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

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