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Yes, something needs to be done whether the people want it or not. In my real estate class today we spent the whole time talking about Charleston traffic (because traffic affects property value), and there was all agreement that Charleston traffic does not fit the population (and I think all of us on CD agree). There was even comparisons with Atlanta, which in some cases theres truth.
Geography, like our rivers, plays a part, because it creates bottlenecks, plus being on the coast and not wide open like Columbia and Greenville, and we need a lot of bridges, and bridges are expensive, and then how I-26 in Charleston is elevated, so they can't just pave another lane, but then a lot of it is on the engineers and city planners. The 26/526 interchange is a big example, its outdated, like many of the interchanges. Exit 216 is a nightmare, so is 219. 199 is looking a little stuffed, and 526 doesn't have the best exits either. The 1-way streets and side street parking also cause problems, and the lack of highway to take the load off 26 and 526 is an issue.
People need to think about the greater good for the metro, and not just about themselves. "Oh I don't want to hear trucks in my backyard", yet when a hurricane comes and youre stuck on the road for 10 hours, you'll be cursing saying "why didn't they fix this #$*@!."
The whole metro needs a road overhaul, from 526, to 26, to Folly Rd, to Spring St, to the Rittenberg/Ashley River Rd area, to Savannah Hwy, to Ladson Rd, to Rivers/Remount, 17 in Summerville, to Rifle Range, etc.
Oh and flooding: these roads here retain WAY too much water, even up in Goose Creek, 20 miles inland. We need better drainage, its not just a downtown problem. Thats probably what I hate most about Charleston. Each road can easily become a swimming pool and its super dangerous and super scary. I try my best to stay in when its rains, but when Im caught outside and have to drive home in the rain here, you just gotta pray youre car wont be carried into the ocean. Both sides gotta drop all the politics and get to together and lets fix this now.
Talk is cheap but solving these issues is not. Everyone agrees that traffic is bad and something needs to be done but the fix is expensive and burdens unfairly fall on individual homeowners. You might feel differently if 526 were going to be planted in your backyard marsh view. I feel for the folks who owned before 526 was planned and who are due to be screwed "for the common good". There has been little talk of compensating them fairly. I know this is commonplace but it doesn't change the facts.
For the record, I will not be negatively impacted by 526 and in fact my property values will only go up. I also think 526 is needed and inevitable if Johns Island is going to continue to develop. We've dug ourselves into a pretty deep hole with short sighted "planning" and it's not going to be easy to get out.
Talk is cheap but solving these issues is not. Everyone agrees that traffic is bad and something needs to be done but the fix is expensive and burdens unfairly fall on individual homeowners. You might feel differently if 526 were going to be planted in your backyard marsh view. I feel for the folks who owned before 526 was planned and who are due to be screwed "for the common good". There has been little talk of compensating them fairly. I know this is commonplace but it doesn't change the facts.
For the record, I will not be negatively impacted by 526 and in fact my property values will only go up. I also think 526 is needed and inevitable if Johns Island is going to continue to develop. We've dug ourselves into a pretty deep hole with short sighted "planning" and it's not going to be easy to get out.
Easier said than done.
Personally I hate the idea of changing Charleston's landscape; I love the marshes and the beaches, but if developers keep building mini cities what can we do? And if city/county municipalities continue to issue the building permits, then of course new roads, etc will have to be built. Taxes are going to have to go up and there is nothing we can do about it because people keep coming, builders keep building and we have no other alternative but to improve roads, bridges, etc. to accommodate the masses. Industries are moving here, creating wonderful job opportunities which is a good thing, but it is incredibly stressful to be on our roads just to get to work. Frankly, I have to leave my house at 6:30 to be able to make it to work by 8:00 - sometimes I'm early, other times I'm not. Now, that is travel time to and from work - isn't that like Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, etc? I think we're right up there with the "big" cities at this point.
You're going to screw an entire populace because your marsh views might get spoiled? Things grow and sometimes even the wealthy take it in the shorts when it comes to road expansion. Of course I wouldn't like it, but sometimes that's just the way life happens. Almost every new major road project has someone complaining. As you said, you're in a hole and still digging. Last week was a prime example of what could happen very easily.
