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Greenville Transit


jarvismj

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Thats a great concept. Very forward thinking of developers to embrace transit before it's essentiality is realized within local politics. As soon as we know more about this thing we will give it its own thread. Please let me or krazeeboi know and we'll get that set up!

Agreed. Let's see some renderings and a site plan. Inquiring minds want to know!

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A "Transit Ready" community is being proposed along Pleasantburg Drive in the City of Greenville. The development would be connected to the 'GreenLink' rapid bus transit line and would be within a 10 minute walk of major Pleasantburg attractions such as the Carolina First Center and the Downtown Airport.

I think this is really encouraging. The Greenlink system will run from the AmTrak station downtown on Washington Street to Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Reseach. With downtown and ICAR as anchors, these stops in between are going to be key. It's great to have Verdae and now this proposal in the mix. I hope to see more developments follow this model.

Transit Ready Community

Great news to come home to! :thumbsup: Pleasantburg is definitely the next area of the city to watch.

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The transit authority is one step closer to being controlled by the city. Once under city control, improvements could be on the way, including the renovation of the transit center.

Article from the Greenville News:

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs....NEWS01/71212035

This is great news! I think giving the city control of GTA is the best solution, at least for now. The city's track record for being aggressive and forward-thinking speaks for itself, and I expect nothing less than huge improvements to GTA over the next few years. Plus, the city will be able to handle some of the GTA operations using resources that already exist. :thumbsup:

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  • 2 weeks later...

There is a good positive article about the GTA in the December "Greenville" magazine by John Deworkin, vice chairman of the greenville transit authority. Its titled "Brighter Times Ahead for Greenville's Bus System"

Just had the chance to read through the December issue and this article is excellent. I was excited to see the system plans to have "real time" bus arrival screens at the shelter/stops they are planning. This is pro-active thinking. :thumbsup: With all the noise that has been made over GTA the last year, you can sense the fix is on the way. I do think there is a great future ahead for GTA (though that future may come about slowly, so the city should stay focused and be in it for the long haul).

Now just get a route to the airport and GTA, you'll have one new regular passenger here! :thumbsup:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Greenville leaders are suppose to be in Clemson this week to ride the CATbus system and learn what they can from it... While, Greenville and Clemson are different beasts, I think some parallels can be drawn and I think the city can learn a lot from SC's best transportation system.

Both systems have major daytime population areas (Clemson- Campus, Greenville- Downtown, others?). Also, both systems have major contributing population areas (though Greenville's are much more numerous). Two differences, though:1) Clemson's targeted riders live in dense complexes of apartments AND houses focused on main corridors (very linear in nature), I might compare the Red Route that goes out Hwy 93 to Central with Greenville's Woodruff Road in terms of the way residential developments have been built along these roadways. 2) Clemson Area riders are generally YOUNG, open minded about transportation, and willing to give it a shot. Maybe young people is what Greenville needs more of... for many reasons in addition to transportation issues.

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Does Clemson allow their freshman to have vehicles? I know some schools don't allow them. I'm guessing not all the students have vehicles so that probably contributes to the success of the system also. where as the majority of greenville the population has vehicles.

Clemson freshmen are allowed to have their own vehicles, and I would say just about all of them do. So I don't believe many students use it out of necessity.

When I was a Clemson student, CAT buses were mostly used by commuters who parked in remote lots and rode them closer to the building where they had class. I did this every day during the time I lived off campus, and there were hundreds more who did the same thing. There were also some students who lived off campus (and perhaps did not have a car) who would ride it to and from class. Since I was there, I'm sure it has evolved into something many more students use. I know they have greatly expanded the routs to include Seneca, Anderson, etc. It is certainly a clean and efficient system. Not having to pay to use it makes a huge difference. I wish GTA would strongly consider going fare-free, provided that it does not have to excessively tax the public to do so.

I am not sure about the routes that connect with places farther away from Clemson, but when I was there CATS was exclusively used by students on the campus routes. There was no attitude that it was "only for poor people." In fact, there were so many students on it that a poverty-stricken person would've probably felt uncomfortable using it!

GvilleSC, I am curious to hear your thoughts on CATS as a current student there. I'm sure it has changed and expanded to a large degree since I was there.

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I live off campus and I'm trying to use it as much as possible despite having a vehicle that I could rely on. This is the case for a lot of people I've seen using it. Depending on when people catch the bus, by the time it reaches the closer communities to campus, it is already full. So, perhaps it's more heavily used today by commuters than it was when you were a student at Clemson, Greenville. Certainly gas prices are higher...

While Clemson freshmen may have cars, they also all live on campus. They may take it to a grocery store (Ingles, Bi-lo, Food Lion, Bloom) and to get to and from their cars in the resident parking lots, but I'd say they aren't the heavy users of the system.

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As a recent graduate of Clemson, I can tell you that the Catbus is a good way to get around town. I lived in Central, and I commuted in. The Red Route took you pretty much anywhere you needed to go in town, but most people took it to Hendrix (from my direction anyway). It was very much a socially acceptable way to get around town. Not just because it was clean, but because it was convenient. Parking at Clemson is a nightmare, and it really does make your life easier to use the bus. The thing comes about every 15 minutes all day, so you never really needed a schedule.

