I-26, I-20, I-126 Carolina Crossroads Updates (Columbia, Irmo: how much, home, neighborhood)

[waccamatt]

The relief should have been accomplished via commuter rail; this project will be a fiasco.

[Growingup15]

Originally Posted by waccamatt

The relief should have been accomplished via commuter rail; this project will be a fiasco.

Oh trust me. Me and everyone else in the Multimodal committee. Are hoping the construction frustrates people enough that they beg us to try an get Commuter Rail or better Express buses put along that corridor.

People think the traffic is bad now. Wait until Lanes are blocked off for years at a time and the traffic starts to last hours longer than usual people are gonna start giving up their cars quick to take a fast bus or train to get into town.

Some people are already doing that with the Super stop at Walmart in harbison. Some people Park in the lot and take the bus into town to work.

So imagine people further out in Balletine Chapin and Newberry taking a park N Ride bus or train into Town.

[SCSUfan]

Originally Posted by Growingup15

Oh trust me. Me and everyone else in the Multimodal committee. Are hoping the construction frustrates people enough that they beg us to try an get Commuter Rail or better Express buses put along that corridor.

People think the traffic is bad now. Wait until Lanes are blocked off for years at a time and the traffic starts to last hours longer than usual people are gonna start giving up their cars quick to take a fast bus or train to get into town.

Some people are already doing that with the Super stop at Walmart in harbison. Some people Park in the lot and take the bus into town to work.

So imagine people further out in Balletine Chapin and Newberry taking a park N Ride bus or train into Town.

I’m very sure DOT will be keeping the current travel lanes open (3 lanes) just like they have for any other expansion project. The only lanes that will be cut off are merging and exit lanes. And the only time DOT will allow travel lane loss is at night and on weekends.

[Robertsm76]

Local representative in the Lexington area told me That there are Plans for an on and off ramp at mount Vernon church road which is where Spring Hill high school is located. Won’t help the current cluster**** which is broad river heading towards ballentine

[Growingup15]

Originally Posted by Robertsm76

Local representative in the Lexington area told me That there are Plans for an on and off ramp at mount Vernon church road which is where Spring Hill high school is located. Won’t help the current cluster**** which is broad river heading towards ballentine

Well duh. Because we're trying to pave our way out of traffic. If they coughed up more money to support the COMET we could get a better bus network or commuter rail built in Lexington

[DemanoRock]

Originally Posted by Growingup15

Well duh. Because we're trying to pave our way out of traffic. If they coughed up more money to support the COMET we could get a better bus network or commuter rail built in Lexington

I still don't imagine seeing much reduced traffic because of bus use. I don't forsee Columbia being a mass transit city at all. Too dispursed and we love our cars.

[Growingup15]

Originally Posted by DemanoRock

I still don't imagine seeing much reduced traffic because of bus use. I don't forsee Columbia being a mass transit city at all. Too dispursed and we love our cars.

I'm part of the Multimodal committee and if you look at the numbers of people riding the bus those numbers are rising fast. Especially with new routes we're adding and are planning to add soon to up the frequency of buses arriving at stops and more buses going from point to point instead of the hub spoke design.

We are now shuttling over 2.1 million people a year. That was 2016 numbers those numbers have went up and we're approaching the 3 million a year mark.

Some routes are so busy now that buses are getting over capacity the 801 to harbison is a good example.

We're already looking at doing BRT or BRT lite on that route, Two notch to Sandhills route an Forest drive route.

People are riding we are starting to bridge that gap of buses are for everyone not just for "poor people" the only things that holding us back is funding. Lexington County is over of those places that needs us but they refuse to fund us.

They are starting to finally give up a bit more money, that's why we have the Amazon route, The West Columbia to Lexington medical center route of course the Soda Cap Connector which has riders using it from West Columbia/Cayce going into Downtown. And the airport route Which is starting to get a lot more commuters from the airport into Downtown.

So for you to say that Columbians love their cars too and we will "never" adopt Mass transit. The transition is already happening.

It's not super fast but as the population continues to grow and traffic continues to get worst people are looking for other options.

[DemanoRock]

Originally Posted by Growingup15

I'm part of the Multimodal committee and if you look at the numbers of people riding the bus those numbers are rising fast. Especially with new routes we're adding and are planning to add soon to up the frequency of buses arriving at stops and more buses going from point to point instead of the hub spoke design.

We are now shuttling over 2.1 million people a year. That was 2016 numbers those numbers have went up and we're approaching the 3 million a year mark.

Some routes are so busy now that buses are getting over capacity the 801 to harbison is a good example.

We're already looking at doing BRT or BRT lite on that route, Two notch to Sandhills route an Forest drive route.

People are riding we are starting to bridge that gap of buses are for everyone not just for "poor people" the only things that holding us back is funding. Lexington County is over of those places that needs us but they refuse to fund us.

They are starting to finally give up a bit more money, that's why we have the Amazon route, The West Columbia to Lexington medical center route of course the Soda Cap Connector which has riders using it from West Columbia/Cayce going into Downtown. And the airport route Which is starting to get a lot more commuters from the airport into Downtown.

So for you to say that Columbians love their cars too and we will "never" adopt Mass transit. The transition is already happening.

It's not super fast but as the population continues to grow and traffic continues to get worst people are looking for other options.

Do we know how may individuals are actually riding the bus and the demographics (income, education level) of the riders? Really curious to see.

When they come to Sandhills, are they shopping or working there? How many are using the busses to get to work vs shopping or visiting downtown/zoo type things?

I am surprise how big the ridership is. Are there park and ride lots for riding the buses around town? I don't know if any in the Northeast.

[Growingup15]

Originally Posted by DemanoRock

Do we know how may individuals are actually riding the bus and the demographics (income, education level) of the riders? Really curious to see.

When they come to Sandhills, are they shopping or working there? How many are using the busses to get to work vs shopping or visiting downtown/zoo type things?

I am surprise how big the ridership is. Are there park and ride lots for riding the buses around town? I don't know if any in the Northeast.

Some people use harbison Walmart parking lot Superstop as a park n Ride into town.

I know we're building from the last meeting of I can remember 3 park n ride lots along I20 for buses and The COMET Vanpool.

Also starting on the 29th of this month the Newberry commuter bus will be running. Downtown, Harbison,Ballitine, Chapin and Newberry will be the stops.

And just like other routes if this one gets busy enough we will add bigger buses maybe even BRT. later in the future Commuter Rail

[Robertsm76]

Where can I find info on this newberry commuter line and it’s schedule?