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I believe increased density in high-density spots will decrease the demand for the suburbs on a relative basis; that is, out of every 100 households seeking housing, the percentage of those 100 households that opt for density over suburbia will increase, and the percentage of those 100 households opting for the suburbs will decrease. There aren’t enough high-density options for purchase at affordable prices right now for that to be happening currently. Stay tuned. And btw, I’m glad to see your comment about the available space on the peninsula to go high density, because there are gobs of it, in some areas more so than in others obviously.
The problem is anything in a desireable area of the denser sections in Charleston metro is beyond the price an average person can afford. A lot of folks don't choose to move Monks Corner, North Mt Pleasant or Bees Ferry as much as their budgets and availability of basic services decide for them. Its similar to saying I chose to live in my neighborhood vs the 1920s neighborhood a mile away with 3/4 acre lots. My bank account made that decision.
There are also two main ironies. A lot of the new developments meet the density criteria that people rave about in inner/streetcar suburbs. 40' wide lots that are often .2 acre total. The other is that there are a lot of areas in the burbs that are already dense. The ability to sell a zero lot line home because it resembles a Charleston single or bungalow means that neighborhoods themselves are much less sprawling than you would see outside Charlotte/Raleigh/Atlanta/Greenville.
I believe increased density in high-density spots will decrease the demand for the suburbs on a relative basis; that is, out of every 100 households seeking housing, the percentage of those 100 households that opt for density over suburbia will increase, and the percentage of those 100 households opting for the suburbs will decrease. There aren’t enough high-density options for purchase at affordable prices right now for that to be happening currently. Stay tuned. And btw, I’m glad to see your comment about the available space on the peninsula to go high density, because there are gobs of it, in some areas more so than in others obviously.
As a Realtor I work with a lot of buyers. While there are some who like the idea of little or no yard, most are looking for some amount of space around their house. .25 acre is often considered a minimum and less than that, folks are often feeling that they're compromising due to budget. Different strokes... I would never happily live in a city but I helped my daughter buy/renovate a townhouse downtown and she was happy there.
Some young buyers (usually with limited budget) and retirees are often happy with a condo/townhouse but most people and anyone with kids or a dog wants a yard.
Wasnt a monorail proposed in Charleston about a decade or two ago? It was to relieve traffic on I-26...If I recall correctly it died a death equivalent to being strangled underwater while being stabbed and then shot. I can only imagine if you proposed such a thing now if the mentality is what you say it is...
We don’t have the critical mass of people needed to support passenger rail here. They say buses are popular again in big cities. Rapid bus transit is in the planning stages locally.
We don’t have the critical mass of people needed to support passenger rail here. They say buses are popular again in big cities. Rapid bus transit is in the planning stages locally.
We have more than enough people to support a light rail system. What we don’t have is anyone with the political cojones to make it happen. You have people here supporting a billion dollar project to extend 526 to John’s island so they can shave four seconds off their commute. But a light rail is too much to ask for. Whatever. Welcome to the south.
We have more than enough people to support a light rail system. What we don’t have is anyone with the political cojones to make it happen. You have people here supporting a billion dollar project to extend 526 to John’s island so they can shave four seconds off their commute. But a light rail is too much to ask for. Whatever. Welcome to the south.
I am surprised that Charleston doesnt have a trolley like Little Rock and Memphis. I would think it has more tourists than both of these cities to help support it? I know its not a light rail, but both are somewhat integrated into city's transit system and in the case of Charleston, I wonder if it would build support for a larger system through expansion. I can only imagine at some point as growth moves up the 26 corridor that residents and tourists alike may want a better option to get downtown. Many light rail trains ride in their own right of way separate from the streets in the suburbs but move over into street traffic when they get into the downtown/urban areas. This could be the case in Charleston, it would seem, especially if you use old RR right of way. Could both the Light Rail and the Tourist Trolley could operate on the same tracks but the tourist trolley would be limited to downtown? I know the elephant in the room is the cost which then takes us full circle.
At any rate, you guys know better than I so.. I defer to your residents...
I am surprised that Charleston doesnt have a trolley like Little Rock and Memphis. I would think it has more tourists than both of these cities to help support it? I know its not a light rail, but both are somewhat integrated into city's transit system and in the case of Charleston, I wonder if it would build support for a larger system through expansion. I can only imagine at some point as growth moves up the 26 corridor that residents and tourists alike may want a better option to get downtown. Many light rail trains ride in their own right of way separate from the streets in the suburbs but move over into street traffic when they get into the downtown/urban areas. This could be the case in Charleston, it would seem, especially if you use old RR right of way. Could both the Light Rail and the Tourist Trolley could operate on the same tracks but the tourist trolley would be limited to downtown? I know the elephant in the room is the cost which then takes us full circle.
At any rate, you guys know better than I so.. I defer to your residents...
If we didn't already have buses, people would complain that "there's no room for buses, they hold up traffic, and are slow."
And they would be right. Charleston's between a rock and a hard place when it comes to public transportation. The streets are too narrow, the population too many (and growing) and the buildings too historic to make any changes.
And the buses are mostly empty. Sorry kids, mass transit has never been a winner in the South.
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