Bus Be Best Way to Beach

We celebrate the return of our Bus to the Beach Memorial weekend. Last year, in part to our Pirates on the Bus project, ridership increased by 90%. There are still empty seats on nearly every run.

Schedule and route map - can be viewed on the CARTA website.

Right- Bus Pirate Day at the beach, June 2023

Isle of Pirates Day 2024 will be Saturday, July 13. Read the details and sign up on Facebook. 

Service Begins with a Boom- The Beach Reach Shuttle began running Memorial Weekend and carried twice as many passengers as it did on the same weekend a year ago. All available parking on the Isle of Palms was evidently occupied for most of the weekend. Many people drove out to the beach, searched for parking, failed to find any and ended up driving back to the mainland an hour or more later, never having seen the beach. Some found our bus and some, with disappointed children, gave up and returned home. If you have to search for parking the bus will always be faster. Your kids won't be bored in the car. They'll be having the adventure of a trip on the bus. 

#40 Mount Pleasant Bus connects the Beach  Reach Shuttle to the rest of the CARTA system, leaving the Mary Street Transit Center downtown once an hour where it connects to eight other bus routes running to other parts of downtown, North Charleston, West Ashley and James Island. Find a link to maps of this route on the Ride Carta fixed routes page. 

Pirates vs. Barbie/Kenergy- Our pirates will return to the beach this summer, probably on July 4, but this year they'll have rivals, the crowd from Barbieland, ready to beach under the leadership of Ken and the living doll herself. Doing something like this on a major holiday is always a space shot. If you would like to help, let us know. It's pink vs. black, so choose  your clothing to show your sympathies. The pirate crew seems pretty committed, so we'll need the Barbies and the Bros to come of the bench and out to the beach. We'll be burying treasure on the beach, doing some pirate games with the public. Ken and his friends will "beach." Pirates will challenge the Island's rum supply again while the folks from Barbie Land have specialty cocktails of their own. The bartenders of IOP have never failed us yet and the bus assures a safe trip home for everyone. 

We may also have another bus to the  beach party at Container Bar on the #20 Route downtown. Last year's Pirate Party at Container Bar was a blast with sword fights, drama and  an exceptional effort from the food truck and the bar, 

Free Fair, Free Parking, Free Beach- Free parking is available near the stop in Mt. Pleasant Town Center on Market Center drive. However you can also take the #40 Mt. Pleasant bus from the Mary Street Transit Center in downtown Charleston for regular fare. The schedules for the beach reach shuttle and #40 are synchronized so you shouldn't have a wait at Mt. Pleasant Town Center. 

Electronic Wayfinding- The Beach Reach Shuttle is represented on the Transit App which will allow you to track it's location and get ETAs in real time. You can also use the Transit App and Google Maps / Transit to plan your transit trip to the beach from anywhere in the Lowcountry which has transit service, however since the shuttle only works on Summer weekends and holidays these services will report no service to IOP unless you have set the time and date for your trip when the service is running. Here is a Google Maps trip plan for Memorial Day from downtown Charleston to the beach.   You should download the transit app now if you don't already have it on your phone. 

left - Pitching our banner at the entrance to folly beach on Memorial weekend, 2018

Your Tax Dollars at Work- The shuttle is free thanks to contributions from the Tourism Tax funds of the City of Isle of Palms and Town of Mt. Pleasant. We've encouraged the support of IOP by awarding them the Key to the Sea, which resides in a wooden case at IOP City Hall. It's companion key was tossed into the waves last year to open the ocean and celebrate the restart of service on a cold, wet memorial day. 

You Have a Place at the Beach- The shuttle lets you off at the Charleston County Park on the front beach IOP. Since you don't have to pay for parking, use of the park is also free. That includes indoor, flush toilets in their air conditioned building, outdoor showers and changing rooms. 

IOP has City Bathrooms and Showers- In the middle of the commercial strip, the City of the Isle of Palms maintains it's own free shower and toilet facility. It's closer to many locations if you decide to beach west of the pier. 

Veteran Visits- If you are a veteran or active duty military, the VFW Post on the Coast will welcome you to their extraordinary beachfront location. Located next to the Windjammer, up a small walkway you'll find veterans enjoying a wonderful beachfront deck with a bonus view of the adjacent Windjammer stage where there is often music. The Post has toilets, a bar and sometimes food. There are events there throughout the summer. The VFW has been a strong supporter of the Beach Reach Shuttle since their members don't have to look for parking. 

