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Imagine if the Triad growth came a little earlier. The Region would probably look similar to Raleigh-Durham. I can see Winston-Salem crowd voting yes to light rail
Imagine if the Triad growth came a little earlier. The Region would probably look similar to Raleigh-Durham. I can see Winston-Salem crowd voting yes to light rail
Greensboro has held the rank of being 3rd largest city for decades now and it appears the city takes its ranking seriously. I remember when Winston-Salem had gone through a mass annexation some years ago its population jumped considerably close behind Greensboro and the Gate City didn't like that so a year or so later Greensboro went through a mass annexation to offset any gains Winston-Salem made. However Greensboro is in peril of losing its rank to Durham because the Bull City is growing rapidly. I'm sure Greensboro will figure out a way to keep its number 3 spot lol. A lot of things are happening in Greensboro with new jobs and development so the city won't have to rely on just annexation. But one thing I have noticed is that Greensboro seems to annex territory and its population seems to jump quickly every census year and that's done on purpose. Between 1999 and 2000 Greensboro's population went from 200,000 to 223,000. There was a similar jump between 2009 and 2010. Today the city's population hovers over 290,000 so it will probably jump over 300,000 by the 2020 census. I'm sure it's for economic marketing purposes.
I remember a time when people always talked about and compared the big 3. Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro, the largest city in each of the state's three largest metropolitan areas. But Charlotte and Raleigh have grown so rapidly in recent years Greensboro seems to be left out of the discussion and the comparisons are just between Charlotte and Raleigh now.
Imagine if the Triad growth came a little earlier. The Region would probably look similar to Raleigh-Durham. I can see Winston-Salem crowd voting yes to light rail
I mean. I can’t imagine the Triad and Triangle being more similar unless it was basically a copy of each other.
Greensboro has held the rank of being 3rd largest city for decades now and it appears the city takes its ranking seriously. I remember when Winston-Salem had gone through a mass annexation some years ago its population jumped considerably close behind Greensboro and the Gate City didn't like that so a year or so later Greensboro went through a mass annexation to offset any gains Winston-Salem made. However Greensboro is in peril of losing its rank to Durham because the Bull City is growing rapidly. I'm sure Greensboro will figure out a way to keep its number 3 spot lol. A lot of things are happening in Greensboro with new jobs and development so the city won't have to rely on just annexation. But one thing I have noticed is that Greensboro seems to annex territory and its population seems to jump quickly every census year and that's done on purpose. Between 1999 and 2000 Greensboro's population went from 200,000 to 223,000. There was a similar jump between 2009 and 2010. Today the city's population hovers over 290,000 so it will probably jump over 300,000 by the 2020 census. I'm sure it's for economic marketing purposes.
I remember a time when people always talked about and compared the big 3. Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro, the largest city in each of the state's three largest metropolitan areas. But Charlotte and Raleigh have grown so rapidly in recent years Greensboro seems to be left out of the discussion and the comparisons are just between Charlotte and Raleigh now.
Throughout high school all I heard was go to Greensboro (NCA&T) graduate and move to Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, or Atlanta to find a good paying job. Greensboro is recruiting logistics majors or experience personnel for their companies. Companies from the airport at GSO have came to my army reserves unit for future applicants
Did Charlotte ever consider underground systems like DC, Atlanta or other cities? Seems like it would be much less disruptive, although it might cost more. Regardless it would be much less invasive.
This is the streetcar line which is also aboveground in DC and Atlanta. Only heavy rail runs underground in those cities, mostly in DC and partially in Atlanta.
Tobacco, textiles and furniture. The Triad was the driver of North Carolina's economy. Still, I didn't know Winston-Salem was the largest city in NC ! Learn something every day.
It was short-lived as it was only for one Census (1920).
Did Charlotte ever consider underground systems like DC, Atlanta or other cities? Seems like it would be much less disruptive, although it might cost more. Regardless it would be much less invasive.
As another poster mentioned. Atlanta only has heavy rail that goes around. The streetcar in DC, ATL and CLT will be pretty much the same. Atlanta is a little different in that it’s a loop and the DC and CLT streetcar is just a line. Atlanta has no light rail but DC is building the 20+ mile light rail Purple Line And Thats not underground.
Only heavy rail usually stays underground. Portions of the new silver line in Charlotte have been studied to go underground through uptown. It’s not ruled out but IMO seems cost prohibitive. I think it would be worth the costs but I’m also realistic to the funding $$$ available
As another poster mentioned. Atlanta only has heavy rail that goes around. The streetcar in DC, ATL and CLT will be pretty much the same. Atlanta is a little different in that it’s a loop and the DC and CLT streetcar is just a line. Atlanta has no light rail but DC is building the 20+ mile light rail Purple Line And Thats not underground.
Only heavy rail usually stays underground. Portions of the new silver line in Charlotte have been studied to go underground through uptown. It’s not ruled out but IMO seems cost prohibitive. I think it would be worth the costs but I’m also realistic to the funding $$$ available
I admit, I have never seen, much less ridden on, a light rail system. However, it does appear to be nothing more than a modern day street car-trolley system. If Charlotte can afford to put the rail system underground though the main downtown district, it would well be worth the expense in my opinion. The only city that has rail running through the central business district in North Carolina, that I am aware of, is Rocky Mount.
As another poster mentioned. Atlanta only has heavy rail that goes around. The streetcar in DC, ATL and CLT will be pretty much the same. Atlanta is a little different in that it’s a loop and the DC and CLT streetcar is just a line. Atlanta has no light rail but DC is building the 20+ mile light rail Purple Line And Thats not underground.
For clarification, Atlanta's streetcar project is similar in scope to Charlotte's with both being mostly contained in downtown and extending a bit into immediately adjacent neighborhoods. The 22-mile rail component of the BeltLine in Atlanta will be light rail however: https://www.tripsavvy.com/the-atlant...project-253851
I admit, I have never seen, much less ridden on, a light rail system. However, it does appear to be nothing more than a modern day street car-trolley system. If Charlotte can afford to put the rail system underground though the main downtown district, it would well be worth the expense in my opinion. The only city that has rail running through the central business district in North Carolina, that I am aware of, is Rocky Mount.
Both modern day streetcar and light rail transit systems use similar cars that can operate in mixed traffic, but streetcars are typically slower with more frequent stops close together; they often operate in mixed traffic for most of their length. Light rail transit operates more in dedicated lanes, has more cars, and is able to operate at higher speeds over longer distances and are thus geared more towards commuters; they usually have larger stations and sometimes include parking at stations. Now there are hybrid systems out there and these aren't hard-and-fast rules but they are general guidelines that can be used to distinguish between the two types of modern systems.
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