WSTB

Has anyone heard when the multi-use path will be completed??

The path along Salem Parkway (called "multi-use path") will be built in two sections. The first section (eastern-half) will have finalized plans next month. We won't know a completion date for that section until later this year. The western-half has a large number of retaining walls and some streets will have to be "reworked." Due to this, they will have several public meetings to discuss those plans. We may not have any final plans for that section for several months?

Thanks F&M, glad to know it's moving forward, albeit slowly!

I would love to see the city contract with this guy to develop a fleet of electric buses for a route that links downtown with all the universities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUCnKaitkMY

F&M, do we know where east meets west on the multi-use path?

The Green Street Pedestrian Bridge is the middle, where the two segments meet.

Thanks! I understand the issue with the rest. From 4th at its crossing over Salem Parkway, there is a level right of way to PCP where a wide sidewalk picks up north back across the highway and down to the underpass toward the south side of the stadium. There it gets a bit dicey up to the Green St. bridge. I’ve ridden it on a mountain bike but would have to walk a hybrid or street bike.

Am super excited about the prospect of the path stretching west from 4th to the hospital. That’s kind of the holy grail of a quick bike ride from hospital to IQ.

It’s really pretty amazing to think that you will be able to bike from West End or the hospital all the way pash Old Salem, WSSU, and to Salem Lake in a couple of years.

Fingers crossed, the trail will then continue through Kernersville and to G’boro. Then, eventually, rails-to-trails gets you to Wilmington!!

Promising news that I noticed in yesterday’s “Ask Sam” portion of the Journal. After someone apparently wrote to ask about the overgrown exit landscape plantings at Stratford and Knollwood along Salem Parkway, “Sam” revealed that according to regional NCDOT head Pat Ivey, all of the overgrown trees, shrubbery and flowers will be completely removed at both interchanges, and new size appropriate plantings will be replacing the old. This is great news! I noticed how overgrown and unkempt those plantings looked on my way back to Charlotte passing through WS on Saturday afternoon. The shrubs were over taken with Tree-of-Heaven growth, which is much more invasive than dandelions (or sculptures thereof). I only hope the DOT, or the city, will do something at that mulched triangle at the eastbound on-ramp at the Hawthorne curve. It looks deplorable with weeds and litter!

Noticed on my drive through WS tonight after dark that the overgrown plantings have already been removed from the Stratford Road exit at Salem Parkway, as noted above. Also rode through downtown and Fourth Street. The Link was lighted, as was the “Merchantile Plaza” building adjacent to Stevens Center, which I think enhance both very much! I also had to stop at the light on Fourth at Spruce, and noticed the new sculpture in the evening light. I realize it’s rusty steel, but I think I could actually grow to like it.

This is an interesting article about the new electric bus/trams London will be adding to their fleet in 2023: https://electrek.co/2022/11/03/london-e ... ram-buses/ Something like this might be an option for WS to use as a more cost effective way to link the colleges to downtown. These are made in Spain.

Agree Wagon. Much more sensible than rail.

Agreed, I reckon, but what is unusual about this? Would it not be just a matter of WSTA purchasing these buses?

Interestingly, they found a way to build part of the rail streetcar project that links the Innovation Quarter to the two major colleges. Construction is expected to start in Fall 2024 to build the stairs to the waiting areas, install the electricity, install security systems, add lighting, landscaping, make sidewalk and pedestrian improvements to access it, add fencing to protect pedestrians from the streetcars, and stabilize the trench. Even the drawings at their presentation, where they received millions of Federal dollars for the project, showed the rail and labeled it streetcar.

When China was testing driverless bus trams, I can remember pitching that idea for this line and being told I gave-up. Actually, I did and at that time I thought these plans were over and it was a way to keep the project alive with a cheap alternative. A few months ago, I discovered the rail streetcar is still an active project, with strong City Council support, and they were seeking money from greenway funds to complete parts of the project. I recently heard they want to expand the "greenway" to Wake Forest, following the proposed rail streetcar route. Hmm.... I'm sure it's a greenway with a future rail line alongside. They just need "greenway" money to acquire the right-of-way and start work. It will likely become just rail work, finish the waiting areas, and overhead wires (I would prefer battery streetcars with no ugly catenary system/wires) project when they are ready to apply for the actual streetcar funding?

There is a push for a downtown circulator, with the parking issues. I do think this works good for a downtown circulator with maybe marked lanes and signal priority.

Those are cool buses. And I like the idea of the IQ-to-campuses streetcar or an urban circulator. But I think it's weird to see people in Winston (or a lot of other small and mid-sized cities, especially in the south) call for more public transportation, but when you ask those same folks if they ride the existing buses, they look at you like you have three heads.

We have buses. Thousands of people ride them every day. But they're typically people who don't own (and in many cases can't afford) cars, so the routes--which follow ridership--don't go where people with money want them to go.

It's an ourobouros. Rail is expensive. So are new styles of bus. It's hard to justify the cost when existing bus ridership is low as a percentage of the total population and everything is built with cars and parking in mind.

What is everyone's thoughts on the 1st and 2nd Street conversions to two-way (almost)? There are heated arguments on facebook groups and even Jeff MacIntosh got testy defending the plan. The plan does seem bizarre that there are two breaks where it goes back to one way and you have to get off the street temporarily to continue east or west. Seems this strategy is more about slowing traffic down than using these roads as main corridors across town.