Greenville Transit

[crescentmoon]

I think you missed the point of my post.

What I was saying is this: If it will eventually be a paved road for buses, and is currently abandoned, then why is a financially strapped government entity spending the money to replace the rail and rail bridge on this corridor? It seems to make more sense to me, that you would speed up the process of the BRT implementation, you would prevent the laying of rail, removal of rail, and paving... This brought me to the point of saying, we should aim to start with light rail to prevent the removal of the new rails. We would need a substantial improvement for our bus system (I realize that), but maybe that's what it would take to ignite the desire for improvement??

Just dreaming here

Are you sure that the rail line in question is owned by a "government entity" and that it is a "government entity" replacing the rails? Most rail lines are privately owned.

[gman430]

Are you sure that the rail line in question is owned by a "government entity" and that it is a "government entity" replacing the rails? Most rail lines are privately owned.

The county currently owns the rail line and contracts it out to a company who stores rail cars on it. I'm not sure if it's the county or company paying for the retracking along this rail line.

[GvilleSC]

Are you sure that the rail line in question is owned by a "government entity" and that it is a "government entity" replacing the rails? Most rail lines are privately owned.

I assume that the State is replacing the tracks that are being rebuilt. The State removed the bridge, which they will replace, and I assume that their change in grade level of the bridge is resulting in their replacing of the tracks, too.

Edited July 14, 2008 by GvilleSC

[greenvillegrows]

Looks like the City is selling some of the bus system property downtown. Here's the link to the Greenville News notice. Does anyone else think it's strange that there was no story printed, just a legal notice? There have sure been plenty of stories about the property before it went up for sale.

[GvilleSC]

This will probably be viewed as a ploy by the City of Greenville, and said to be their incentive for the taking over of GTA. If so, so be it. That Augusta Street property has no business being a bus repair center in 2008. I hope a developer with a real vision get its hands on the property and can realize a mixed-use development with character and activity.

[Spartan]

Yes, but the BRT line proposed for Greenville would be along a fixed route. Here is a list of developments that are proposed or under construction right now along or within one mile of the proposed BRT line for Greenville:

McBee Station (mixed use development)

Linky Stone Village (mixed use development)

Verdae (mixed use development)

Magnolia Park Town Center (mixed use development)

Carolina First headquarters (corporate headquarters with at least 600 employees)

CU-ICAR (research center that could create at least 10,000 new jobs)

Millennium Campus (research/office park that could create at least 20,000 new jobs)

Sounds to me like the BRT route here is already spurring development before it's even built. This list doesn't include all of the apartments going up in the area either.

I don't see it that way. I think that the Hollingsworth lands that have been freed up have just spurred a lot of development in that area of Greenville. The fact that it happens to be next to a future transit line (be it LRT or BRT) is purely coincidental. Its future is still a vision at this point, so the developers might use it as a selling point, but they cannot plan for it in an appropriate way. Obviously the preservation of the line means that some sort of transit will happen eventually, but IMO the uncertainty of the type and timeframe of this transit line are indicative that these developments would have happened anyway.

Using Charlotte as an example, BRT is planned for the southeast corridor (along Independence Blvd) and realistically, it will probably be built around the same time as Greenville's if not sooner (given that Charlotte has dedicated transit funding). To date there has been no TOD development along that corridor.

[GvilleSC]

Does the downtown trolley system fall under the reigns of Greenlink? I don't think it does, but the City of Greenville is the one who just funded the service expansion. Anyway, prior to the service expansion to include Thursday nights (6-11 pm) and more service on Sundays (until 8pm), the downtown trolley was transporting between 1,400 and 1,800 on a non-baseball weekend. I'd say that upward of 2,000 would be using this on an average summer weekend with it running 4 days. Moving this to fall under Greenlink would greatly increase Greenlink's ridership numbers. I also think they should increase the fleet size so that when baseball games are taking place, the Main Street route can still run.

[crescentmoon]

Does the downtown trolley system fall under the reigns of Greenlink? I don't think it does, but the City of Greenville is the one who just funded the service expansion. Anyway, prior to the service expansion to include Thursday nights (6-11 pm) and more service on Sundays (until 8pm), the downtown trolley was transporting between 1,400 and 1,800 on a non-baseball weekend. I'd say that upward of 2,000 would be using this on an average summer weekend with it running 4 days. Moving this to fall under Greenlink would greatly increase Greenlink's ridership numbers. I also think they should increase the fleet size so that when baseball games are taking place, the Main Street route can still run.

I'm pretty sure the trolleys belong to the Drive organization ... at least they did last summer.

[GvilleSC]

I'm pretty sure the trolleys belong to the Drive organization ... at least they did last summer.

I know the Drive bought one, but I'm pretty sure the City has bought at least one (not sure how many are in the fleet). Additionally, the City is the one who paid for the recent expansion of service. I'm not sure how much else they fund of the system.

[greenvillegrows]

Do Not Cut and Paste News articles and copyrighted material on UrbanPlanet. It is in the rules

Edited August 24, 2008 by monsoon
deleted news clipping

[Spartan]

I hope that someone will update us on what the relevant article was about.

[gman430]

I hope that someone will update us on what the relevant article was about.

I imagine it was this news article from the Greenville News: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs....EWS01/808240345

[Spartan]

Well, $57k isn't much, but its a start. Thanks for posting that.

[GvilleSC]

This is the first that I've heard of it, but there's a company out there called "GREENerVILLE" that offers transportation within downtown in electric vehicles. I like the concept. Their hours start at 5pm and go until 10pm Sunday-Wednesday, and until 1am Thursday to Satruday.

Check their website out here: http://www.greenerville.com/index.htm

Has anyone given them a try, or seen them downtown? I'm interested in how their service is being received and if it's a good experience.

