Daniel Island Ferry Demonstration Run

Daniel Island Dock

We joined about 40 other people on their way to work from Daniel Island to Downtown Charleston this morning, July 27.

The Ferry left a little after 7:30 am and took 20 minutes to run, dock to dock to the Maritime Center in Downtown Charleston.

Plans are being made to upgrade the dock and parking on Daniel Island.  A new, larger, all weather ferry has been ordered so that regular service can being in Spring 2019.

Mayor Techlinberg was among the passengers. Many representatives of local media were on board.

On the Wando River

It was a great effort and thanks are due to the many community partners who participated in this morning's effort.

Jasmine Gil, Community Outreach Coordinator

Coastal Conservation League, led a wonderful coalition of community organizations to put on this event. 

We ended our trip with a ride on the DASH bus to the office.

Drawing of future Daniel Island Ferry

County Council Committee to Proposes Changes to how CARTA is Controlled.

Last night Charleston County Council voted to approve the CARTA budget and appoint a committee to change the way CARTA is controlled. We agree that CARTA needs to be improved, but the lack of reference in the discussion to the needs of the people who ride the community and the people who ride the buses is disturbing. Please contact the members of the committee  and remind them that thousands of families depend on this transit system and so do the people who employ them. Councilmen Sass, Qualey and Summey were appointed to a committee to work on this issue. View the discussion online starting at 1:25  http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/116247013

Please share your personal experience with transit and CARTA in a respectful way..

While we push CARTA for improvements, it’s important to recognize it provides transportation service critical to the survival of thousands of Lowcountry families and businesses. Congestion is beginning to strangle regular bus service here. The Bus Rapid Transit line is a powerful tool to deal with all of these problems, but large parts of our area will continue to rely on regular bus service. Cutting bus service (as CARTA has been doing for the past 8 years) aggravates all of our community’s transportation problems.

The Lowcountry’s way forward has to be more and better transit services, which the voters of Charleston County chose to do in November 2016.

Please contact the members of this new committee and urge them to:

• Remember the thousands of people who ride our buses, their families and their employers
• Work to create a CARTA capable of providing more and better transit for the Lowcountry to reduce congestion and increase our quality of life.

Joseph K. Qualey
(843) 693-3434
jqualey@charlestoncounty.org

J. Elliott Summey
(843) 958-4031 (O)
esummey@charlestoncounty.org

Herbert Ravenel Sass, III
(843) 766-7500 (O)
(843) 693-8305 (C)
hsass@charlestoncounty.org
 

Transit Progress Happening 

Exciting progress is being made on Lowcountry transit this week.

Last night in Lincolnville Town Council, following our  presentation on possible bus routes for the area, Jeff Burns representing CARTA & Tri County Link announced that full time bus service would be coming to the area See short video We’ve been working with the people on Lincolnville, Ladson and Sangaree on getting better bus service since February. We’ve talked to over 3000 people in this rapidly developing area and participated in six community events and found a community ready to make transit work and eager for the Bus Rapid Transit line now in the planning stages. Improved bus service may begin running in the fall and we’ll continue to work with the people out there to help them get people on the buses once they’re running.

Tonight (July 12) at 5 pm, The City of Charleston will vote on buying the property on which the Mt. Pleasant Street Bus Rapid Transit Station may be constructed (Between Joseph Floyd Manor and the Longshoreman’s hall, across the street from Santi’s) You can read the agenda and proposed ordinance. This station will serve as a gateway to Charleston. We continue to work to be sure the BRT line continues to the heart of the City at Line Street  a mile and a half south of this location instead of, as some people have proposed stopping there. The BRT line could enhance the proposed Lowline Park along the abandoned rail line while still helping reduce traffic congestion and keep the city vital.

On Tuesday, July 17, at 5 pm, the City of Charleston will consider the CARTA budget. If you have concerns about bus service downtown, on James Island, or West of the Ashely, please come and speak during the public comment period. Once the budget has passed, improvements are harder to obtain. You can get Full Details on the Facebook Event page.  You can contact Mayor Techenberg by calling 843-577-6970 or reach your City Council member through contact information on this page.

Attend Upcoming CARTA Budget Hearings for Better Bus Service

The bus service your community receives from CARTA is controlled by the CARTA budget which has to be approved by some local municipalities and Charleston County Council each Summer. Last year this resulted in a budget which did not produce improved bus service to any significant extent.  The 11 million dollars left on the table of the 350 million dollar / 25 year funding stream for better bus service became in effect, an interest free loan for road construction under a "pay go" plan passed without public input by an obscure committee.

When Transit Advocates requested better bus service last year, CARTA said there was no money in the budget for it.  County Council said they gave CARTA all the money requested.

