Make Sure Transit in SC Gets it Share Update from DC on Federal Funding

 

We need to be sure that CARTA, LINK and the other little transit services in the area are asking for the funding that is available. Please review this and give us your input. 

At last week's CARTA Board meeting a staff member tried the old, tired, 

'We have no money" line on Millicent Middleton, who is trying to slow down the proliferation of white crosses on the Sea Islands where poor people trying to walk miles home, often after dark, get hit and killed by cars over and over. It's time to be sure that all of us, like Millicent, know and let them know that this isn't true. Over ten million dollars a year in local transit funding for the improvement of regular bus service is currently being misappropriated to road construction. The LCRT project is being delayed so it's funding can also be diverted to road construction. These agencies have millions in potential federal funding they can get as well. We still haven't gotten an answer from Nancy Mace on her position on our Transit Questions. We're going to be talking to all the Candidates for Congress from the 1st. and 6th. district and publishing what we're able to learn on Right to Ride Day, May 4. 



March 22, 2022

The Era of Bus Austerity is Over

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act–the “bipartisan infrastructure law” signed last year–offers limited relief when it comes to operating transit service. But the good news is that it represents a sea change when it comes to capital investment. It expands the size of the federal transit programs by at least 49%–not enough to meet all repair needs, but enough to allow many agencies to escape austerity and plan to improve the rider experience while modernizing what they have. 

A perfect illustration of this is the U.S. Department of Transportation’s most recent request for applications to the federal Bus and Bus Facilities Grant (USDOT calls this a Notice of Funding Opportunity, or NOFO). Earlier this month, USDOT issued a NOFO for two major grant programs that fund bus-related capital needs, with applications due May 31: 

• $1.1 billion for the Low-No Emission Bus program, which pays for low-emission and zero-emission buses, facilities and equipment which supports them, and stations and stops that accommodate them.
• $372 million for the Bus and Bus Facilities Grant program, which is used to buy, rehabilitate, or lease buses and vans and “bus-related facilities.” (Another $604 million in this program will be distributed to transit agencies through a legislative formula, without needing to apply.)

Like most federal grant programs, these require a local contribution (of 15-20% in most cases).

Under IIJA, nearly twice as much funding is available through these programs, with the increase concentrated in the “Low-No” program. Congress then added another $250 million to these programs in the fiscal year 2022 “omnibus” act, which was signed by President Biden on March 15 and keeps the government funded through September 30 (the additional money from the omnibus will likely be awarded through this NOFO as well.)

IIJA Grows Federal Programs for Bus Capital Needs

The growth in funding creates opportunities to use the “Bus and Bus Facilities” part of the pie for improvements to riders’ experience and working conditions. 

Historically, both programs have paid for the replacement of buses that are more than 12 years old, as well as antiquated maintenance facilities. For example, in 2021, when $760 million was awarded through the discretionary parts of these programs, 107 of the 119 grants were for normal bus fleet replacement or updating or replacing old facilities. 

Other types of bus improvements have long been eligible, but have always received a small slice of the program. Bus and Bus Facilities grants have helped pay for benches, shelters, and ADA improvements at 100 bus stops in Salt Lake City; bus rapid transit corridors in Albany, New York and the Bronx; bathrooms for riders and workers in Lewiston, Idaho; modernized fare collection systems at agencies in Massachusetts and Texas; and new buses associated with service expansion in Seattle. 

These types of upgrades are not “nice to have” – they are fundamental to providing universal access and a dignified transit experience. Installing bus shelters has been shown to increase ridership, and can correct the longstanding pattern of agencies dedicating more funding to rail facilities than bus facilities. A lack of access to restrooms is an abiding health and safety concern for transit workers across the country. And ADA accessibility determines whether or not someone can use transit at all. 

Transit agencies which have struggled to simply maintain bus fleets now have more leeway to think big. Agencies with plans on the books to improve the bus riding experience, like Houston’s METRONext or Atlanta’s Move MARTA, should look to the Bus and Bus Facilities program (and other programs expanded in IIJA) to accelerate those plans. Doing so will require the identification (and political support) of local funding sources that can meet federal matching requirements.

