First City in SC to build Mass Transit?

[Spartan]

I'd like to see this prototype line get started, but I wish they planned a route that would actually solve a little traffic congestion, or at least, connect to high destination points to each other.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Do they have any routes mapped?

[monsoon]

I agree with that, absolutely. Myrtle Beach could really blossom with a light rail because of the narrow development along the strand. The only drawback is that you would still have many commuters from Socastee and Conway that go in to the beach. People there might want to have it in those cities...and that gets more complicated because of the Intracoastal Waterway and the wetlands that surround it.

IMO, my hometown would have more advantages such as a denser urban area, tourism, and better infrastructure. And you have it right: the Noisette and Neck projects will connect the 2 parts of Charleston like never before...light rail is already being planned from downtown, through these projects, to the airport.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not sure if the Myrtle Beach could area could afford to build Light Rail as there are relatively few residents there that would not want to take on the tax burden who already feel unfairly taxed to support the tourist infrastructure. It might be possible to attach another tax onto the tourism business, but I think that would require state approval and they State would probably keep the money for themselves.

It doesn't help either the head of the local transit service was found to have cheated the taxpayers out of hundreds of thousands for expensive trips to NY, $10,000 office desks, etc. They finally fired him, but it gave transit a very bad eye in the area.

I agree however, Myrtle Beach is fairly dense because it is really an island and the part east of the Intercoastal is fairly densely developed and does not have much of the sprawly cul de sac development seen throughout the rest of the Carolinas. The city is prime for a much better transit system.

[Charleston native]

That's some nasty history about the transit service head. Why is it that this state seems to have the most corrupt civic leaders? I've often wondered where all this tax money goes in this state when other states such as Florida have no income tax and LOW auto taxes, yet have better highways, infrastructure, and services.

Anyways, I agree that MB has excellent LRT potential. Considering how dense the strip east of the Intercoastal Waterway between MB and North MB is, it could be done with little controversy. If it crossed the waterway, though, I predict a firestorm of NIMBYs and environmentalists spouting off protests.

[sonofaque86]

I would say Columbia or Rock Hill...I go to school at Winthrop and there are so many people communiting to Charlotte during the week...And York County is one of the fastest growing counties due to Charlotte nearby...They could def benefit from one...Its only 15 minutes from the 21st largest city in the nation

[GvilleSC]

I believe it will be Greenville. I feel that we have the most need. Greenville is something like the fifth worst sprawled area in the nation and therefore a rail transit system would benefit the area's commuters and help our air quality. It will happen for sure, the city plans, before 2025. So, we'll see.

[monsoon]

Let me ask the question.

Do you think that Charlotte's upcoming Light Rail down South Blvd will help in the efforts to establish rail in Charleston, Greenville/Spartenburg, and Columbia?

[Spartan]

If it is successful, then yes. Particularly in Charleston since theirs is by far the most plannned system. It could ecourage Greenville to be more active in their efforts and maybe even encourage Columbia to start thinking about one.

[ironchapman]

I would think Charleston would be.

GSA could have some sort of MARTA/MTA/DART/BART etc. type of transit to link them after they grow a little more.

[btoy]

Spartanburg, Greer, Greenville, and Clemson will get Mass Transit as part of the Washintong DC to Macon Highspeed Rail.

Look here

also click here

There is actually a link I want to show here that I can not find, I have it with some marketing materials at my office, I will post next time I am at work.

[GvilleSC]

It does seem like we have had this conversation before.

I lived in Greenville from 01-03 and in the time I lived there it never seemed as big, or even looked as big as Columbia just for comparisons, DT Cola larger than DT Gville, highways Columbia has more interstates with a beltway around the city, and of course in skylines there is no comparison:

This (Gville)

vs.

This (Cola)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Where to begin? First of all, these pictures are totally different! Greenville's is more of an arial view. If greenville's downtown sat on a flat plane (not that columbia's does, but more so than Greenville's) and if the picture were taken from the ground above the trees... there would be room to argue, but that was a cheap blow. Besides, that picture is atleast 10 years old. I don't know where you lived in Greenville, but I feel the big city aspects of Greenville everyday.

