Oaks Elementary School at 2800 Ashland Road in Columbia.

http://www.wistv.com/story/28907322/study-meetings-begin-for-possible-malfunction-junction-fix

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Went to the Public Meeting for Carolina Crossroad the I-26/20/126 Corridor it was informative and from what im hearing here they are looking into alternatives in the near future that seems plausible. 

1. possible look back into the I-26 - I-77 Connector
2. possible Stacked Interchange or Spiral interchange for the 20/26 interchange.

3. possible HOT/HOV Lanes 

 

Another cool thing is I told the DOT about our forum and one of the guys that works on the fed. level wrote down the website and link to our forums for ideas. so thats another thing.

Also the same guy i was talking to liked my idea of Connecting 126 and 277. and he liked my idea for a spur or connecting interstate from the I-77/26 Interchange that will connect downtown to that interchange.

there's many many more but heres 2 pics i took at this meeting which is the first meeting

16954155584_64bc4b8372_b.jpg

17389129470_7dedabf460_b.jpg

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Scroll down to SC277 its pretty interesting. and something I kinda knew but wasn't sure.

 

the DOT can at any time start this project back up and finally finish connecting 277-126. I know we are already struggling for money for our state especially with the flooding and the I-126/20/26 Carolina Crossroad plans already being pushed now. I think this would be another big project the State could look back into completing. I can imagine a new interchange being built for 126 though. that might be complex. I wish i could see their original rendering layout plans from back in the 80s

http://www.southeastroads.com/sc_state_hwys.html

 

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9 hours ago, growingup15 said:

Scroll down to SC277 its pretty interesting. and something I kinda knew but wasn't sure.

 

the DOT can at any time start this project back up and finally finish connecting 277-126. I know we are already struggling for money for our state especially with the flooding and the I-126/20/26 Carolina Crossroad plans already being pushed now. I think this would be another big project the State could look back into completing. I can imagine a new interchange being built for 126 though. that might be complex. I wish i could see their original rendering layout plans from back in the 80s

http://www.southeastroads.com/sc_state_hwys.html

 

Maybe it's just me, but I don't see how this will help the city beyond taking some traffic off of Elmwood. There is already plenty of momentum for development in other parts of the city. If anything, it may degrade North Main's prospects by giving it that highway adjacent feel.

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On 3/9/2016 at 11:50 AM, carolinagarnet said:

It feels like this was specifically pushed through for the seven days a year there is game day traffic at Williams-Brice. There does not seem to be much of an economic development argument since that area is pretty dense with light industrial. 

http://www.thestate.com/news/local/article64881152.html

I agree with this statement on Bluff Rd. Shop Rd, and the other three make more sense to me as an economic development tool.  Those roads today don't serve the area very well, and south of 77 it could make sense to have wider roads as an incentive to industrial businesses. As for gamedays, the roads are visually unattractive but they work just fine. If they do this, I hope they plant some trees or do something to make it more pleasing aesthetically. 

 

On 2/11/2016 at 1:02 AM, growingup15 said:

Scroll down to SC277 its pretty interesting. and something I kinda knew but wasn't sure.

 

the DOT can at any time start this project back up and finally finish connecting 277-126. I know we are already struggling for money for our state especially with the flooding and the I-126/20/26 Carolina Crossroad plans already being pushed now. I think this would be another big project the State could look back into completing. I can imagine a new interchange being built for 126 though. that might be complex. I wish i could see their original rendering layout plans from back in the 80s

http://www.southeastroads.com/sc_state_hwys.html

 

The ROW is there, but only goes to Park St. They would still have to figure out how to get around the remaining part of the neighborhood they didn't destroy, the cemetery, and CSX railroad.

 

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1 hour ago, Spartan said:

I agree with this statement on Bluff Rd. Shop Rd, and the other three make more sense to me as an economic development tool.  Those roads today don't serve the area very well, and south of 77 it could make sense to have wider roads as an incentive to industrial businesses. As for gamedays, the roads are visually unattractive but they work just fine. If they do this, I hope they plant some trees or do something to make it more pleasing aesthetically. 

The area south of 77 was included in the Penny Tax plans. They were going to either widen or build a road parallel to 77 to encourage development of a huge plot of land that seems underutilized. I agree that some of those roads can probably handle denser development, but ownership seems to be fractured. I imagine it would be difficult to redevelop the area without property owners suddenly selling off with the expectation of higher land prices. That usually only happens when the city builds new roads, rather than simply expanding existing roads.

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