It also works in Clemson's favor that most of the housing in town is high density apartment complexes located on Hwy 93, so the demand is relatively high on that one road.

But here's the catch- Clemson's population is heavily skewed to wards college students, and to be blunt you only have one "bad" neighborhood in town. There are few lower income people that ride it. The number of student peer riders and the few number of vagrants combined with the high frustration of parking all work towards the Catbus's favor. Not to mention that its just a good service.

If Greenville can duplicate that, then more power to GTA. I think GTA will find that model doesn't work will for them, but I hope they can take successful elements from CAT and make something great from their system.

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My understanding is that in order for Greenville to copy CAT, they'll need to come up with the $1 million/year that Clemson U. puts into the system and the additional $500,000/year that the Clemson area qualifies for from the Federal Government because of its size (Greenville's too big to qualify). Right now, the City and County of Greenville put something like $500,000/yr in total.

I would guess that, with an extra $1.5 million/year, the GTA could make some improvements. I think it would be worth it. What is that about $4/year per County citizen (or $25/city resident). I'm pretty sure the GTA doesn't have the ability to get it - it's up to the politicians to plan for its citizens and prioritize the tax funds appropriately.

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Anybody care to speculate on Mr. Bob Lloyd's agenda here? Never heard of him having any connection at all to the mass transit situation in Greenville. Don't remember him being quoted as an expert working to solve the transportation issues of Greenville. Now, the day the city finally steps to the plate - the day they finally take a step towards accepting responsibility, he comes out and blasts them for doing it wrong. Is he for real? Is he being paid? Or, is he just being made out by the Greenville News to be something he's not?

Sounds like someone who wants attention getting with someone who wants to write about conflict.

Related articles: 1, 2, 3

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Looks like the City is all in today. Congratulations to the Council Members who are taking the plunge.

Excellent news! I think this is going to prove to be a turning point for public transit in Greenville. The old way of doing things obviously was not working, and the city's desire to revolutionize public transportation seems genuine. I know that it will be a "learn as you go" process for them at times, but their drive to improve this aspect of city life in Greenville is enough to convince me that this was the right move. I look forward to hearing about the improvements they propose. :thumbsup:

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I'm anxious to see how this plays out. GTA is the seed. The City of Greenville is the soil. I can't wait to see new bus shelters and signage and ridership increase. This could grow into a much larger transit system including BRT and even (dare I say) one or two Light Rail lines. At the very least, the city seems determined to connect Downtown with CU-ICAR.

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Sunday's article regarding the changes at GTA.

"...a reduction in county transit funding could put Greenville taxpayers at risk under the new arrangement. The county now contributes $286,000 to GTA, and it should consider increasing its financial commitment."

City saves the GTA money, so the County can pay less? It wouldn't take me long to believe someone at County Council could try that.

More transportation choices would cost more money. But, it would be money well spent.

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Sunday's article regarding the changes at GTA.

"...a reduction in county transit funding could put Greenville taxpayers at risk under the new arrangement. The county now contributes $286,000 to GTA, and it should consider increasing its financial commitment."

City saves the GTA money, so the County can pay less? It wouldn't take me long to believe someone at County Council could try that.

More transportation choices would cost more money. But, it would be money well spent.

If that happens, then GTA should only offer service in the city of Greenville and nowhere else. Wouldn't that be an appropriate result if the County refuses to pony up their share of the money?

For what it's worth, I think the County government is illogical. They can add a tax to all restaurant meals in the county to spend millions on recreation stuff (which is needed), but they can't easily and willingly provide a few hundred thousand dollars to support public transit? Those priorities seem strange to me. It shouldn't even be an issue as to whether or not they will pay AT LEAST what they have been paying!

Edited by Greenville
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If that happens, then GTA should only offer service in the city of Greenville and nowhere else. Wouldn't that be an appropriate result if the County refuses to pony up their share of the money?

For what it's worth, I think the County government is illogical. They can add a tax to all restaurant meals in the county to spend millions on recreation stuff (which is needed), but they can't easily and willingly provide a few hundred thousand dollars to support public transit? Those priorities seem strange to me. It shouldn't even be an issue as to whether or not they will pay AT LEAST what they have been paying!

Agreed.

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If that happens, then GTA should only offer service in the city of Greenville and nowhere else. Wouldn't that be an appropriate result if the County refuses to pony up their share of the money?

For what it's worth, I think the County government is illogical. They can add a tax to all restaurant meals in the county to spend millions on recreation stuff (which is needed), but they can't easily and willingly provide a few hundred thousand dollars to support public transit? Those priorities seem strange to me. It shouldn't even be an issue as to whether or not they will pay AT LEAST what they have been paying!

Well said. For Greenville to actually have the transit system it should have, given the size of the metro, GTA should have way more funding. The County should be spending several million, given that the vast majority of the population lives in unincorpoated Greenville County.

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