Concept Plan for Conversion
of the Northern Segment of the Greenville & Northern Railroad
to the “Greenville Hospital System Swamp Rabbit Tram-Trail”
This proposal outlines a plan for phased conversion of the abandoned Greenville & Northern Railroad that runs from Greenville to Travelers Rest to a multi-use trail that accommodates both recreational and motorized transit use. The plan is designed to maximize the range of uses for the trail within the existing footprint of the rail bed, thus eliminating the need to purchase or clear additional land or widen the rock base of the rail bed. The total estimated cost of the first two phases as outlined below is under 2 million dollars. The long-term goal of this plan – as articulated in Phase III – is preservation of the integrity of the rail corridor for eventual conversion to commuter rail.
Overview of "Tram-Trail" Proposal
The newly developed "microbus"This multi-use trail would consist of a 10-foot wide asphalt strip on the bed of the rail line from downtown Greenville to downtown Travelers Rest. The trail's southern point would begin at Willard Street where it would connect to the City of Greenville’s Reedy River trail and would terminate at its northern point at Sunrift Adventures in the City of Travelers Rest. There would be on-demand traffic signals at the three highest-volume street crossings (Western Connector, Sulphur Springs, and Blue Ridge), as well as painted crossing areas at all at-grade crossings. Non-motorized uses – walking, running, biking – would be freely permitted, but motorized vehicle access would be restricted through the use of retractable bollards at every road crossing.
In addition to recreational use, the trail would serve as a dedicated right-of-way for a type of rubber-wheeled tram called a "microbus" (see photo at right). As the microbus is less than seven feet wide, it would be able to navigate the trail with ease. Paved pull-outs every quarter-mile or so would allow a microbus to stop to allow an oncoming microbus to pass. A striped two-foot wide “safety zone” along one side of the trail would provide a dedicated area for pedestrians and cyclists to step aside and allow a microbus to pass. As the microbuses would be limited to a maximum speed of about 30 miles per hour and would (at least at first) only run every hour or so (and only on weekends), the potential for conflicts or accidents would be minimal.
The benefits of this approach are numerous. It would:
- Provide both recreational opportunities and a pleasant, efficient transit service without the need for purchase or improvement of any additional land, thus keeping costs to a minimum
- Gear the scale of transit to the likely current level of demand, keeping public investment in transit at a reasonable level while building a client base for transit service over time
- Be likely to encourage increased cycling and walking, as more people may venture out on the trail if they know that they have a transit service as a back-up
- Serve as a national model for innovative reuse of rail corridors, as a shared trail of this sort would probably be the first of its kind in the nation.