[The_sandlapper]

Sorry to offended you? I thought they were the best pictures I could find of both DT's, Just my take. By the way I lived at Halton Place Apts. just off of Haywood Rd.

[ironchapman]

Spartanburg, Greer, Greenville, and Clemson will get Mass Transit as part of the Washintong DC to Macon Highspeed Rail.

Look here

also click here

There is actually a link I want to show here that I can not find, I have it with some marketing materials at my office, I will post next time I am at work.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's a long line.

Great for connectivity, though.

P.S. Sandlapper, thpse were some nice pics of Cola and and Gville.

[GvilleSC]

Sorry to offended you? I thought they were the best pictures I could find of both DT's, Just my take. By the way I lived at Halton Place Apts. just off of Haywood Rd.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

haha, no problem here. I just get irritated when people look down on this city. It seriously feels as if the whole state does- therefore someone must stand up for it.

[krazeeboi]

haha, no problem here. I just get irritated when people look down on this city. It seriously feels as if the whole state does- therefore someone must stand up for it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Do you really feel this way? Funny, I don't really get a lot of anti-Greenville sentiment in my part of the state or the area in which I was raised (Orangeburg County). If Columbia and Greenville were the same size population-wise, Greenville would certainly give Columbia a run for its money. The city is a blessing to SC in so many ways. Greenville is FAR from being the "Fayetteville of SC."

[Spartan]

haha, no problem here. I just get irritated when people look down on this city. It seriously feels as if the whole state does- therefore someone must stand up for it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Greenville just doesn't have the skyline that Columbia has, regardless of visibility. It doesn't reflect poorly on the town though, since Greenville's Main St is better known that Columbia's areas.

[Spartan]

Greenville is FAR from being the "Fayetteville of SC."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Who said that?

[The_sandlapper]

haha, no problem here. I just get irritated when people look down on this city. It seriously feels as if the whole state does- therefore someone must stand up for it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No love loss, I feel just as passionately about my hometown of Columbia. I don't look down upon Greenville. I think it's a pretty quainte city (downtown & the foothills), with alot going for it now and a bright future, which is obvious because of all of what's going on there. There are some political and social issues in the area that I don't care for but like I've said that's just been my experience while living there.

[krazeeboi]

Who said that?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

LOL, no one did. I simply wished to make the point that the rest of SC doesn't look down on Greenville--at least not in the way that the rest of NC (or at least a lot of North Carolinians I've come into contact with) looks down on Fayetteville.

[Spartan]

Rather than perpetuate the BS that this thread was becoming, I am giving it a new chance at life. Hybrid0NE, you showed very poor taste in expressing your opinions. Try to have more respect.

[krazeeboi]

Well, to take this thread in a better direction, I'm not sure about the "rails to trails" proposal in the Greenville area. While it does seem to be a good idea, I think it would be best to preserve the rails for future light rail. As HybridONE's now-deleted post pointed out, the Upstate has some serious air pollution problems, and light rail will help cut down on the congestion. So I'm actually hoping that the Upstate area gets light rail first; I think that's the place it's most needed at this point.

[btoy]

They said that what ever they do they will not do anything that will take away the possibility of doing light rail in the future. Also, in most places the right of way is large enough for both to run side by side and in areas where it is to narrow they are going to start purchasing more land to widen the right of way.

I learned today that light rail uses narrower tracks therefor the exsisting tracks would have to be taken up before a light rail system could go in anyway.

[Mr.Marc]

I really don't care who in SC gets light rail first. I'll be happy if any of our major cities gets light rail. It will definitely place SC on the progression map.

I'm very sick of slow progress

[krazeeboi]

Yeah, somebody needs to make a leap around here.

I think USC's research campus and ICAR is a good start though. Too bad Raleigh-Durham beat us to the punch about 50 or so years ago.

[Spartan]

Perhaps of one city gets it started the others will follow along, so not to b e out done by the first Competition is a good thing.

[krazeeboi]

Very true, and I believe that SC's cities have healthy competition. Greenville is trying to nip at Columbia's heels right now, so the Capital City needs to be on its guard! I'm just waiting to hear if Charleston got the Airbus plant.