Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Imagine if Myrtle Beach had a trolley running along Ocean Blvd, then circling over to Hwy 17 for few miles, then back over to Ocean Blvd, going in a constant loop. Imagine also a train departing from the future Gateway Station in Charlotte, heading directly to a station next to Hwy 17 in Myrtle Beach where you could transfer immediately to the trolley (or taxi) and go to your hotel. No driving necessary. Trolley to your hotel, trolley to restaurants.
Having lived in Charlotte, one thing I always HATED was that awful, long drive to Myrtle Beach. And that was back in the '80s when Charlotte traffic was nothing compared to now. I live in San Diego and occasionally go up to LA and I LOVE taking Amtrak. I enjoy looking out the window as we're running parallel to the freeway and waving to the losers stuck in their cars in gridlockc on the freeway as we zoom past them. Buh-bye! I make frequent trips to DC and love that metro is there to take me wherever I want to go. No driving required. I know many people from points north come to DC via Amtrak (and vice versa) as it's easier than flying, and MUCH easier than driving. Then rely on metro and taxis once at their destination. Public transportation (particularly trains), and walkable neighborhoods, is a preferred option for many, many people, especially those of us who hate long drives and traffic jams.
Charlotte would have a big competitive edge over Atlanta (which excels in so many other respects) if it had superior accessibility to a vacation destination like Myrtle Beach. And, of course, Myrtle Beach would benefit tremendously if the 2.5 million people in metro Charlotte had a painless way to get there. Of course, I know South Carolina tends to by myopic and cheap when it comes to making forward-looking investments. The condition of SC highways is evidence of that. But it's nice to dream.
Imagine if Myrtle Beach had a trolley running along Ocean Blvd, then circling over to Hwy 17 for few miles, then back over to Ocean Blvd, going in a constant loop. Imagine also a train departing from the future Gateway Station in Charlotte, heading directly to a station next to Hwy 17 in Myrtle Beach where you could transfer immediately to the trolley (or taxi) and go to your hotel. No driving necessary. Trolley to your hotel, trolley to restaurants.
Having lived in Charlotte, one thing I always HATED was that awful, long drive to Myrtle Beach. And that was back in the '80s when Charlotte traffic was nothing compared to now. I live in San Diego and occasionally go up to LA and I LOVE taking Amtrak. I enjoy looking out the window as we're running parallel to the freeway and waving to the losers stuck in their cars in gridlockc on the freeway as we zoom past them. Buh-bye! I make frequent trips to DC and love that metro is there to take me wherever I want to go. No driving required. I know many people from points north come to DC via Amtrak (and vice versa) as it's easier than flying, and MUCH easier than driving. Then rely on metro and taxis once at their destination. Public transportation (particularly trains), and walkable neighborhoods, is a preferred option for many, many people, especially those of us who hate long drives and traffic jams.
Charlotte would have a big competitive edge over Atlanta (which excels in so many other respects) if it had superior accessibility to a vacation destination like Myrtle Beach. And, of course, Myrtle Beach would benefit tremendously if the 2.5 million people in metro Charlotte had a painless way to get there. Of course, I know South Carolina tends to by myopic and cheap when it comes to making forward-looking investments. The condition of SC highways is evidence of that. But it's nice to dream.
I would love taking trains if they weren't much more expensive and time consuming than driving. If they were cheaper, I would think about it. If they were faster, I would think about it. They are neither, so I don't.
We have direct routes to New Orleans and New York. Both amazing cities. Routes that take over 12 hours and cost as much as a flight.
All that said I like your vision. Let's lay some track and make it happen.
I would hate to see the costs for that one. Myrtle Beach would become so expensive not many people could afford it. After all, who pays for this trolley?
More likely would be a train to Wilmington and then trolley to the beaches there. The Wilmington area has transit and has talked about creating public transit on its city tracks, but needs the state to install alternate tracks to the port.
There are tracks from the Wilmington area to Charlotte now...same tracks that go through Matthews and Pembroke.
NC would never allow it. Remember how long it took them to widen 601 between Monroe and Pageland? That's because NC wants tourists going to it's own beaches. Not SC's.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,678,989 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by brichard
Imagine if Myrtle Beach had a trolley running along Ocean Blvd, then circling over to Hwy 17 for few miles, then back over to Ocean Blvd, going in a constant loop. Imagine also a train departing from the future Gateway Station in Charlotte, heading directly to a station next to Hwy 17 in Myrtle Beach where you could transfer immediately to the trolley (or taxi) and go to your hotel. No driving necessary. Trolley to your hotel, trolley to restaurants.
Having lived in Charlotte, one thing I always HATED was that awful, long drive to Myrtle Beach. And that was back in the '80s when Charlotte traffic was nothing compared to now. I live in San Diego and occasionally go up to LA and I LOVE taking Amtrak. I enjoy looking out the window as we're running parallel to the freeway and waving to the losers stuck in their cars in gridlockc on the freeway as we zoom past them. Buh-bye! I make frequent trips to DC and love that metro is there to take me wherever I want to go. No driving required. I know many people from points north come to DC via Amtrak (and vice versa) as it's easier than flying, and MUCH easier than driving. Then rely on metro and taxis once at their destination. Public transportation (particularly trains), and walkable neighborhoods, is a preferred option for many, many people, especially those of us who hate long drives and traffic jams.
Charlotte would have a big competitive edge over Atlanta (which excels in so many other respects) if it had superior accessibility to a vacation destination like Myrtle Beach. And, of course, Myrtle Beach would benefit tremendously if the 2.5 million people in metro Charlotte had a painless way to get there. Of course, I know South Carolina tends to by myopic and cheap when it comes to making forward-looking investments. The condition of SC highways is evidence of that. But it's nice to dream.
A train to Asheville will happen before that happens.
Of all the new train service I'd like to see, Charlotte to MB may be at the very bottom of the list, sorry.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