For agencies without such plans in the works – now is the perfect time to escape the austerity-driven replacement mindset, and to think expansively about how to compete for and use this money. And advocates, it’s up to you to provide them with ideas and encouragement. 

This information provided by

    Ashley Pryce | Senior Advocacy Associate

    Pronouns | She/Her/Hers

    1 Whitehall Street | 17th Floor

    New York, NY 10004

    apryce@transitcenter.org | c.917.374.0322

    transitcenter.org | @transitcenter

    Bus Turnaround

Support us and Contact Us

• You can support our continuing efforts for better transit by making a contribution online on Act Blue
• You can reach us by emailing executive director William Hamilton at wjhamilton29464@gmail.com or by calling 843-870-5299.

Performance Report on CARTA ETA Phone App

 

CARTA’s implementation of the Transit App Has Become Unreliable

From     Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit, Inc.
To           CARTA Board, March 16, 1 pm Meeting
Date      March 16, 2022

Image, Above, CARTA Board Member John Iacafano (Mt. Pleasant) speaking to CARTA Tranist riders at Mary Street Transit Center, Oct. 2021

Facebook event listing with full information on Today's 1 pm CARTA Board Meeting

Over the past year the local implementation of the Transit app has become so unreliable that it may be hurting our attempt to rebuild ridership. ETAs and schedule information are now inaccurate and misleading. This discourages completing planned trips and imparts the perception of unreliability to the entire system and all local public transit. This does not appear to be due to a deterioration in performance relative to the declared schedules, however many of us use the Transit app instead of the schedule. I have been reporting this problem to the board since October 2021. This report has been released to the press. Here are some recent, personally experienced failures.

1. Sunday, March 13- #40 bus, arrived at Shelmore stop with App reporting bus to arrive in 9 minutes. No bus arrived. App then began reporting bus would arrive in 42 minutes. Friends up the line wanted to call an Uber. Bus arrived 8 minutes later. ETA still inaccurate.
2. Sunday, March 13, 1:35pm- 211 Dash reported arriving at Mary St/Meeting St. stop, Northbound in 23 minutes. Began walking towards event. Bus passes us Northbound 2 minutes later. Guest disgusted wants to go home. Managed to get them on the DASH later where a wonderful driver, nicknamed Tbone redeemed their lost faith in the DASH system.
3. March 8- #40 bus arrives with ETA of 47 minutes being reported at 2:40 pm, Shelmore Stop, inbound.
4. March 2– After attending a Lincolnville Town Council meeting where Transit was discussed, we were dropped off on Highway 78 to wait for the #10 Southbound behind the Gas station. App reported the #10 making two more stops that night at that location. No buses arrived. Checked Google Transit which stated service for the day had ended. Waited an hour for an Uber and paid #60 to get home with Louise Brown.
5. March 4, 3:35 pm- #20 bus Northbound arrived 15 minutes before predicted. Was walking down street, between stops and missed bus.
6. Buses rounding the block to begin service North from Mary Street are often reported as having passed the stop with the next arrival being reported as the ETA meaning nearly everyone waiting for our major route’s downtown can’t tell if the bus has departed or not. Mapping not functional on most phones.

Bad ETA information impacts over half the CARTA trips I am attempting to make. As head of Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit and a local transit rider of over 40 years’ experience, I should be able to use this system. Mapping of unit locations isn’t working on my phone or most of the phones of other people I see, so the numeric ETA is the only information we have beside the schedule.

William Hamilton
Executive Director, Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit

Support us and Contact Us

• You can support our continuing efforts for better transit by making a contribution online on Act Blue
• You can reach us by emailing executive director William Hamilton at wjhamilton29464@gmail.com or by calling 843-870-5299.

