A COMMUTER RAIL SOLUTION FOR THE
CHARLESTON TRI-COUNTY REGION
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the media has reported that the
bcd-cog (BERKELEY-CHARLESTON-DORCHESTER COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS) is supporting a bus system between Charleston-Summerville.. I didn't see the details on the bcd-cog website.. im wondering about what persuaded the
bcd-cog to "go with" a bus plan?
was it any/some of these factors, or something else entirely?
>>
bus maintenance-- engine; tires, body, accident repair;
>> driver expense-- one man per bus; "no-shows" due to sick leave, separation, "personal time" off, etc;
>>
maintenance facility-- mechanics, technicians, repair parts, lubricants, hydraulic fluids, garage bays, storage of units in disrepair or not needed.
>>
reserved "bus lane"-- occupying one lane of I-26 (it is I-26, right?), which displaces all vehicles normally driving in that lane to "move over" to crowd other lanes, in 2 directions; this places other lanes in gridlock, since I-26 was not designed to handle what it handles now; how will drivers not entitled to drive in the reserved lane respond when they see a lane completely empty when they are sitting in a gridlocked lane, and slowly growing old wondering if/when they will see their families again?
>>
I-26 buses disabled due to accidents, breakdowns, road repairs, etc., compounding situations already in a "critical mass" with drivers stuck in horrifically stalled traffic, dealing with hunger pains, overheated engines, nearly empty gas tanks, etc.. so, this is why god invented cell phones, right?
>>
buses involved in breakdowns and accidents (pt. 2)-- how bad can it get? buses involved must hold where they are for a repair truck and police, even if no accident occurred; the repair truck must negotiate thru gridlocked traffic and have enough room to maneuver around the disabled bus; in an accident, it gets worse. and depending on whether the bus driver is at fault, even worse than that.. vehicles must be moved or removed, including the bus, if not drivable.. this involves more horrific traffic jams, involving vehicles to be moved to make room for tow trucks, ambulances (if injured are present).. at this point, the media must be notified to advise traffic to avoid the area, and to alert gridlocked drivers as to how late they can expect to be arriving home, or wherever they hoped to be at the end of their drive..
>>
inclement weather-- rain, freezing conditions, evacuation orders due to storms, hurricanes, etc., o.k., the governor can reverse all lanes of I-26 to only accept traffic outbound away from Charleston.. that helps, up to a point.. but with the growth of the Charleston lowcountry region, will it make much difference? our greater Charleston population area exceeds 500,000, and shows no signs of slowing.. three or four lanes of traffic on both sides of the road wont help much if what you need is five or six lanes..
>>
bus turnover-- driving to/from Summerville daily on I-26 will be hard on buses due to wear/tear from riders and highway conditions.. what will be the replacement factor in repairing and/or replacing buses? how long should buses last? how many will be replaced annually? what are the determinant factors for the limitations in repairing buses in comparison to replacing a worn unit?
certainly there are other reasons for choosing buses over commuter rail, and I could not possibly list them all; I have no experience in transportation, im just an old retired guy who has lived here for almost 50 years and my parents imbued me with a fair measure of common sense..
but, I could be wrong!
p.s. did I neglect to make the point that the above issues would be non-existent or only to a very modest limit with
commuter rail?