Traffic Congestion, Road Construction, & Improvement Projects

[ausrutherford]

3 hours ago, FUgrad02 said:

Market Point Connector. Solid!

But then I read this: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/4-affordable-cities-where-stressed-parents-can-find-work-life-balance-2016-01-12?mod=mw_share_twitter

and immediately think, hey that's great, but can we get a new road for everyone of these national articles that advertises the former secret of how great Greenville is. If the county can't do it, then the Greenville County state representatives need to band together and figure out why so much of the road funding in the past two decades (and I know the -85 development is the 2nd biggest project after the Ravenel Bridge) has gone to the myrtle coast and the low country. 

Our local population seems to be booming. Correspondingly, traffic around here just "seems" to be worse and more frustrating. Does anyone know if someone is going to make a go of another penny-tax referendum? Does the county have any plans to fund traffic studies to document how bad it is and where needs are the most pressing? I just don't feel we get the love from the DOT in Columbia, the politicians in Columbia, and our local state reps seem more concerned about bike lanes and road diets than building a smarter road system. 

I get that Conservatives hate big government and taxes. But Conservatives should still want to see their tax dollars spent on excellent infrastructure. 

There have been Reps and Dems that have been for and against higher taxes for various reasons so its not just a conservative vs liberal thing.

I think the City was considering issuing its own penny tax, but I haven't heard much since. 

[vicupstate]

The city may pursue a sales tax but the state laws have to be changed to allow that first.  It is only allowed at the county level now.

None of the local state reps and senators care about bike lanes and road diets at all. In fact they are largely against them.  100% of the efforts to put them in have been at the City's level. 

Republicans almost without exception don't support higher taxes for anything, and they have complete control so don't expect any major changes in the near future.   

[gman430]

Yes: http://greenvillejournal.com/2016/08/02/city-offered-temporary-fix-woodruff-roads-congestion/

[vicupstate]

City offered temporary fix for Woodruff Rd.

How telling is it that Piedmont would actually invest it's own money to do what is invariable a public responsibility. 

[ausrutherford]

2 hours ago, vicupstate said:

City offered temporary fix for Woodruff Rd.

How telling is it that Piedmont would actually invest it's own money to do what is invariable a public responsibility. 

Kind of hard for the "public" to pay for it, when they don't want to "pay" for it. *cough too low of taxes cough*

[vicupstate]

City Council votes Monday on a plan to upgrade Verdae Blvd for Bike/Ped usage.  

[gman430]

Market Point Connector opens today. 

[SVL]

Redesigned Augusta Street will be more pedestrian-friendly, provide more parking

http://greenvillejournal.com/2016/09/27/redesigned-augusta-street-will-pedestrian-friendly-provide-parking/

[johnpro318]

1 hour ago, SVL said:

Redesigned Augusta Street will be more pedestrian-friendly, provide more parking

http://greenvillejournal.com/2016/09/27/redesigned-augusta-street-will-pedestrian-friendly-provide-parking/

This is good to hear but I was hoping for news on Augusta Road getting a turning lane

[sc smitty]

DOT is finally doing some long deferred repairs on the Church St Bridge (between Camperdown and McBee), including resurfacing the bridge deck.  Work is expected to go from April to July of 2017.

[chuckyvt]

That is good news.  Perhaps they can also redo the street lights.  I think maybe two out of the ten or so street lights on the bridge work.  

[Dale]

Drove through Greenville, last week and seems they're doing a lot of work on 85.

[Galley]

4 hours ago, Dale said:

Drove through Greenville, last week and seems they're doing a lot of work on 85.

More info here: http://www.85385gateway.com

[Dale]

Thanks!

[gman430]

Great to see: http://www.wyff4.com/article/project-will-take-7000-vehicles-per-day-off-woodruff-road-officials-say/8978050

[Galley]

My workplace is located on one of those three dead end roads, so this is most welcome, although we will likely have to reconfigure our loading dock as trucks currently use Green Heron Road to back in.

