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Someone educated me via a DM, and many thanks are owed that poster, as he filled in a lot of the blanks.
In case anyone else is interested, this might well explain the state of our local roads:
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"In the course of several minutes Wednesday afternoon, while normal South Carolinians were eating their lunches or petting their pets or just doing their jobs, state senator Hugh Leatherman was the senate president pro tempore, the most powerful state position, and then he wasn’t, and then he was again.
"The senate president pro tem appoints members to the State Transportation Infrastructure Bank, which distributes hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ dollars for road projects. Leatherman, the senator from Florence, appoints himself to it.
“From the start of 2010 through March of this year, the Infrastructure Bank made a total of 642 payments to Florence County … which represented nearly 19 percent of the total 3,413 total payments made by the bank during the period,” The Nerve found in a 2015 report. “No other public agency or private company or individual came close to the number of payments made to Florence County.”
"COLUMBIA — Even after he had to give up being Senate president this year, Hugh Leatherman showed last week why he remains the most powerful force in the Statehouse.
"By creating an unheard-of special panel to review its finances, Leatherman delayed funding for Charleston County’s $700 million-plus Interstate 526 extension that has been pursued for decades.
"While no political leaders at the Statehouse and around Charleston will admit publicly that the financial review will delay the extension out of deference to the veteran 38-year senator, the move shows how easily Leatherman can express his feelings in spending state money.
"The traffic on Pamplico Highway was so light on a Tuesday in August that two conservation activists could lie down in the middle of the two-lane highway during rush hour for about a minute before a vehicle appeared.
"But the S.C. Transportation Infrastructure Bank wants to widen 24 miles of the highway to five lanes.
"The busiest stretch of the highway carried 9,000 vehicles a day, on average, in 2014. In contrast, the busiest stretch of Richland County’s three-lane Hardscrabble Road carried more than twice that number of vehicles — 23,900 a day.
“It’s safe to take a nap in the middle of the road,” activist Dana Beach said of Pamplico Highway. The Florence County road does not have enough traffic to justify spending the estimated $144.4 million in state and local money that it will cost to widen it, he added.
COLUMBIA, SC (AP) -- After trying to speed a roads bill to the Senate floor, state senators are now hitting the brakes on a plan to get more money to South Carolina's highways.
Senate President Pro Tem Hugh Leatherman told the Finance Committee on Tuesday he wants to bring in the Department of Transportation and the state Infrastructure Bank to tell the panel what they do.
That would push the debate on the Senate floor about how to raise more money for roads, cut taxes and reform the DOT board to at least Feb. 16, which is the week before the Republican presidential primary in South Carolina.
The Infrastructure Bank helps finance large road projects through loans. Critics of the bank say it wields too much power in too few hands.
Just speaking from what I've seen in north Greenville County- They did repave Hwy 25 from TR north. I see covered signs going the other way, so I assume they're going to go down through TR, and the link shows 276 as well, which badly needs it. I don't see any plan to multi-lane 290/Locust Hill Rd. I thought there was a long-range plan to do that. It's getting worse and worse, with big trucks lumbering along all day, and subdivisions springing up like weeds. Even during 'off' hours, it's becoming a hassle to use that road.
I lived through a similar hell in Pinellas County FL. They completely built out the entire county, THEN realized they had a traffic problem. It's still bad, but they did make progress. The problem is, once a road is way beyond capacity, fixing the problem is difficult and expensive. Residents live in a construction zone for years in some cases. Greenville County certainly has it's moments. When I was going to rehab, I counted exactly 40 traffic lights in the 21 mile commute, with most of them on the south end of it.
