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I agree with your ideas! One thing I think needs to be up and running at this time though, is Highspeed Rail, between all three of the big cities in NC. I think it would also be important for the Triangle to have their light rail system up and running.
I'm pretty sure high speed and better transportation would be in the proposal...
I wonder how long it would take to get to Raleigh with highspeed... anyone have details?
Unless you have some statistical data that would prove that CLT couldn't handle 1/2 million visitors/day by 2024, you are offering up nothing more than an opinion. And one, given some of the arguments made, that isn't based on the realities of Charlotte.
With all due respect, when making a bid for something like the Olympics, it is not the duty of an outsider to prove the city can't... it is the responsible of the bidding sponsor to prove they can.
No one here has done a -real- analysis to prove it either way, but you can't use that argument without taking it into consideration for your own....which so far as you said... just opinions.
Has Charlotte ever had half a million visitors in addition to its population?
Unless you have some statistical data that would prove that CLT couldn't handle 1/2 million visitors/day by 2024, you are offering up nothing more than an opinion. And one, given some of the arguments made, that isn't based on the realities of Charlotte.
And you've not proven that Charlotte COULD handle such; thus, you are only offering opinions as well.
Furthermore, Charlotte would actually have less than 11 years to prepare. The USOC has 2 1/2 years to decide whether to submit a 2024 bid, and the IOC vote on the 2024 Games will be in 2017. Thus, if Charlotte were to express interest, be selected by the USOC, and then chosen to host the Games, it would have 7 years to actually prepare for the Games themselves.
And you've not proven that Charlotte COULD handle such; thus, you are only offering opinions as well.
In a good year, 350,000 people attend each of the two big races events at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The venue holds 250,000 and this doesn't count people involved in the race. The rest are vendors, people who come the parties, Speed Week etc. Yet, this place is on a single state road north of the city with no access to public transportation. Yet they do this 2x/year and year out without incident.
Based on this, I have no reason to believe the entire city couldn't handle another 150K. Which would match Atlanta's Olympic effort. I seem to remember a lot of people who came to ATL who wouldn't ride MARTA due to the fears of crime. It wasn't helped when someone got shot at one of the stations.
I live here. I think that puts my opinion of what the can and can't do a little above that of someone who has already said Charlotte can't handle many posts back and yet continues to post in the topic about it.
Has Charlotte ever had half a million visitors in addition to its population?
I can't remember one, but answered in my last post is why I think it can handle it. The Charlotte Motor Speedway holds 250,000 and many more come to the event who don't actually attend the race. This is way out on Hwy 29 North of the city. There is no transit service. Yet this is a routine event.
I agree with you, and I've already stated this, the Olympic committee has given these cities a list of requirements. It's up to Charlotte, should it desire to pursue it, to make it's case with this committee.
mod cut
Last edited by SunnyKayak; 02-26-2013 at 05:00 AM..
Reason: off topic
The only way North Carolina could handle the summer Olympics "today" is by using a "regional concept" . Theoretically the opening/closing ceremony and some games could be held in Charlotte while other games could be held in venues in other Piedmont cities like Raleigh/Durham and Greensboro/Winston-Salem. The Triangle could host tennis and basketball events for example while Greensboro could host aquatic swimming/diving events. Winston-Salem could host boxing and Charlotte could host track and field and soccer (football). The combined number of hotel rooms in all three metro areas would meet the requirements. But a regional concept wouldn't likely happen because the Olympics always have been and always will be held in one city. But a "Carolina Olympics" is a great idea because it gets the whole state involved and multiple cities and the state could share the cost. Fans could use the train to get between cities. Shuttle service could be available as well. When NC didn't have a city large enough to support a major league sports team it used a regional concept. The ABA Carolina Cougars were based in Greensboro but home games were split between Greensboro, Charlotte and Raleigh. The ABA eventually merged with the NBA and some old ABA teams like the Indiana Pacers survived the merger.
Very interesting that you talk about a regional concept and a "Carolina Olympics" and neglected to mention any SC cities. You DO know that Charlotte's metro area extends into SC and that Charlotte is closer to Columbia and USC than the Triangle and its universities, right? And just as the sailing events for the '96 Olympics were held down in Savannah, I could see sailing happening in Charleston for a Charlotte Olympics.
And as it was stated, not all events happen in just one city.
The only way North Carolina could handle the summer Olympics "today" is by using a "regional concept" . Theoretically the opening/closing ceremony and some games could be held in Charlotte while other games could be held in venues in other Piedmont cities like Raleigh/Durham and Greensboro/Winston-Salem. The Triangle could host tennis and basketball events for example while Greensboro could host aquatic swimming/diving events. Winston-Salem could host boxing and Charlotte could host track and field and soccer (football). The combined number of hotel rooms in all three metro areas would meet the requirements. But a regional concept wouldn't likely happen because the Olympics always have been and always will be held in one city. But a "Carolina Olympics" is a great idea because it gets the whole state involved and multiple cities and the state could share the cost. Fans could use the train to get between cities. Shuttle service could be available as well. When NC didn't have a city large enough to support a major league sports team it used a regional concept. The ABA Carolina Cougars were based in Greensboro but home games were split between Greensboro, Charlotte and Raleigh. The ABA eventually merged with the NBA and some old ABA teams like the Indiana Pacers survived the merger.
I don't know if this has been discussed in this thread, but Atlanta Olympics did the same thing, but spread it out to Miami, Birmingham, and DC.
Seems like all the finals were in Atlanta, though (Athens for soccer). Charlotte could handle the finals for every sports, and then maybe Soccer could be in Clemson or Columbia.
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