IOP Front Beach Businesses- IOP has a wonderful, small beachfront business district with places to eat and shop. Let them know that you came on the bus since it's their tourism taxes helping pay for it. Here is a list of IOP restaurants. The ones near the bus stop are in the center of the island. 

Image right- A Bus Driver drink concocted by Coconut Joes on IOP as part of our July 2015 March to the Sea to help return Transit to the Atlantic. Has gold rum, red cherry and green lime (they ran out of limes that day) for the colors of the Best Friend train. 

Wonderful Wait- On your way home, the waiting area outside the park where the bus stops is shaded and has plentiful benches. With the sea breeze, it's probably the most comfortable bus stop in the Lowcountry on a hot summer day. 

Stopover on your way home. The #40 bus runs later than the Beach Shuttle so you can stop over on your way home at Mount Pleasant Town Centre. There's a Lowes, a movie theater, over 13 restaurants and many other shops and businesses. If you shower and change at the beach, you'll be OK to enjoy some time there. 

Not finished until we get to Folly. We still want a bus out to Folly Beach, where parking is now over $20 in their downtown area. Folly is a much tougher place to reach, but we were able to push the Folly Road bus further out to Sol Legare road at the Harris Teeter where it's an easy bike ride out to folly or a challenging walk, side walked all the way. Almost  there. We were also able to get frequency of service on the Folly Road bus increased. Bus ride to end of the Folly Road Bus line on Google Maps

The late Mary Smith appearing as Sylphide, our Transit Fairy

Nothing is Easy and even a Free Bus Isn't Free- It took seven long, hard years of grassroots advocacy aimed at both the East Cooper area and Folly Beach to get this shuttle running and we've put a lot of work into getting people to ride. All you need to do to make that effort worthwhile is to ride the shuttle and bring your friends. Several members of the team which fought to get the bus back out to the beach did not live to ride it. Julia Hamilton and Mary Smith (Our transit fairy) included. The struggle for better transit in the Lowcountry has been a long, hard one but we have progress to be proud of. There are hundreds of new shelters standing or planned for our exisiting bus lines. Service has been increase on the Northbridge and Dorchester Road routes. Ridership, though still below what it was before the pandemic is building. The LCRT, though reduced in scope, slowly advances towards construction and CARTA has stuck to it's guns in the controversy over the fairgrounds. There is a massive, now funded project to build affordable housing and walkable communties along and near Rivers Ave. Every inch of this progress was fought for and six of our core advocates have already taken their last ride. 

We hope when you crest across the dunes at IOP and you feel the cool, fresh breeze of the ocean that you will remember our departed friends. You can do that by scratching our symbol, taken from the Best Friend of Charleston into the sand, awaiting the return of the ocean to wipe it away. If you are there on a lucky day, you might be able to dig up some of our pirate treasure. 

Support our Work, More Information - To support the work of Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit you can contribute on Act Blue. For information or assistance contact William Hamilton at wjhamilton29464@gmail.com or 843-870-5299.

Bus to the Beach in the Lowcountry 2022

2022 Second Season of Service to the Sea at IOP

Boarding Shuttle at Mt. Pleasant Town Centre

This page is now out of date, See,Updated information on the 2024 version of the Beach Reach Shuttle, Can the Lady Pirates stop Kenergy?

After a brief experimental operation in Aug. 2020, and seven years of transit advocacy by Best Friends including the 2015 March to the Sea, regular public transit bus service reached the beach in the Lowcountry on Memorial Weekend 2022. Now it returns for its second year. 

Official CARTA page on Beach Reach Shuttle. 

This year the Beach Shuttle has a direct and immediate connection to the #40 Mount Pleasant Bus. You can reach the shuttle on the #40 or just park next to the stop in Mt. Pleasant for free. The shuttle is also free. This year's stop at the beach is right next to the County Park where you can find bathrooms, showers and changing rooms.

The CARTA Board voted to run the shuttle again this year at their January 2022 meeting. 

We'll be presenting IOP City Council with their copy of the Key to the Sea on March 22 at 6 pm. 

Here is information on last years bus 2021 to beach effort.

Boarding the Shuttle on IOP

The 2021 Reach the Beach shuttle effort was moderately successful. Ridership was heavily impacted by COVID and a lot of bad weather. Ridership was building towards the end of summer with a strong Labor Day weekend finish. It was absolutely better than fighting traffic and parking on IOP. The company on the bus was pleasant. The views from the bus crossing the Dangerfield bridge are spectacular. You avoid the anger and aggression which is so prominent on the road there.  We found that brining a chair, small umbrella and small cooler got it done. So did Chole, our intensely controversial campaign to get people to pack light and enjoy the beach. Be like Chole really drove the monster truck to the beach people nuts.

