Transportation has been a hot topic in Guilford County lately.
Guilford County Commissioner Carly Cooke is heading up a county transportation initiative funded by federal relief dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act. The Piedmont Authority For Regional Transportation (PART) is hoping to get more money to expand its services. And the City of Greensboro has been putting a whole lot of time and effort into its long-term transportation plans.
Part of those plans include a proposal to greatly expand the city’s bus system, and now city leaders want to hear more residents’ opinions about the proposed growth of the Greensboro Transit Agency.
As part of GoBORO – Greensboro’s long-range transit planning process – city planners are asking those who live in Greensboro to review a draft of the proposed bus network and then take an online survey, which is available in both English or Spanish.
The deadline to participate is June 30 and there are also city events where input can be given in-person as well.
City of Greensboro Transit Director Reginald Mason said the stakes are very high so residents’ input will be extremely helpful and greatly appreciated.
“After nearly a year of careful planning and conversation with the community, we’ve come up with a Draft Bus Network that will get more people to more jobs and important destinations quicker than under our current system,” Mason stated in a Wednesday, April 24 press release asking for input. “If fully implemented, this plan will be transformational. We welcome residents’ continued input to see whether we got this right – and whether they would support funding GoBORO.”
According to city officials, GoBORO’s draft of the bus network expansion, which proposes more than doubling the current investment in GTA, would provide the following benefits…
- Several frequent, crosstown routes that would allow riders to get from one side of the city to the other without switching buses at the downtown Depot
- Shorter wait times to get to high-interest areas
- Service to new areas, including Piedmont Triad International Airport
- Three on-demand transit zones “where users can call for service similar to how Uber operates.”
The Draft Bus Network would allow most residents to reach 100 percent more jobs within 45 minutes than under the current bus system.
Also, it would be a major move toward Greensboro’s goal of becoming a “car-optional” city.
The plan calls for the expanded and improved bus service to be rolled out in several phases over the next ten years, but that all depends on funding.
GoBORO is proposing a countywide, half-cent sales tax increase to pay for the expansion and other transit services in Guilford County and High Point. In order for that to happen, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners would need to allow the measure on a ballot and voters would have to approve it.
The county commissioners discussed a half-cent sales tax increase for transportation at a work session last week; however, the board showed little to no interest in doing anything anytime soon because the board is laser-focused on getting voters to approve a quarter-cent sales tax increase for Guilford County Schools that will appear on the November ballot along with what will be perhaps the most interesting and exciting presidential race of all time.
In addition to the survey, residents can offer feedback directly to “GoBORO ambassadors” at the following community events:
- First Friday, 6 p.m. to 8 pm, May 3 at the Greensboro Cultural Center at 200 N. Davie St. in downtown.
- Wheels on the Greenway, 9 a.m. to noon, May 4, Woven Works Park at 401 Cumberland St.
- South Side Street Night Market, 5 p.m. to 9 pm, May 18, Downtown Greenway at Bragg Street and S. Elm St.
- World Promenade, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., June 2, Bicentennial Garden at 1105 Hobbs Rd.
You can learn more about the GoBORO planning process at www.greensboro-nc.gov/GoBORO.
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There is a hidden agenda at work here, and that is the war on cars. The globalists in our governments are determined ultimately to deprive us of our physical freedom and herd us into concentration camps. They’re calling them “15 minute Cities”. Don’t scoff; they’re already trying it in Oxford and Canterbury, in the UK.
Think about it. If the goal was really to enhance mobility in Greensboro, they would embark on a program to build new roads and widen existing ones to increase capacity. But the Leftists hate the private automobile and the freedom it provides, so instead they throttle existing roads with unused Bike Lanes and proceed to make motoring as aggravating and costly as they can (cameras, “traffic calmers”, ever declining speed limits).
In the classic M.O. of the Left, even the language they peddle is duplicitous. “Car Optional” means they’re going to make it impossible to use your car.
They prefer to herd us onto “public transportation” like cattle. The next thing will be lanes that only their vehicles can use – Bus Lanes – which will further restrict our roads and our rights.
They’re waging an undeclared war on our cars.
Oh no you’re wrong. They only hate cars when it’s one of us driving them. They love them for themselves and their families.
Yep… just like eating insects instead of meat.
Right! Soon we’ll be like Moscow was in the Soviet era. There were lanes reserved exclusively for government bureaucrats and state vehicles.
The regular folk had to sit in traffic congestion while their “public servants” swept by.
…”they would embark on a program to build new roads and widen existing ones to increase capacity:”
You mean like building the loop around Greensboro to improve driving from southern to northern GSO? LOL
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The beltway/Ring Road has been 4 decades in the making. They were committed to completing it.
You’re the joke here, Chrissy.
My wallet is jiggling out of my pocket just reading this.
Doubling the cost of a lightly used service doesn’t seem prudent.
I agree with you. Every time I pass a city bus it’s always the Driver and 2,3,or4 passengers. An Uber would be cheaper.
eliminate the mostly empty, traffic slowing, energy guzzling buses & replace with light, subsidized private uber/ride- share/taxi operators with infinite pick-up & delivery locations. who doesn’t have a phone ?