Downtown has some cool ways to get around, IMO. There's the trolley service, of course, this new electric taxi-type service, the ease of walking, the pedicabs (are they still running?), and isn't there a segway rental option somewhere?

[GVLbikeNboard]

This is the first that I've heard of it, but there's a company out there called "GREENerVILLE" that offers transportation within downtown in electric vehicles. I like the concept. Their hours start at 5pm and go until 10pm Sunday-Wednesday, and until 1am Thursday to Satruday.

Check their website out here: http://www.greenerville.com/index.htm

Has anyone given them a try, or seen them downtown? I'm interested in how their service is being received and if it's a good experience.

Downtown has some cool ways to get around, IMO. There's the trolley service, of course, this new electric taxi-type service, the ease of walking, the pedicabs (are they still running?), and isn't there a segway rental option somewhere?

I haven't heard of or seen them downtown, but I'll keep my eyes open.

[gs3]

This is the first that I've heard of it, but there's a company out there called "GREENerVILLE" that offers transportation within downtown in electric vehicles. I like the concept. Their hours start at 5pm and go until 10pm Sunday-Wednesday, and until 1am Thursday to Satruday.

Check their website out here: http://www.greenerville.com/index.htm

Has anyone given them a try, or seen them downtown? I'm interested in how their service is being received and if it's a good experience.

Downtown has some cool ways to get around, IMO. There's the trolley service, of course, this new electric taxi-type service, the ease of walking, the pedicabs (are they still running?), and isn't there a segway rental option somewhere?

Very cool idea. Love this!

[Galley]

I haven't heard of or seen them downtown, but I'll keep my eyes open.

I saw them going down River St. on Saturday with a full load.

[GVLbikeNboard]

I saw them going down River St. on Saturday with a full load.

Oops, forgive me for not actually looking at the link! I assumed it was a bus or something, but I have seen those downtown recently. Very cool indeed!

[gman430]

$125,000 light rail feasibility study from downtown south to Fountain Inn: http://www.greenvillecounty.org/County_Cou...ail%20memos.pdf This is great news to see and hopefully will produce some results that aren't just going to remain on paper.

Edited October 31, 2008 by citylife

[GvilleSC]

That is good news. It's definitely a step in the right direction. It's also nice to know that SOMEONE is thinking about this (beside those of us who post on UP... though, I guess it could be one of y'all...).

[Greenville]

$125,000 light rail feasibility study from downtown south to Fountain Inn: http://www.greenvillecounty.org/County_Cou...ail%20memos.pdf This is great news to see and hopefully will produce some results that aren't just going to remain on paper.

I am thrilled to see interest in this on the county's part. This is definitely progress.

[breed]

$125,000 light rail feasibility study from downtown south to Fountain Inn: http://www.greenvillecounty.org/County_Cou...ail%20memos.pdf This is great news to see and hopefully will produce some results that aren't just going to remain on paper.

I'll do it for a fraction of the cost...

We don't have enough density. Unless we really change the way development occurs, we won't for a long time.

*holds out hand for check*

[Spartan]

Just to make the counterpoint, Charlotte arguably didn't have the density either except in Uptown. But the LRT there has generated over $1.5 billion in private investment- largely in TOD type developments- along the South Corridor. The LRT is an economic development tool as much as it is a mode of transportation.

[breed]

Just to make the counterpoint, Charlotte arguably didn't have the density either except in Uptown. But the LRT there has generated over $1.5 billion in private investment- largely in TOD type developments- along the South Corridor. The LRT is an economic development tool as much as it is a mode of transportation.

That may be true, but the notion that we are realistically thinking about plotting a light rail line from Greenville to Fountain Inn is crazy.

Comparable densities:

Greenville, one-mile from downtown: 38,738 employees and 6,674 residents

15 miles away...

Fountain Inn, one-mile from downtown: 2,226 employees and 3,944 residents

Charlotte, one-mile from downtown: 71,621 employees and 9,572 residents

Seven miles away...

I-485 & Southside (the other end of the LRT)... 7,409 employees and 7,110 residents

Obviously, we don't have the density. However, I guess maybe there's a little chicken-and-the-egg argument... does LRT get developed because of density, or does density get developed because of LRT. Probably a little of both.

With that being said, Washington DC's metro barely extends 15 miles from the city center. And it has an incredibly robust bus system. Has anyone ever started a mass transit system without a substantial bus system in place? I don't know if that's necessarily a pre-requisite, but I would think it would go hand-in-hand.

[Greenville]

That may be true, but the notion that we are realistically thinking about plotting a light rail line from Greenville to Fountain Inn is crazy.

Comparable densities:

Greenville, one-mile from downtown: 38,738 employees and 6,674 residents

15 miles away...

Fountain Inn, one-mile from downtown: 2,226 employees and 3,944 residents

Charlotte, one-mile from downtown: 71,621 employees and 9,572 residents

Seven miles away...

I-485 & Southside (the other end of the LRT)... 7,409 employees and 7,110 residents

Obviously, we don't have the density. However, I guess maybe there's a little chicken-and-the-egg argument... does LRT get developed because of density, or does density get developed because of LRT. Probably a little of both.

With that being said, Washington DC's metro barely extends 15 miles from the city center. And it has an incredibly robust bus system. Has anyone ever started a mass transit system without a substantial bus system in place? I don't know if that's necessarily a pre-requisite, but I would think it would go hand-in-hand.

Density most definitely will develop around LRT stations, as they are drivers of economic development. I do think that there has to be a baseline level of density around a planned station for it to be successful, but I think Greenville meets that minimum standard in the areas where many stations will be considered.

I agree that a strong bus system is needed to support light rail. Perhaps the plans for light rail will spur area leaders (as well as progressive-minded residents) to improve our bus system by leaps and bounds.