On Saturday's, the transfer from the #40 Mt. Pleasant bus route, which runs from downtown Charleston at Mary Street where it connects with the rest of the CARTA system was reliable and generally immediate. On Sundays the two routes had different schedules and waits of half an hour, coming and going took place. Parking at Mt. Pleasant Town Centre was always available. A mid year change to a bus stop at IOP County Park where benches, shade and bathrooms could be found was a huge improvement. 

1. 

   The Key to the Sea

   Bus the the Beach 2021 Our main page June 2021 with updates during the season
   
2. Be Like Chole Video We thought this was just fun, big car people did not
3. Bus to the Beach Gaining Traction Report on the operating service, June 2021
4. May 2021 Making the 2022 bus fare free.  Quick action helps make the IOP bus fare free. Within two hours fare free operation was fully funded
5. July Summerville to the Sea Bus Trip Plans for a guided trip to the beach from Summerville
6. Open the Ocean for Kids Our effort to get kids to the beach. It struggled due to pandemic problems and logistical issues. We did get the summer program from Pink House to the fountain downtown. The basic problem is that the buses run on weekends and the summer programs for kids operate on weekdays. 

Why Transit Service to the Beach Matters

Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit campaigned for seven years to get public transit in Charleston returned to our beaches. We continue to believe that it is the moral obligation of a wealthy community like ours which depends on low wage service labor in it's tourism and medical sectors to make recreation at our beaches available to everyone without their having to own an automobile. We also believe reducing automobile traffic to the beach improves everyone's beach experience and promotes a more sustainable human presence on our planet. Doubling transit ridership to the beach this summer is one of our five major transit goals for 2022. 

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.

Queen Ruby of the Pirates and her Ladies in Raiding, the Cruise of the Jeweled Princess

Flag of Queen Ruby of the Pirates

© 2023 by William J. Hamilton, III

Ride the Bus, Join the Drama

This summer Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit invites you not merely to take the bus to the beach, but to use transit to access a summer island filled with adventure, drama, swordplay and romance. 

This is the first written chapter  in our pirate drama. We maintain a complete chronology with links to all the chapters and events 

When you encounter Queen Ruby of the Pirates or one of her Ladies in Raiding, you may be given a golden pirate coin which will allow you to win discounts, earn prizes or even participate in the dramatic contest between Queen Ruby, his majesty's royal militia, the fiendish Pirate Anderson or the venal operatives of the British West India company. 

Here's our story up to now. Join the next chapter on Memorial weekend when we open the ocean at 10:30 am on the front beach of the Isle of Palms and join the drama which will bring  excitement as well as better transit to the Lowcountry up to its conclusion of Labor Day Weekend.

After you have read the backstory below, read the latest chapter, the conclusion of which will unfold in Summerville on May 18. Read Crystal Goes A Roving, Pirate War in Summerville?

A Hard Life Come to a Dead End

Ruby was the beloved daughter of a famous Admiral of His Majesty’s Royal Navy. Middle age found her married to a rum ruined former ship’s captain and now tavern owner in the impoverished town of Port St. Phillip. Trapped in circumstance, peril and adventure yet awaited the handsome woman who believed her life was to be spent tending bar, scrubbing run sodden tavern floors and sloping pigs.

Peril from the Sea, Anderson's Pirates Raid Port Phillip

Peril came in the form of Anderson’s pirate band, who raided the town and carried off everything of any worth. St. Phillip was poor on a good day. The King’s taxes and the ruinous terms of trade with the monopoly of the British West India Company made life expensive and hard. With rations low and a pirate crew on the verge of munity, Anderson came to take everything Ruby and her neighbors had. The King and his fleet were, as usual, far away guarding the profits of the West India company.

Ruby’s husband was a sot, but when the door of his tavern was breached by the thirsty pirates he rose on his feet to defend his wife, whom he still loved, the only true treasure he possessed. The Captain's final battle was brave and short. He ended in a pool of his own blood on the dank, beer soaked floor. Ruby, unready, was taken prisoner as were the other ladies of the town. It took five strong men to drag Ruby to their ship.

On board Ruby and her sisters contemplated the horrors that awaited them in one form of slavery or another. They were hardship toughened women from age 12 to 80, subject to the various uses men might devise for them unless they freed themselves.

