Greenville Transit

[RestedTraveler]

I would definately ride my bike there if I could take it on the tram with me and use my bike to get around once I was downtown. I'm sure that type of setup exists. I just have never seen it in person.

It exists. I've seen many buses with bike racks, so I'm sure these Trams could be equipped with them.

[breed]

As for Furman students using it to get to TR, I think that would work well for Sunrift and Leopard Forest, but nobody would use it to get to the developing retail corrodor on 25 It's a 20-minute walk from the tram station each way, and the car ride from Furman to Wal-Mart is 3 minutes.

That's a good point.

[gs3]

Heard on the news that ridership on GTA buses is up over 25% due to rising gas prices. Maybe the high gas prices are starting to change the minds of Americans about mass transit.

[charlie swords]

it turns out i can take the bus to and from work but it would take me about an hour including a five minute walk rather than the 15 minute drive i do now....might have to try it one day out of curiosity....

[TREY]

Is this a bus stop or what? How hard can we make it to use the GTA that we already have lets count the ways.

1. Does the bus stop here ever? (No hours posted)

2. If a bus does stops here were does it go? ( no route map)

3. If this is not the bus I need are they other buses and were do they go? (no master route map)

4. Are bus rides free? ( no rate charts)

5. Can I take a map home to plan future trips? (no GTA flyer)

6. Is it safe to wait here? ( no electricity and that bag of trash has been there for months)

I walk by this bus thing? ever day to work and I have never seen a person waiting there-no wonder.

Most of this Info is on the GTA web site but it needs to be somewere people riding the buses can use!

We need to work on our present mass transit before we talk about new mass transit.

[adrockc2]

Is this a bus stop or what? How hard can we make it to use the GTA that we already have lets count the ways.

1. Does the bus stop here ever? (No hours posted)

2. If a bus does stops here were does it go? ( no route map)

3. If this is not the bus I need are they other buses and were do they go? (no master route map)

4. Are bus rides free? ( no rate charts)

5. Can I take a map home to plan future trips? (no GTA flyer)

6. Is it safe to wait here? ( no electricity and that bag of trash has been there for months)

I walk by this bus thing? ever day to work and I have never seen a person waiting there-no wonder.

Most of this Info is on the GTA web site but it needs to be somewere people riding the buses can use!

We need to work on our present mass transit before we talk about new mass transit.

I agree, if GTA would just give those things a fresh coat of paint and install the needed signage it would help a great deal.

[Spartan]

The tram-trail thing is an intersting concept. I'm not so sure that 30mph will get the job done though. The speed on 25 is definately faster than that.

[Fiddlestix]

The following is from the New Jersey UP forum. I thought it parallels and complements TREY's post above which was dead-on accurate and very constructive.

NJ TRANSIT has been growing in terms of ridership and new services by

leaps and bounds in recent years!

New expansions to the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail

River LINE light rail

Late 1990s introduction of Midtown Direct on most commuter rail lines

2002 opening of new Newark Airport Station & Monorail

2004 opening of Secaucus Transfer

2006-07 introduction of double-decker train cars

2012-2018 completion of the ARC Project

etc.

It seems (seems!) most of the recent big investments NJ TRANSIT has been

making are to serve the rail commuters from the suburbs and Gold Coast.

But what about the MAJORITY of NJ TRANSIT users? Ya know, the people in less affluent urban areas who depend on buses (bus accounts for a very large majority of NJ TRANSIT riders). These are the people who use transit not because they enjoy drinking coffee and reading the paper while they commute, but because they have no other choice! These people are captive riders. What accommodations does NJ TRANSIT make for this large portion of their revenue base?

Let's look at bus conditions in urban Essex County, NJ (incl. Newark,

Irvington, East Orange, and Orange).

I took all but one of the photos, but they are all the intellectual property of the Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University

==============

When stalking buses in Essex County the first thing you notice is that they are HEAVILY used! Look at the mid-afternoon queues to board westbound buses at

Market & Halsey Sts in Newark!

Market & Washington Sts, Newark

Busy Broad Street, Newark

Irvington Bus Terminal, Irvington Twp.

Many of the area's busiest bus routes converge on Irvington Terminal. The terminal is undergoing a facelift presently, not a moment too soon!

======

How does one find a bus stop in Essex County?

You could look for the obvious, spacious, accommodating bus shelters:

...or seek information from the streetside bus stop signs, with routes, destinations, and schedules well-displayed!

Clinton Ave., Newark

Bloomfield Ave, Newark

Or you could just find people who are standing alongside the road and join them:

MLK Jr Blvd., East Orange

This woman has been riding the buses long enough to know how to make waiting tolerable.

Main St., Orange

==========

Synopsis:

The buses are crowded

The bus stops are crowded

stops lack basic amenities such as benches, shelters, accurate signage

Cars FREQUENTLY park illegally, requiring bus loading/unloading in the middle of the street

Service is slow as stops are frequent and merging into traffic is difficult

Fare collection is outdated and lenghtens dwell time at each stop

High-floor buses lengthen dwell time

If ever I saw a place that could benefit from BRT this is it!

