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I've lived in Columbia eight years now and am pleased with some of the progress the city has made during that time. However, as I ride around town, I often compile a list of quick, easy fixes I wish the city (or a private entity) would do to improve the aesthetics and livability of the city.
My List
1. Bury power lines on main downtown thoroughfares (Assembly, South Main, Bull, Elmwood, Sumter, and along Harden north of Five Points);
2. Clean up the Harden/Gervais intersection and the adjacent blocks north and south;
3. Require all yard debris and street trash to be bagged, stricter enforcement of curbside trash dumping;
4. Gervais St. between Sumter and Harden is terrible and needs major investment;
5. Most streets in the city need resurfacing;
6. Eliminate at-grade railway crossings, apply for "quiet zone" status so trains don't blow their horns in the city limits;
7. First-class litter clean-up and enforcement system;
8. Turn off the comments section on thestate.com
What are your thoughts?
(Please keep your suggestions realistic and workable, something that theoretically could be done with appropriate funding and a year or two of work.)
I've lived in Columbia eight years now and am pleased with some of the progress the city has made during that time. However, as I ride around town, I often compile a list of quick, easy fixes I wish the city (or a private entity) would do to improve the aesthetics and livability of the city.
My List
1. Bury power lines on main downtown thoroughfares (Assembly, South Main, Bull, Elmwood, Sumter, and along Harden north of Five Points);
2. Clean up the Harden/Gervais intersection and the adjacent blocks north and south;
3. Require all yard debris and street trash to be bagged, stricter enforcement of curbside trash dumping;
4. Gervais St. between Sumter and Harden is terrible and needs major investment;
5. Most streets in the city need resurfacing;
6. Eliminate at-grade railway crossings, apply for "quiet zone" status so trains don't blow their horns in the city limits;
7. First-class litter clean-up and enforcement system;
8. Turn off the comments section on thestate.com
What are your thoughts?
(Please keep your suggestions realistic and workable, something that theoretically could be done with appropriate funding and a year or two of work.)
I'm constantly emailing my concerns directly to the mayor and my city council reps. They respond sporadically. Power line burial is extremely expensive. Right now the city is in the middle of an even more extremely expensive upgrade to the sewer system. I'd say Gervais from Bull to Harden, not from Sumter particularly. Improvement along there should be happening with the USC Law School, the USC Children's Law Center, and the Raleigh-based office furniture company's showroom at Gervais and Gregg. I would think more investment will follow. From Gregg to Harden definitely needs aesthetic improvement, and that should eventually happen as well. Maybe after the major sewage upgrade the city can turn its attention to more power line burial, pedestrian enhancements, etc. If they could expand the Downtown Clean Team's scope from the CBD to all commercial areas and change the name to the Columbia Clean Team or something like that, it would be great. Gervais Street from Assembly to the river just got resurfaced. I don't know if that was a result of the penny sales tax (I doubt it.), but the bulk of the penny sales tax's purpose is to improve roads throughout the county, including the city.
I wish they would move the telephone poles on Forest Drive away from the street, it feels like they are in the road practically.
I could see drunk drivers slamming right into one of those.
I also wish they would make Highway 12 (Forest Drive/ Taylor) limited access from Forest Acres all the way to Huger. This would involve building some bridges over roads with exit/entrance ramps. There is no quick way to head west from Forest Acres. I think something like this might even open up new development on the east side of town.
If they could so something like this with Beltline from Forest Acres around to the hospital that would be cool too.
Last edited by BHarrison84; 08-15-2013 at 08:22 PM..
I wish they would move the telephone poles on Forest Drive away from the street, it feels like they are in the road practically.
I could see drunk drivers slamming right into one of those.
I also wish they would make Highway 12 (Forest Drive/ Taylor) limited access from Forest Acres all the way to Huger. This would involve building some bridges over roads with exit/entrance ramps. There is no quick way to head west from Forest Acres. I think something like this might even open up new development on the east side of town.
If they could so something like this with Beltline from Forest Acres around to the hospital that would be cool too.
I don't like the Taylor Street limited access idea. I leave my house, drive a mile, turn right onto Taylor and go 1.7 miles and I'm on Main.
Better for a drunk driver to slam into a pole than into someone walking on the sidewalk.
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