I am not native to SC but have lived in the Upstate of SC for more than 10 years
I've never seen such poor infrastructure planning in my life (and I've lived in Alabama)
The reasons for this are many - some are corruption and I'm baffled why no ethics investigations have been undertaken
I recently commuted nearly 2 years from Greenville to Spartanburg/Gaffney and could not drive it anymore - I had to quit as it was affecting my health
Minor examples of baffling Greenville County I85 interstate deficiencies:
1. Signage that reads (from 85/385 interchange north to the Pelham Road exit): "With Blinking Lights, Watch for Interstate Flooding" WTF? Flooding on a major interstate road? FIX the drainage issue - this is a huge liability.
2. From 85/385 to Pelham Road Exit: why is the median barrier not doubled and instead topped with idiotic green pylons - these do nothing and provide no safe barrier - most are smashed/removed from prior accidents - I'd wager most have not been repaired/replaced in 20 years
I thought it was weird that Michelin donated a large amount of money for the new park to be built on the Reedy River.
Their CEO in the past had complained about roads in Greenville yet they give money for another park that doesn't seem like a necessity.
It seems like if Greenville can easily raise private money for parks and downtown improvements, it should be able to raise private money for the roads if the roads are as bad as some people say.
I lived through a similar hell in Pinellas County FL. They completely built out the entire county, THEN realized they had a traffic problem. It's still bad, but they did make progress. The problem is, once a road is way beyond capacity, fixing the problem is difficult and expensive.
Coming from suburban NYC, traffic and planning is a major quality of life concern. Traffic and planning in parts of Nassau County was so bad, that residents often plan their days around doing specific chores.
I agree that fixing roads becomes prohibitively expensive once areas are built out. There are representatives from SC (in York County) who agree with same, and are taking steps into mitigate the affects of rapid growth.
My main concern about traffic planning stems from the fact that when people get pressed for time, they get harried and nasty. The South is a very special place, and I wouldn't want to see one of the last vestiges of civility devolve into a shadow of her former self.
Quote:
Originally Posted by drfranklin
NDL, thank you
No, thank you .
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I have seen SC DOT's work in York County, and while their performance may not match that of your former home in AL, I wonder if the Upstate's main issue - outside of the 85 upgrade - is a lack of attention by/from the DOT.
Birmingham has some of the worst traffic I've seen in the south. It has a road that is like a combo of 385 and woodruff road . I would have rage spirals driving there daily
Huntsville gets bad on university parkway.
All of the big cities like ATL and Charlotte have worst traffic despite roads with more lanes and better mass transit
Roads can't overcome population once it reaches certain level.
The only realistic way to prevent traffic is end immigration to this country and prevent companies and people from moving to a metro once it reaches certain population .
Spread people out
I thought citizens opposing Amazon in NYC was a good move.
Last edited by ClemVegas; 09-08-2019 at 01:11 PM..
Coming from suburban NYC, traffic and planning is a major quality of life concern. Traffic and planning in parts of Nassau County was so bad, that residents often plan their days around doing specific chores.
I agree that fixing roads becomes prohibitively expensive once areas are built out. There are representatives from SC (in York County) who agree with same, and are taking steps into mitigate the affects of rapid growth.
My main concern about traffic planning stems from the fact that when people get pressed for time, they get harried and nasty. The South is a very special place, and I wouldn't want to see one of the last vestiges of civility devolve into a shadow of her former self.
No, thank you .
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I have seen SC DOT's work in York County, and while their performance may not match that of your former home in AL, I wonder if the Upstate's main issue - outside of the 85 upgrade - is a lack of attention by/from the DOT.
I'm pretty sure the upstate didn't have any representation on the state infrastructure bank's board for a few years. The chairman is now from Spartanburg. It is interesting that neither Greenville nor Columbia have members seated on the board of the infrastructure bank. The Charleston area has a member from Charleston and Summerville. Rock Hill has a representative. Smaller cities like Gaffney and Aiken are represented. The infrastructure bank king Hugh Leatherman is still on the board representing Florence.
Until real reform happens and the infrastructure bank is replaced by something less prone to exploitation by the "good 'ol boy network", you will continue to see state highway money spent unwisely.
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