Transit Questions for 1st. and 6th. US SC Congressional Districts 2022 Primary

Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit will request answers to these seven questions about public transit and affordable housing from the candidates for US House of Representatives, 1st. and 6th. Districts, SC. 

View the Response of Candidates

You can now view our spreadsheet on how the candidates have responded to our request for the answers set out below and which of them have taken a bus ride with us. You can call or email their campaigns to emphasize the importance of transit in your voting decision. We don't endorse candidates, so the final decision is up to you. 

Image, Right, Former Congressman Mark Sanford is presented with the Community Commitment to Transit which he did not sign.

We will publish the answers received and whatever other information we’re able to obtain from candidates running in both the Republican and Democratic Primaries for US House on Right to Ride Day, May 4. The primary is in June. You can vote in only one primary. As a 501c3 we do not endorse candidates and leave you with the responsibility of choosing who to vote for. Please inform us of anything you learn attending forums or town halls. Record video if you can. Information on how to contact and support us can be found at the bottom of this page.

Definitions: LCRT means Lowcountry Rapid Transit System, a bus rapid transit system consisting of buses traveling in dedicated lanes and mixed traffic as originally proposed in the I26 Alt study of 2015 and subsequently modified by the Berkeley Charleston Dorchester Council of Governments; Support means to actively work to encourage public support for, obtain approval of and obtain funding for a project or proposal before and during the term of office you see election to. 

Questions for Congressional Candidates

1. Do you support the use of Federal Funds to support operation and improvement of public transit facilities in the SC Lowcountry, both the LCRT and regular bus service? Yes Both, No, LCRT Only, regular transit service only. 
2. Do you support the use of Federal Funds for road construction? Yes, No, Do not wish to answer
3. Do you support construction of the Lowcountry Rapid Transit system and if elected will you work to see that federal funds are made available to support completion of the project? Yes, No, Do not wish to Answer
4. Do you support the current plan for an LCRT line which ends at the Fairgrounds on Highway 78 or do would you support returning to the original 2015 I26 Alt plan for a line which runs all the way to Summerville? Yes, No, Do not wish to answer
5. Do you support extending the LCRT System up Highway 52 to Goose Creek from the current junction in the line at Highway 78 and Rivers Ave? Yes, No, Do not wish to answer.
6. Do you support a requirement that any roads built with federal funds be designed and built as complete streets which accommodate pedestrians, cars, bicycles and transit riders as appropriate? Yes, No, Do not wish to answer. 
7. Do you support construction of affordable housing with Federal financial support in areas served by public transit? Yes, No, Do Not wish to answer. 

A printable, PDF Ballot for these responses that you can present to the candidates can be downloaded now.  

You are free to provide other information on public transit and any policies or positions you have regarding it which we will attempt to disseminate with our voter’s guide, possibly online. However, unless our questions are answered, no additional material will be disseminated and refused to answer will be entered as your response. We will disseminate our voter’s guide in person to over 5000 families in Summerville, Goose Creek, Lincolnville, N. Charleston, Charleston, the sea islands, Mt. Pleasant and other locations in person in the month before the primary. It will also be sent to the press and distributed online. 

Support and Contact Us

• You can support our continuing efforts for better transit by making a contribution online on Act Blue
• You can reach us by emailing executive director William Hamilton at wjhamilton29464@gmail.com or by calling 843-870-5299.

Transit- Security and Peace for Ukraine & America Built With Transit

Charleston, SC- It is easy to feel helpless when you are powerless and alone. A two year pandemic has taken our friends, emptied our buses and disrupted our lives. All of us hoped for better days, a spring which opened into peace and happiness. We haven't surrendered the hope of getting there. As always, it's a longer, harder bus trip than we hoped for, but if you have your transfer, you may get there. 

Our Transit Planning Children's Activity

Image, left, children from 4 continents, speaking 7 languages helping plan a model transit system, N. Charleston Farmer's Market, Fall 2019, Some of these children have cousins in Eastern Europe now.

Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine reminds us while we may volunteer to clean up a bus stop or help an elderly passenger on board, there are still brutal, cruel forces in the world who force suffering upon the innocent to gratify their insatiable egos. They burn their name into the tortured memory of history. They want to join the men we are eager to forget, but which perpetuate themselves in our schoolbooks: Genghis Khan, Francisco Pizzaro, King Leopold, Hitler, Putin.

Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit now functions as a component of a national network of Transit Advocacy Groups leading the effort to rebuild safer, sustainable cities like Charlotte, NC, Atlanta, GA and Indianapolis, Minn. with powerful, community uniting transit systems. Yesterday, our corps of conductors completed a canvass of every hotel in Mt. Pleasant to get tourists out of their cars, on to our buses to help ease congestion on our highways and streets.  Last night we challenged Congresswoman Nancy Mace to take a stand regarding the status of our rapid transit system. She didn't answer, but being Americans, we'll go back until she does. On Tuesday, March 1,  we'll stand, speak and sing at Charleston County Council to try to end the go nowhere excuse based planning which has failed the commitment voters made in 2016 to fund a rapid transit line linking Summerville and Charleston. 

Made in SC, USA Proterra Battery Electric Bus

Our own Christopher Jackson, founder of the legendary lightning crew which took door to door transit information to thousands of homes in Dorchester County now drives an 18 wheel, over the road tractor trailer. When he stops, he reaches out to communities across the US helping start and encourage transit improvement efforts. He calls it the Continental, Together We Go Forward Initiative. Chris is out pulling the national supply chain and bringing people together to begin the journey for better transit. 

Putin has made it clear we can’t stay where we are. We can’t live with his target on our backs. Charleston has been at the forefront of America’s defense since we repelled the British at Ft. Sullivan in 1776. We built the ships which liberated Europe at our Navy Yard in N. Charleston during WWII. We stood the long, terrifying watch of the Cold war with our Polaris Submarines at the Charleston Navy Base. 

When I was a boy, Soviet boomers patrolled just off our coast and American Attack subs from our Navy Base, armed with nuclear torpedo's, shadowed them in hopes of blowing the red sub out of the Atlantic before they could fire on Charleston. Now those Russian subs are probably back, just off our coast. I grew up with that. I remember the horror of learning what was going on and what the Sub Captain that was our backyard neighbor was doing. Evidently, he did it right. We've lived up to now. It's not polite to talk about that reality in Charleston. I've seen the shock of young people today learning how this works. I can't decide weather I should tell them or not. For Charleston, still on the target list due to our Air Force Base and Nuclear storage facilities which may or may not still have missiles, it will could be over, without any warning in an instant. Most of us will never even know.  

Charleston once attacked America when we fired on Ft. Sumter and started the American Civil War. That time, Charleston learned the hard way fighting on the wrong side of the long struggle for human dignity and freedom against the United States of America means losing. My ancestors learned that at Missionary Ridge on Nov. 25, 1863. So will Putin when his day comes. 

However, thanks to the efforts of thousands of people (from lonely transit advocates leafleting rainy bus stops to President Biden signing the infrastructure bill) we have not arrived at this dark day unprepared. America and the West are no longer barreling towards an auto dependent, petroleum fueled future where Putin’s status as ruler of the second largest petroleum exporting nation makes us his slaves. 

In Greenville SC Pro Terra manufactures the finest battery electric buses made anywhere in the world. We have over a dozen running right now in Charleston, SC. In Mt. Pleasant, SC, Hubner makes the complex, robotic articulations which allow buses to bend around corners and put big vehicles with lots of passengers on narrow historic streets like the ones in Charleston efficiently. 

Sr. Citizens visiting Best Friend of Charleston Replica

While all of this conserves fuel, it also brings people together. Strangers become transit buddies at stops and on buses and trains. They learn that people different from them can still be their friends and that all those friends, together, are Americans. 