So as NJ TRANSIT's high-profile investments are aimed at getting suburbanites to think transit is a fun option (which I think is wonderful), what will the agency do for people who are transit-dependent, captive bus riders? Buses aren't the most glamorous of NJ TRANSIT's services, but they're the most vital to many parts of the state!

Edited May 10, 2006 by Fiddlestix

[RestedTraveler]

At one time, GTA (or maybe GTS) ran a bus to Travelers Rest, is that correct? Does anybody remember?

The only evidence I have to support this theory is this old "bus stop" near McLesky-Todd:

[g-man430]

I was wondering what will happen to GTA if CAT starts transportation services from Clemson to Greenville and everywhere in between, which it looks like they most definitely will in the next 5 years, because CAT buses are free and GTA buses aren't. Also, according to WYFF tonight, CAT will start transportation services by January for Seneca and other parts of Oconee County. There is already a transportation hub being built there too. One other thing they said on WYFF tonight is that GTA might have to cut some of their bus routes if the high price of gas continues.

[RestedTraveler]

...One other thing they said on WYFF tonight is that GTA might have to cut some of their bus routes if the high price of gas continues.

Oh, the irony!

[gs3]

With the widening of Woodruff, the old train trestle for the abandon rail lines was torn down. These are the old rail lines that everyone speculates are the future for light rail. Question.....why are they replacing this trestle over Woodruff? Must be plans for the future, right? Here are a couple of photos from either side of Woodruff, with the supports for the new bridge/trestle in construction. Makes no sense to spend the money to replace a bridge for abandoned rail lines, UNLESS, there is definitely a future plan. Can anybody shed light on this?

[GvilleSC]

I really like it being gone! it has opened that up so much. But I'd have to say you're right about this- it must be happening soon?

[g-man430]

According to a Clemson University study done last November, they expect LRT to be built and implemented here sometime around 2015.

[GMoxley]

According to a Clemson University study done last November, they expect LRT to be built and implemented here sometime around 2015.

I won't hold my breath for that one...

[g-man430]

I won't hold my breath for that one...

OK?

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs....EWS01/511130317

Edited May 14, 2006 by g-man430

[gs3]

I won't hold my breath for that one...

I won't hold mine either, instead I'll do everything I can as a citizen to help make this a reality!

To my question above, why is money being spent to build a new bridge for an abandoned rail line????? Seems like some future planning there if you ask me. The same abandoned rail line that goes through ICAR, where the tracks could have simply been ripped up, but instead, crossings with signals were put in for, again, an abandoned rail line. Seems much attention is being paid this old line, right of way. Hmmmmm.............

[g-man430]

They are building it for a future LRT to and from ICAR.

[jfl25]

Smart move I didn't thing the planners had it in them.Lrt is definitly the way to go.

[g-man430]

10 ways Light rail is better.

1]speed

2]length of trains

3]running costs

4]turning circles

5]ease of expansion

6]multiple line interchangeabilty

7]reliability

8]line capacity

9]versitility x1,000,000

10]energy efficiency

[silverseale]

I agree, if GTA would just give those things a fresh coat of paint and install the needed signage it would help a great deal.

All the bus stops need to be covered stops, IMO. Hubby sometimes rides GTA if he can't catch a ride with me, a friend, etc. (has epilepsy that's not well controlled, so not allowed to drive). Many of the GTA stops aren't even covered--you are most often totally exposed to the weather.

[gs3]

All the bus stops need to be covered stops, IMO. Hubby sometimes rides GTA if he can't catch a ride with me, a friend, etc. (has epilepsy that's not well controlled, so not allowed to drive). Many of the GTA stops aren't even covered--you are most often totally exposed to the weather.

With all the transit comments in threads lately, I've really been noticing the bus stops more than ever. They are sad. The ones that are covered, have weeds growing around them. The thing that shocks me most, is the lack of a signage program showing the routes. It really shocks me for Greenville, considering the detail level that Greenville puts into all it's other signage programs (think of the great downtown Liberty Bridge signs and maps). Greenville does signage better than any city I've seen. Greenville needs to extend that expertise on signage to the GTA stops.

[TREY]

There is a interesting article in Metropolis Magazine about Cleveland's new BRT bus system here.

[g-man430]

Go to http://greenvilleplanning.com/transportati...grats/index.htm for more information about Greenville's future transportation plans.

Edited May 16, 2006 by g-man430

[GvilleSC]

I was just thinking today of what the perfect plan for Laurens Rd would be...

With all of the big boxes that have left and more on the way out, there's lots of land up for grabs! SO, we grid streets through and build an urban village on a massive scale. It would preferably be more residential, only retail for the convienience of the residents, not things to draw crowds of people... Anyway, it works perfectly with the rail line that sits behind these properties! build 2 stops or so and the light rail transit line...

Think of the scale... You could easily take this from Haywood to the Verdae Marketfair.... and build it close to the rail lines to bring in the transit to the development and to the people. I believe success would be eminent for all of Greenville's light rail/commuter rail dreams if this could be acheived. The people would then be in place to take advantage of the system and to open a new chapter for greenville's future!