Ruby knew the uses of rum on sailors and proposed a party, a welcome surprise to  the pirates. The revels began, but the pirates quickly fell into a drunken sleep while attempting to prove to the smiling women which of them might hold the most rum.

When they awoke with headaches the following morning, they were startled to find irons on their feet, shackled to chains run around the beams of the ship. Above them they could hear the sound of feet on the deck, hear the rasp of rigging running through the blocks and the high pitched voice of Ruby, directing the trimming of the main course. What had been their ship was under way. They were now prisoners locked in irons. Ruby and the women were in command of what was now the ladies’ ship.

Ruby had heard many stories of the sea, none more legendary and improbable than the tale of the key to the sea. Said to have been forged by Vikings, the large iron key to the sea was alleged to give the Captain who held it command over wind and wave. It was said the key was the power which allowed the Vikings to find Greenland and the new world. The key could put the wind behind your sails and turn it against your opponent. It could calm the storm for your vessel’s crossing but raise the gale against a ship in pursuit.

In the hands of the righteous, the key was the most powerful magic on the sea. However, in the possession of a murderous thief and kidnapper like Anderson it had been of no use, a relic that had cost him much and had yielded him nothing.

When Ruby and the ladies battered down the door to the captain’s cabin they found the key among his many treasures. Ruby knew what it had to be. She passed over the precious gems, gold and silver in the treasure chest to grasp its handle. She told the other women; “with this we shall be powerful and free.”

A Decision is Made, A Voyage Begins

At dawn Ruby donned Andersons worn pirate costume and fitted his oversized bicorn hat to her smaller head. She directed the women to work the anchor up with the windlass, lowered the sails and let the ship fall down into the wind. As what would be known as the Jeweled Princess of the Seas began to make headway and the rudder began to cut, Sapphire, who had taken up the work of the helmslady asked Ruby if they should return to the ruins of Port Phillip.

Ruby reached into the pirate jacket’s oversized pocket and touched the key to the sea with her fingers, feeling the waves tremble beneath the ship at her touch. She looked at the women before her rapidly become an effective crew. Ruby considered what their lives back in the power of others might be. More hardship, burials sure to be forgotten and the certain return of other pirates. They could expect forced, unfair dealings with the rapacious agents of the West India Company or the occasional press gangs of the erstwhile Royall Navy taking the men. That course did not promise freedom or happiness for them or the many others who suffered.

Ruby looked at Sapphire (all the ladies had taken to naming themselves after precious gems) whose hands rested on the huge wooden wheel of the ship. Assisting her was beautiful, raven haired Crystal, a young girl with her entire life ahead.

Ruby turned her face into the wind, feeling the air. The sea breeze opening with the morning’s warming heat brought the worn plume of Ruby’s hat up and into the sun. It was a fair wind for travels North to a convenient island where Anderson and his pirates could be marooned. Beyond that could be found the wealthy parts of the Caribbean, a sea of arrogant captains, greedy company agents, slavers and more pirates than a women should have to contend with.

Not the ordinary workplace of a lady for sure, but work which needed doing.

Ruby looked at Sapphire and Crystal, and beyond them to the blue sea and islands out to the horizon.

“I think not,” famously said Queen Ruby, adjusting her hat. “Easy over three points to starboard.” She touched the key in her pocket and the ocean beneath the keel yielded to the ship, the wind backed to her desired direction and the Jeweled Princess began its first voyage.

300 Years Later in Carolina

Pirate Queen Ruby and her Ladies in Raiding have been sailing for years. Crystal is now a young women and can hold down the poop deck in a storm with the confidence of any man. However, as Ruby possesses the key, no storm every overthrows the Jeweled Princess.

For the struggling people of these colonies, Ruby’s ship and its crew are a welcome sight. They bring help when needed. The women defend against pirates and recover some of the wealth the West India Company takes from these people tossed by hurricanes and often starved by poor, island soils. 

On the hot, still days after a hurricane, when everything is in ruins, it is the Jeweled Princess that often shows up first with assistance. If the crates of crackers heaved into the lighters bear the mark of the West India company, no one seems to mind.

Except of course, for the West India company, who profits for King and investors by buying everything the islands produce at prices of it’s choosing and selling everything needed there at a premium, standing on its royal grant of monopoly. The King gets his share of all. The Royal Navy’s first job it to be sure of that.  The sugar cane grown gets sold to the company for a pittance and the run later purchased costs dear. It does not profit the West India company to see it’s run and crackers donated to the poor for free, even after a Hurricane.

