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To: sphinx

“Car nuts”?

Not sure how you think that’s going to help your argument but I suppose that’s up to you.

In any case, cars are how most people get to and from Myrtle Beach and people are already there who need to have better options than to use a bunch of surface streets.

Rail would be utter idiocy because while it would go to Myrtle Beach you have to wonder where it would come from? Maybe people should be forced to use bicycles?

What’s your solution to the congestion problem you observed?


11 posted on 04/12/2019 9:03:23 AM PDT by MeganC (There is nothing feminine about feminism.)
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To: MeganC
I don't have a solution for Myrtle Beach. I don't know it well enough to have a strong opinion. Based on my one-time observation, however, I'd agree with you that the people who are already there need better options than their cars.

That said, my usual starting point is that we need to be thinking less about pouring asphalt and more about intermodal options. Bicycles? In Myrtle Beach? Heck yes; it's a beach community and bikes are a great way for most people to get around, especially if they had protected bike lanes so they didn't have to dodge cars. I'm sure Myrtle Beach already has bike rentals. Do they have one of the newer rideshare sytems? Do they have the app-driven electric scooter systems? You could do the same thing with golf carts. They point is to have sufficient density so that people feel like a ride is always readily available. That requires enough units up front, and a well-managed staff to ensure that units are repositioned in areas of high usage. There's an art to it, but I'd think a place like Myrtle Beach would be a natural.

What are the other options? Busses or light rail, I suppose. The trick is to make these attractive and fun to use. The iconic example in this area would be the San Francisco cable car system. These are actually fun to ride. They're semi-open so you feel like you're still outside. They move slowly enough that you can soak in the ambience of the area as you move along. They are single car units, so it's not like getting on a standard multi-car light rail train where you are sitting in an enclosed tube. My only complaint about the cable cars is that they don't run frequently enough. A good people mover should come along every few minutes.

The attractiveness of all of these options would be much enhanced if the automobile traffic was substantially reduced. Take lanes away from cars. Close chosen streets to cars. Rethink the whole area's transportation plan around the assumption that non-residents are not going to bring their cars to the beach area. Park some distance away in a well-lighted, well-marked, secure lot and take the beach zone tram or trolley into the high congestion areas. Hotels would probably run their own shuttles as well.

A local example that comes to mind is Harpers Ferry. You park at the visitors' center and take the bus down to the historic area. You can bring a car into the historic area if you want -- the Amtrak/MARC station is there and has a small parking lot -- but there is virtually no other parking for visitors. That was a cultural change when the parking was eliminated, but the area used to be choked with cars, and it's now virtually car free. You just have to train your visitors properly. Is it a hassle to take a bus down from the visitors center? The truth is, it's much less of a hassle than it used to be to try to find parking.

Every community is different and I'd defer to people who frequent Myrtle Beach to make the call. But I've seen enough beach towns to know that shuttle busses, provided they run frequently enough, are as convenient as driving, and maybe more (especially when it takes an hour to find a parking place, and you end up far from your destination). Give the bikes, scooters, pedestrians and shuttles a dedicated lane, and these options will get you to the beach quickly while the saps in cars are spending an hour hunting for a parking spot. And the shuttle will be cheaper than what you'll pay for parking.

I'm not dogmatic about this. Each community can choose its own options. But there ARE solutions to terminal congestion, and these generally require getting people out of their cars. Yes, the last time we went to New York, we drove into Manhattan -- where the hotel parking attendant disposed of the car, which we didn't see again until we left. This works, but only if abundant alternatives are readily available.

15 posted on 04/12/2019 10:17:31 AM PDT by sphinx
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To: MeganC

What’s your solution to the congestion problem you observed?
.........................................
Here’s a suggestion. There are thousands of acres within a half hour shuttle drive of the beach. Why not create several huge parking plazas, charge a buck a day to park and a buck to take the shuttle to the beach. Problem solved! I know, there will be a thousand reasons why it can’t be done, but the only valid one is simply a lack of the political will needed to get it done.


23 posted on 04/12/2019 2:38:15 PM PDT by fortes fortuna juvat (Civilization is held together by the hangman's noose.)
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