Now, that is travel time to and from work - isn't that like Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, etc? I think we're right up there with the "big" cities at this point.
Maybe not, never lived anywhere but here. For us locals, the traffic is quite staggering. And IsNull, I agree, as much as we may hate it, if we want our city to grow and keep people employed then I'm with you, we are going to ruin a fews views, which of course won't make some people happy, but it is a necessary evil.
For a city this size it sulhouldnt have the type of traffic oroblems it does. Llook at Columbia. It gets backed up rush hour in some parts but thenwhole city is not on lock down traffic like it is here sometimes and Columbia has a bigger metro. Why??. Because they have more roads more highways. We have more expensive roads which plays a part but when they try to plan new roads ect, nobody wants them but then turn around complaining about traffic is to bad.
Talk is cheap but solving these issues is not. Everyone agrees that traffic is bad and something needs to be done but the fix is expensive and burdens unfairly fall on individual homeowners. You might feel differently if 526 were going to be planted in your backyard marsh view. I feel for the folks who owned before 526 was planned and who are due to be screwed "for the common good". There has been little talk of compensating them fairly. I know this is commonplace but it doesn't change the facts.
For the record, I will not be negatively impacted by 526 and in fact my property values will only go up. I also think 526 is needed and inevitable if Johns Island is going to continue to develop. We've dug ourselves into a pretty deep hole with short sighted "planning" and it's not going to be easy to get out.
Easier said than done.
Im aware its not cheap, but like I said, you have to think about the greater good. By what ive seen, 526 would go through a small portion of Johns Island, its not like its cutting right through the middle. Theres 740K people in the Charelston metro, as of now, so we should create traffic hassles for majority of them, so a few hundred-thousand people can have an amazing marsh view?
I'm not a big 526 guy, I think theres bigger issues right now, including the current state of 526 as it is, but this NIMBY culture and "let it build" culturein Charlesron has to start compromising, or the metro is screwed.
The cruise ship terminal controversy, the 526 controversy, the port deepening controversy, the Mt Pleasant growing controversy, the Sgt Jasper controversy, the Shem Creek controversy, the Horizon controversy, seems like theres a controvery with BAR every week, etc. We're letting politics run the town too much.
We just need compromise. If not 526, then we need to find another way to get everything west of the Ashley flowing smooth. Like I said, some of it is not our faults, like being wedged between 4 rivers and not having an a 360 degree expansion path, but then some it is. No reason for Ladson Rd to look how it does, for example.
Oh and I know people always talk about hurricanes, but dont forget, this is an earthquake zone too. One moderate earthquake can easily hurt our infrastructure. We need to plan accordingly.
Ironically this was in the P&C today. Chas drivers spent 41 hours delayed in traffic last year. We ranked 9th among 33 medium metros. But in terms of population, we're 23rd. So our traffic woes doesnt fit our size.
And of the 101 metros in the US, we rank 13th on the "Freeway Commuter Stress Index", which is above NYC and Chi-town. The delays casue Chas drivers over $1000 a year in wasted gas and time.
IsNull and Jandrew5, read my post. I never said 526 shouldn't be built, in fact I said it's needed and inevitable. I was just pointing out the other perspective and how some individuals stand to get screwed in the deal. It's easy to pound the table and say, "this needs to be fixed now!" and not so easy to consider all the ramifications of either action.
So... I agree that 526 is needed. I also think that folks who owned their land before 526 was common knowledge should be compensated fully for whatever depreciation they suffer "for the common good".
And, there you go. People are going to eventually hate Charleston due to the traffic conditions.
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should be compensated fully for whatever depreciation they suffer "for the common good".
Agree, but that's not how it works......too many stories all around US how property was taken via eminent domain and paid pennies on what the real value is. It happens all the time ~ not saying that I agree, as I matter of fact, it makes me madder than spit that the government has this much power, but that's how it's done.
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