During one storm, when Ruby used the key of the sea to end a mighty Hurricane. The massive energy of the storm was concentrated and there was an exposion. She and her ladies find themselves in a strange world, 400 years in their future. A world of wonders, but also troubles. They have kept their distance up to now, attempting to observe this world of marvels from a safe distance, but their casks have run dry. 

Ruby and her ladies have been forced to land at the Isle of Palms after scouting the Lowcountry to obtain that most precious treasure, water, to fill the casks of the Jeweled Princess. They will distribute some largess, get help hauling the water out to their ship and be quickly off over the waves leaving the pirates, royal navy and company agents in their wake, who have somehow also reached the future with her. 

The casks are full. The Jeweled Princess is ready to make sail, but Crystal, now the flower of young womanhood, cannot be found. Ruby must remain ashore with the other ladies in raiding to search for her sister. As the island fills with summer visitors, the Ladies in Raiding are not unnoticed. Reports have reached the King guards. The West  India Company has offered rewards: 20 pounds for a lady in raiding, 100 for Ruby and a thousand for the Key to the sea.

Crystal is rumored to be in Summerville, reveling in the opportunities this new century presents to an experienced 16th Century Pirate Maiden. Our next chapter unfolds in Summerville on May 18. Read Crystal Goes A Roving, Pirate War in Summerville?

Ride the Bus, Join the Story

The Royal Navy, as always, is far away protecting the king’s profits, but Anderson and his pirates are close. They escaped their lonely island years ago and stole a new ship. They are bearing down on Ruby, the Isle of Palms and the King’s small guard, a friend to none of them. It is the beginning of summer. While visitors revel and sport traveling from the mainland on the free bus service, Ruby and her ladies must act to save all.

On May 27, 2023, starting at 10:30 am on the Isle of Palms, take the free CARTA Beach Shuttle from the mainland and join the story.  

More Information

For more information, see our main page on the 2023 bus to the beach or contact William Hamilton at (843) 870-5299 or wjhamilton29464@gmail.com

 

Bus to the Beach 2021- Open the Ocean

Bus service to the Beach at the Isle of Palms is now running Weekends and Holidays to Labor Day.

In February 2021, the CARTA board approved establishing weekend bus service connecting the CARTA System (Rt. 40 & 42) with the front beach at the Isle of Palms. Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit, acting with national level support, wants to be sure this important transit equity victory, gets transformed into an enduring transit service that is used and valued and becomes a milepost on our journey to real, regional, rapid transit. 

Beach Service began on Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend (May 29) and will run Saturday, Sunday, Memorial Day, July 4 until it ends on Labor Day. Plans are to run from Market Center Drive adjacent to Mount Pleasant Town Centre in Mt. Pleasant to the front beach district. 

Read the official CARTA announcement.

This beach shuttle will connect to a parking lot and the regular #40 Mount Pleasant and #42 CARTA bus lines. Lines connecting with the #40 bus in downtown Charleston include the #10 Rivers Ave., #11 Dorchester Road and #30 Savannah Highway, among others.

You will be able to plan your trips to and from the beach using the Transit App or Google Maps, however until the service is posted to the system you can get an idea of what your trip is like by planning a trip to the existing CARTA bus stop at Hungryneck Blvd. and Theater Drive, near Mount Pleasant Town Centre'. Just click on this link for a ride from CARTA Superstop in N. Charleston or this link for a Ride from Citadel Mall. The beach service won't appear on Google unless you set your planned trip time for a date and time when it is running. If you check on Friday to plan a trip for Saturday without setting Google for Saturday, the system will return no service available. The beach shuttle should connect to the bus lines that stop there at a time when an immediate transfer is available. Video tutorial on Google Transit, which works for all CARTA and LINK trips.

Upcoming Events- You can view the upcoming events in our effort on Facebook.

Seven years of effort was invested into winning restoration of transit to the Atlantic at Charleston. What is called for now aren't petitions, demonstrations and attending meetings, but "butts on the Bus." We must fill these buses. Fortunately it's summer and we're going to the beach, so it's going to be a lot of fun.  Unfortunately, it's not going to free. Contribute to our support online. 

Keep Us Moving Forward! You can contribute to the support of this effort online on Act Blue at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/best-friends-of-lowcountry-transit--inc--1?fbclid=IwAR2LGKxdmMUqJKvcGZGKYPlZKfC0qfcvvk5SyqC0M1FAzs3556LTDvSSEi0 

This effort is sponsored financially partially by the Amalgamated Transit Union and a number of local unions, including the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Project Update Time Line

July - New Island Stop location- CARTA and IOP have moved the bus stop East to the middle of the beach bsuiness district and closer to the county park, where showers and toilets are located. The map at the top of this post shows the new location. 