Too busy laughing to make a response
Another bad idea that covers government bloat, protects a directors job, increases taxes and offers benefits to a small minority of riders at the expense of all taxpayers. Not all citizens are far left socialist and entertain the idea of a car optional city. Your city and county planners designed the layout of the area and for the majority of citizens a car is required. ” City run”….this would only be another tax dollar wasted snafu that citizens are already to familiar with. Can you confirm the current bus service is self sustaining? If taxes are needed, I think I know the answer. Reminds me of worldy museums, dog houses for vagrants and other piss in the wind social programs that are loved by local and county governments.
“Can you confirm the current bus service is self sustaining?”
Remember, the costs to the city are not 100% and much of it comes from federal dollars. They contract with a company to provide the drivers, which enriches the contractor who probably has some “pull” with local leaders
So we are proposing more very expensive buses with little on no riders at the expense of the tax payers. GSO overall to be car optional is a joke. The layout and time it would take for rider in most case to be car optional is not feasible compared to what it will cost the tax payer. Why not try down sizing the buses on routes with few riders. For the money spent by thevtax payer we could uber every person that rides a bus and say money doing it. Get rid of the million dollar trolleys would be a good start. This council always talks Federal Grants but fail to tell the tax payer that after that grant is used then the expense of the program is on the local tax payer like the Federal Grant for the Trollies.
i SUGGEST A STRICT SET OF RULES OR RISK LOOSING RIGHT TO USES BUS……BUST STOPS ON SUMMIT AVENUE RESULTED IN DETERIORATION OF AREA …..MORE TRASH AND THEY APPEARED TO ENCOURAGED HOMELESS GROWTH IN AREA …..BUS STOPS NOT A POSITIVE FOR AN AREA WITHOUT STRICT REGULATION.
They’ll never admit how few people currently ride the busses.
Go to the Depot or the Coble center and see for yourself.
ditto that. especially the new, downtown tourist buses – empty ~95% of the times i have seen them.
To me this is just another attempt to tax us for more money on a system that is broken. The buses we have now are usually empty or with three or fewer riders. You cannot really see how empty they are cause the windows are covered. The new hire is trying to justify their exsistance and continued to draw a salary. This will never be a carless city. Not big enough, no large industry to support the need, and the people do not want to give up their cars. More fun driving on our pot hole steets at over 60 mph. What is the ridership of our current system? What is the budget of the system. Whatever happened to merit and goal based compensation? This city would rather fill race quatos and hire whoever and not look at accomplishments!!
If this is actually a real thought, perhaps start small, like a car or van. I have never seen more than 5 people on one of our super duper electric busses. It seems impractical to launch big and run up the taxes for the several riders that use it.
This is exactly my thought too. They could get many more cars or minivans on the road that would actually make transportation easier.
A half cent here, a half cent there, pretty soon we’ll have a 10% sales tax. I suggest we fix our roads first. Greensboro roads resemble a third world country’s.
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You’re so right, Gaines.
I remember when our Sales Tax was 4% statewide, and the UK’s Value Added Tax (VAT = sales tax) was 8%. It’s now 20%, and our Sales Tax is mostly 7%.
One GIGANTIC C-F.
The Marxists have to go!!! Get on the local school boards! Give speeches yo the councik meetings, like
Matk Robinson!
Why would we need to call Uber via the city? So they can get a cut to waste on the marxist feel good junk like bike lanes?! Do they think a painted white line is somehow going to magically protect bike riders? Govt is these people’s god.
Yes. . .reminds me of the often used term. . .”Hello, we’re from the government and we’re here to help you”
You need to substitute the verb “help” for something more imperative.
I drive across town now to pick up a friend for church because there is no bus service on Sunday morning.
Fix this if you really want to help.
try uber etc. become younger & explore this new stuff. take me with you. oscar wilde said: the old believe everything, the middle aged suspect everything & the young know everything.
Ohh, and maybe we can buy some more boondoggle electric buses too! I hear Asheville has some we could get for real cheap.
Lol this comment section is full of a bunch of tinfoil hat conspiracist who have never step foot on a bus because they’re too busy blowing $1000s of dollars getting their transmissions fixed or on a car note. Expanding public transit doesn’t mean they’re throwing away your dear car, they’re giving access to go places to those who don’t have one. A bus takes up as such space on a road as two cars, yet can hold over 30 people vs the 5 people a normal car and safely hold. Y’all really foaming at the mouth to have worst traffic. Like damn, they mention expanding one bus route and people come out of the woodwork complaining about “MuH caR rIgHtS”. Tell me in the Constitution where they say you have the right to drive a car. Or you do just feel like it’s a right because they built our country to NEED a car to get anywhere? That’s a weird way to interpret “freedom” when you have no choice but to have a car.
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Careful buddy, your arrogant condescension is showing.
Next time try to confine your arguments to the issue, instead of sneering at other people. It makes you look like an ass**le.
Oh, and you have no understanding of The Constitution. Your ignorance is showing too.
according to AAA i save between $15k to $30k EVERY YEAR i don’t have vehicle payment with interest, insurance, fuel, maintenance, licenses, registrations,property taxes etc. living (work,play,shop) urban makes it possible for me to walk, bike, bus, train,plane to just about everywhere i need to go. spend weekends washing n waxing ? i don’t.
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And if you get the urge to go somewhere, what do you do? Walk a mile to a Bus Stop in any weather, wait an age, hope it’s going where you wanted to go, ride with smelly people, and get off somewhere close to your destination…. hopefully?
Because that’s “Public Transportation” for you.
I prefer a car.
You must have come out from under your rock to write this comment; pure baloney!