Transit Activists Prepare Community for Rapid Transit Workshops

The first of three planning workshops on Rapid Transit will be held in Charleston on Jan. 29. Meetings in Summerville will follow on Wednesday, Jan. 30;  and in N. Charleston at Trident Tech on Thursday, Jan. 31.  Our own Transit Equity day follows on Feb. 4, the birthday of Rosa Parks, with an epic bus journey from John’s Island, the Benne Breakfast hosted by State Rep. and professional Chef JA Moore; Cougar Rapid Tomorrow, a look forward into a fast future on a hot planet by a rising sea and finally the Transit Equity Town Hall at Park Circle with State Rep. Marvin Pendavis.

If these events are to amount to more than what little that has been accomplished in the last 20 years of studies and meetings, we need the public to turn out in force. Traditional media has proved incapable of arousing the public. We’ve already been to 900 households in N. Charleston, 200 in Lincolnville, 100 in Summerville and 150 businesses downtown. On Saturday we leafleted 1000 people attending the Martin Luther King Concert, 100 at the fun safety rally and on Monday, 1500 people lined up for the Martin Luther King Parade.

After we attend Wednesday’s CARTA Board Meeting in N. Charleston at 1 pm, we’ll gather at the Felix Davis Center in the middle of Park Circle to do community outreach to neighborhoods in that area including Russel dale and Liberty Hill. If you can help us we’ll be stuffing plastic doorknob bags and hanging them on doorknobs from 4 pm until dark. You can signup to help in Park Circle on Facebook.

On Saturday we’ll be working in Summerville and Sangaree from a base of operations in downtown Summerville from 10 am to 4 pm. Due to political considerations, we’ll be disclosing the actual location at 9 am Saturday morning on our facebook page or you can call (843) 870-5299. Please sign up to help in Summerville on Facebook.

On Martin Luther King Day we worked for 12 hours in Charleston, N. Charleston and Summerville. It was a work day Martin Luther King would have understood and we were tired when it was over. We know why Rosa Parks wanted to keep that seat now.

We understand that the years of studies and waiting have to end. The cost of our transit system is believed to be rising by 1.5 million dollars a month. Delay leaves our communities trapped in Gridlock and may allow costs to reach a point where our transit money might be taken to build 526. Only a public which is involved an motivated on an unprecedented scale can see this project through to actual operation in our lifetimes.

If you can help, now is the time. Downloadable notices which can be printed and distributed are linked below. Please post, share with friends and distribute to your employees or members.

Charleston Notice for Jan. 29

Summerville, Lincolnville, Sangaree & Ladson Notice for Jan. 30
North Charleston – Trident Tech Notice for Jan. 31
Flyer for Transit Equity Day on Feb. 4
Flyer for the Benne Breakfast with JA Moore on Feb. 4
Large Bus Rapid Transit Line “Gold Standard” Issues Map