The price of gas is going to rise. It ought to. We cannot fill our greedy tanks with Putin’s oil when it buys the bombs and bullets which send death to Ukraine. We’ll need our transit system, recovering from Covid, to pull us together and move us ahead.

It may be that this, with Best Friend’s of Lowcountry Transit’s continuing efforts, will hasten the day when we have our own rapid transit line linking Charleston, N. Charleston, Ladson, Lincolnville, Summerville, Hanahan and Goose Creek. We’ll be able to join the elite group of rising cities moving out of congestion, pollution, and climate killing carbon fuels to a faster, cleaner and more hopeful future.

Right now our CARTA and LINK buses are slower than your car. Sometimes they’re crowded. Some people on board have evident struggles we would prefer not to share. They don’t always go where they’re needed or show up when promised, but each rider on each trip moves us further away from a world men like Putin and the oil funded terrorists of ISIS control. It’s a trip worth taking. It’s time to get on board. If you don't know how to ride, call me. I'll talk you through it. If that doesn't work, one of our conductors will ride with you. Together, We Go Forward!

Join us on the bus. It’s one way Americans Go Forward!

END END END

For information on Better Transit in the SC Lowcountry see www.bfltransit.com or contact Executive Director William Hamilton at (843) 870-5299 or wjhamilton29464@gmail.com. 

Timeline for Truncated Transit in the Lowcountry

 

Transit Outreach in N. Chs. May 2021

This document will link the known, events, documents and officials implicated in the decision to break the promise made to voters to build a real rapid transit system made during the campaing for the 2016 Half penny sales tax referendum in Charleston County. It is not likely to be complete immediately and we'll continue to fill in listings as they're turned up in the series of Freedom of Information Act requests we're filing as well as material we're receiving through other sources. 

1. 1830- Christmas Day - Best Friend railroad engine begins rail service from Charleston.
2. 1833- Railroad line reaches Summerville and regular passenger service between Summerville and Charleston begins operating.
3. 1962- Train service between Charleston and Summerville ends after running for 130 years.
4. 1995- Discussion and studies regarding a transit service between Charleston and Summerville begin. A serious of studies and proposals come and go over the next 20 years including Light Rail, Commuter Rail, Express Buses and the Futrex Proposal. 
5. 2007- Express bus from N. Charleston Super Walmart Parking lot begins operating.
6. Jan 2011- Best Friends of Lowcountry transit founded at East Cooper CARTA Riders, later Hungrneck straphangers, to prevent cancellation of East Cooper Bus routes. 
7. 2015- I26 Alt Study plans transit running between Charleston and Summerville. Cost was over half a million dollars. 
8. Sept. 2016- Changes in proposed referendum cause some organizations, including the SC Coastal Conservation League to end support of the referendum due to vagueness and lack of specific commitments to non road projects. Best Friends suspends Transit Complete the Penny Campaign effort after spending over 20 thousand dollars. 
9. Oct. 2016- Charleston County Council passes resolution committing 640 million dollars of half penny sales tax revenue from proposed referendum funding to Transit improvements, part to construction of the BRT and part to improving other transit services. The referendum devotes most of its funding to road construction. Best Friends resumes camainging to pass the referendum in reliance on this resolution. 
10. Nov 5, 2016- Half penny sales tax referendum passes in Charleston County
11. Sept 2020 document shows the route running into Summerville. 
12. Oct 2020 Document shows when they started showing Summerville as a future project. 
13. Nov 2020 document shows several meetings with Town of Summerville staff and the topics all focus on the project alignment and terminus. 
14. Feb 2021 Email chain discussing differences is traffic models used for upper part of Rapid Transit system study area. Possiblity of discrepencies and errors noted. Data is being collected during the worst part of the pandemic, when car travel is depressed. 
15. Feb. 4, 2022 Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit launches the 100 days campaign to obtain immediate uninterrupted bus service between Charleston and Summerville by extending the #10 Bus line, accelerate construction of the LCRT and postpone any work expanding I526 until the complete LCRT is operating between Summerville and Charleston.