[cabelagent]

Drove all around downtown the other day and was amazed with all the recent developments completed, near completion, and just beginning. I had not comphrended all this until seeing it firsthand. The Greenville News site will be an amazing addition to downtown with offering exciting hotel, apartment, condo, & business venues. My concern (and wondering if others thought the same) is the current condition of streets and thoroughfares downtown with handling the heavier traffic that is approaching very soon. I envision Church, Augusta, Pendleton, Washington, & Academy experiencing severe episodes of traffic gridlock during the day. Is there a master plan to handle increased traffic that is coming? I don't want to see downtown become a more serious traffic nightmare.

[gman430]

On February 24, 2017 at 8:03 PM, gman430 said:

Great to see: http://www.wyff4.com/article/project-will-take-7000-vehicles-per-day-off-woodruff-road-officials-say/8978050

Construction to start by the end of the year: http://upstatebusinessjournal.com/news/alternative-woodruff-road-moves-forward/

[ausrutherford]

22 hours ago, cabelagent said:

Drove all around downtown the other day and was amazed with all the recent developments completed, near completion, and just beginning. I had not comphrended all this until seeing it firsthand. The Greenville News site will be an amazing addition to downtown with offering exciting hotel, apartment, condo, & business venues. My concern (and wondering if others thought the same) is the current condition of streets and thoroughfares downtown with handling the heavier traffic that is approaching very soon. I envision Church, Augusta, Pendleton, Washington, & Academy experiencing severe episodes of traffic gridlock during the day. Is there a master plan to handle increased traffic that is coming? I don't want to see downtown become a more serious traffic nightmare.

Multi-modal transportation. Get the increase in daily volumes onto buses, trolleys, trails, and sidewalks. 

[gman430]

Thumbs up to the new traffic lights going up at Stone and Rutherford. They look great. City logo is a nice touch. 

Edited March 22, 2017 by gman430

[vicupstate]

^^ Agreed. I wonder if there will be more in the Stone Ave. corridor?

[gman430]

 

 

[gman430]

So I contacted Greenville Cares via email about several decorative streetlights being broken next to Fluor Field. Literally, the next day I got an email back from the city saying they would contact Duke Energy about the situation. The day after that Duke Energy was out there marking each broken streetlight with orange tape so they knew which ones needed fixing. Great quick work.  

[Spartanburg Guy]

I hope that 85 gets an additional lane from 385 to Pelham Rd. sometime in the near future.  That doesn't seem too unreasonable to ask for, does it?  It's just a nightmare during rush hour.

Honestly, it needs 2 additional lanes there and one additional lane all the way from White Horse Rd. to the Business 85 split in Spartanburg, but that would be extremely expensive and many bridges would have to be replaced.

[gman430]

9 hours ago, Spartanburg Guy said:

I hope that 85 gets an additional lane from 385 to Pelham Rd. sometime in the near future.  That doesn't seem too unreasonable to ask for, does it?  It's just a nightmare during rush hour.

Honestly, it needs 2 additional lanes there and one additional lane all the way from White Horse Rd. to the Business 85 split in Spartanburg, but that would be extremely expensive and many bridges would have to be replaced.

As part of the I-85/I-385 interchange project an additional lane will be constructed between I-385 and Pelham Road in both directions. Completion is slated for mid-2019. 

Widening of I-85 if the area you mentioned is being planned: http://www.independentmail.com/story/news/local/2017/05/09/additional-revenue-would-improve-local-roads-widen--85/101462568/

The latter investment, Willard said, would provide funds for a widening project that would improve I-85 from Powdersville to the North Carolina line, widening the road from six to eight lanes from Exit 40 (the State 153 interchange) to Exit 68 (the State 129 interchange) in Spartanburg County. From Exit 70 to the North Carolina line, the road will be widened from four to six lanes, Willard said.

Edited July 30, 2017 by gman430