Here is the list of meetings where the CARTA budget will be considered this summer. If you live in one of these towns or cities, you should contact your Mayor and Town Council immediately. Advocates from Best Friends of Lowcountry Tranist will be happy to join and support you, but it is the local voice which will be heard.

The CARTA Preliminary Budget will be presented at:

·         City of Hanahan Council Meeting:  Tu-7/10 @ 6:30pm

·         City of Charleston Council Meeting:  Tu-7/17 @ 5 pm (Corrected from time provided by CARTA per City Announcement)

·         Town of Sullivan’s Island Council Meeting:  Tu-7/17 @ 6pm

·         Charleston County (Finance & Council Meetings)  Charleston County Finance Committee meeting will be held on Th-7/19 but they haven’t confirmed the time yet.  Their Council meeting will be held on Tu-7/24 @ 6:30pm.

·         City of Isle of Palms Council Meeting:  Tu-7/24 @ 6pm

·         Town of Kiawah Ways & Means Committee Meeting:  Tu-7/24 @ 2pm 

·         City of North Charleston Finance & Council Meetings: Th-8/16 @ 5pm

To contact us for assistance in being heard call William Hamilton at (843) 870-5299 or email wjhamilton29464@gmail.comwjhamilton29464@gmail.com

Mt. Pleasant Declines to Approve CARTA Budget

Update- July 2

Public Discussion about Transit, May 2018

Demand Accountablity in the CARTA Budget Process.

Know what bus service your Town or City will get before the budget is approved.

This July is the time to ask your Mayor and Town or City Council in Charleston County to demand accountability for better bus routes in the CARTA budget process. Ask them not to approve the budget until they've seen a CARTA board approved plan for future bus service in your town or city.

All four members of Mount Pleasant's finance committee declined to approve CARTA's "preliminary budget" as a meeting on Monday, July 2 and referred the matter to the Town's Transportation Committee for review. After public comments by Best Friends of Lowcountry Tranist Executive Director William Hamilton and a presentation by CARTA Director Ron Mitchum, Town Council members on the committee said they needed to see clear proposals for future bus service in the community.

During his comments, Mitchum accused Best Friends of dishonesty and suggested that with friends like Best Friends, CARTA didn't need enemies. The committee asked Mt. Mitchum to move on from that theme to the issue of bus service. Mitchum said no major reduction in the total hours of bus service in Charleston County was planned for the coming year, but indicated changes were possible and that a study was underway by a route advisory committee. There is also some sort of 50 thousand dollar study planned about bus service to hotels as well.  There are at least three other transit related studies going forward or recently finished at the moment, the total cost of which is unknown.

Signing the Citizens Commitment to Transit

We urge transit riders throughout Charleston County to ask their municipal governments to decline to approve next year's CARTA budget until we know how the funding made available through the half penny sales tax will or will not improve bus service next year. 

County Council promised included 600 million dollars for improved, transit, 250 for a BRT line and 350 for improved bus service in a resolution passed by County Council in October 2016, a month before the half penny sales tax referendum vote. Mt. Mitchum denied any specific promise was made about transit funding as part or the referendum. 

Best Friends sent the following letter to Mt. Pleasant Town Council.  It has also filed a Freedom of Information Act Request with CARTA.

Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit, Inc.
32 Sowell St.
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
WWW.BFLTRANSIT.COM

July 2, 2018

Finance Committee
Mount Pleasant Town Council

Dear Mayor and Council,

We believe CARTA’s rushed effort to get their budget approved by the Town of Mount Pleasant is premature in view of their pending plans to reorganize the East Cooper Route System again. We would urge the Finance Committee to Defer any action to approve the budget, which was described at the last CARTA Board Meeting as “preliminary” until the Town and East Cooper area know what sort of bus service the tax papers and transit riders of our area (who pay approximately 40% of the County’s sales taxes) are going to receive for their money.

We would suggest:

• ·         That this matter be referred to the Transportation Committee for their review with the assistance of our CARTA Board Members;
• ·         That we seek the assistance and counsel of the governments of the Isle of Palms & Sullivan’s Island so the entire East Cooper area can consider this matter;
• ·         A public hearing on Bus Service be held during the August Town Council Meeting; and that
• ·         The budget only be approved once the CARTA board has approved plans for our bus routes for the next year.

We’re informed and believe major changes to our existing bus service are planned. We remind council the last round of bus service cuts reversed years of progress increasing ridership. It left us with a dysfunctional, part time #42 route on the North end of town, reduced service, and no provision for connecting service to N. Charleston or the beach. It did not offer the improved service promised in the I26alt study published prior to the half penny sales tax referendum.

We should use the budget process for CARTA for the purposes for which it was created - to assure accountability to the municipalities, taxpayers, and riders the authority is supposed to serve, who now face the prospect of increased taxes for decreased service.

Sincerely,

William J. Hamilton, III
Executive Director
Ph (843) 870-5299