Use the following map to help you better understand the alternatives
https://lowcountryrapidtransit.com/onlinemeeting2/images/LCRT_OnlinePublicMeetingMap.pdf
North Alternatives
For the North Alternatives along U.S. Highway 78 (Rivers Avenue), we prefer North Alternative 1 (represented in dark green on the map at https://lowcountryrapidtransit.com/onlinemeeting2/images/LCRT_OnlinePublicMeetingMap.pdf). The route begins in downtown Summerville and goes through Ladson and Lincolnville to Charleston Southern/Trident Medical Center thereby providing transit options to communities in Ladson, Lincolnville and Summerville as opposed to just Nexton, which could be added later or connected by a shuttle system. In addition, the LCRT would be able to operate along a dedicated lane on Rivers Avenue that would not be as easy to achieve on Interstate 26. Dedicated lanes help the overall system operate much faster by separating the buses from mixed traffic and allowing them to operate just like a commuter rail.
Center Alternative
Only one alternative has been presented. It would run along Rivers Avenue between Charleston Southern University and Cosgrove Avenue. If you have a different idea that you think would be safer or more efficient, let the team hear from you.
Neck Alternatives
Two routes have been presented for the area between Cosgrove Avenue and Mount Pleasant Street in Charleston. One of them runs along Rivers Avenue and King Street. The other runs along Carner Avenue and Meeting Street.
We prefer the one that runs along Rivers Avenue and King Street, as long as it’s possible to build a dedicated lane along King Street. That route provides direct access to the communities of Rosemont, Silver Hill, the future Magnolia development, and businesses on the western side of the railroad tracks. It will, however, require that the residents of the Union Heights community cross the railroad tracks either at Hackemann Avenue unless pedestrian bridges are built over the tracks to provide safe access.
If a dedicated lane can’t be built on King Street, we would prefer the Meeting Street alternative with a dedicated lane.
Downtown Alternatives
There are three downtown alternatives (see below). It’s imperative that the selected line terminates in the Medical District (near the Medical University of South Carolina and Roper Hospital, around Calhoun Street) — the region’s largest employers.
It’s also important that LCRT always runs in a dedicated lane. Therefore, we recommend that alternatives 2 and 3 be combined to create a separate alternative that meets both criteria.
The alternative that we are proposing would run along the former rail line known as the Lowcountry LowLine from Mount Pleasant Street to Cypress Street, then along a dedicated lane on I-26 and along the Crosstown over to the Medical District with a stop somewhere on the Crosstown. Return trips would follow this route and exit I-26 at Romney Street, and then travel along the LowLine up to Mount Pleasant Street. We think this this combined alternative would provide connections to the upper peninsula neighborhoods without limiting bicycle and pedestrian access along the LowLine. It also would contribute to an improved multimodal redesign of the Crosstown that would increase safety and enhance connections in the existing neighborhoods while reducing the negative impacts of a highway running through a once-unified community.
- Downtown Alternative 1: Would run down Meeting Street in mixed traffic, then turn down Calhoun Street and terminate at Courtenay Drive in the Medical District.
- Downtown Alternative 2: Would run down Meeting Street in mixed traffic, then turn onto Cypress Street to get on the I-26 on-ramp, then travel along the Crosstown to the Medical District, then get back on the Crosstown to I-26, getting off at the Romney exit and getting back on Meeting Street.
- Downtown Alternative 3: Would run down the entire length of the Lowline to Line Street, then turn on to Meeting Street traveling in mixed traffic down to Calhoun Street, following the path of the path of Alternative 1.