June 2- Guided Rides Announced

The first guided rides to help Open the Ocean for Kids, June 19 from Remount Road in N. Charleston and June 26 from Summerville are announced. See our upcoming events for a full listing.

June 1- Report from the Route our impression of the first weekend of operations with some pointers for riders. https://bfltransit.blogspot.com/2021/06/reach-beach-bus-gaining-traction-report.html

May 29- Reach the Beach Shuttle begins running. The shuttle connects reliably to the #40 Mt. Pleasant CARTRA bus and parking is still freely available at Mt. Pleasant Town Center. Online tracking of the bus has been spotty, but is improving. We made trial runs for our Open the Ocean for Kids effort with both kids and some volunteers from the assist the homeless effort downtown with good results and the big trips to the beach are now being planned with the first announced for June 19 starting at 9:30 am from Recycled Love Thrift Store on Remount Road. 

May 27- First Open the Ocean for Kids ride announced. We're planning our first Open the Ocean for Kids outing on Saturday. If you want to ride along, we'll be departing from CARTA Superstop on the #11 at 11:57 am, connecting at

Wolf & Meeting Street downtown at 12:30 and arriving at IOP at 1:40 pm. This group consists of people who have worked with our organization and their children and will serve to work out the bugs and learn how to make future trips work better. Of course anyone can ride along on the public bus. We would like to roll in banging full if we can. Here is the trip. https://goo.gl/maps/6Vr6iLqPCxTMNHTz5

May 22- Pink House put on a wonderful party for our bus to the beach effort. We met a lot of old friends and made some new ones.

May 21- Route now Fare Free. After our press release and some advocacy by our friends at the Town of Mt. Pleasant, our bus to the beach is now Fare Free.  IOP agreed to match the Town of Mt. Pleasant's 8 thousand dollar contribution. While the cost of the fare wasn't a major problem, we were concerned that people on board would discover they needed to pay again after trips from N. Charleston or West Ashely and not have change, meaning they would have to interrupt their trip to get change at Town Centre. 

May 19- Official CARTA announcement with rules for what can be taken on the bus.

May 17 & 18- BFLT Staff and volunteers began door to door outreach West of the Ashley. We've reached over 1200 households in areas known to have large concentrations of transit riders in the past four weeks as well as contacting over 10 thousand people at community events. 

May 12- Community Social Justice Partners invited to Pink House Event- Saturday, May 22, from 4 to 7 pm, Pink House and Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit will hold the “Sea Island Luau at the Pink House Playa” West of the Ashley to get the community ready to Open the Ocean when CARTA begins running bus service to the beach in Charleston for the first time in 7 years. Christian King, director of Pink House will be holding this event in the Oak Shaded back yard of Pink House West of the Ashely at 1551 Mulberry St, Charleston, SC 29407.

We’re inviting our community’s peace and justice partners to come table with ideas and activities so we can get to know each other again as we emerge from the Covid shut down. We’ll have food, music and children’s activities. All your organization needs to do is contact us to sign up and bring a table and some chairs. The yard is well shaded so pop up tents, while welcome, are optional.

Come share your plans and celebrate this victory or returning Transit to the Atlantic in our long struggle for social justice and equity in our region which we must continue together.  We have space for your art and music in this event if you like. The event in near the #30 Savannah Bus line. Get off at the stop near Pep Boys and walk back three blocks. Just call William Hamilton at (843) 870-5299 or email wjhamilton29464@gmail.com. Full information on the event can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/3756005741160223?active_tab=about 

May 6 to 10- We reached over 2000 people in four days of intensive outreach throughout the region. ON Thursday we did outreach downtown focusing on the hospitality industry where guests are always looking for ways to reach the beach. Friday a team talked to people working at downtown businesses who often walk to work and don't have cars. On Saturday we had efforts operating on N. Charleston on Remount Road, in Summerville, West of the Ashley at Pink House and out at Folly Beach were we did some sidewalk leafleting. On Sunday we did outreach on the East Side of Charleston, South of Columbus. People are excited and positive. They want better transit to the beach and everywhere. 

Isle of Palms earlier this year

May 2- We did exploratory leafleting on the Isle of Palms which of course is mostly people who drive there now. We got a great reception. Parking at the City and County Park Lots ran out about 1:30 pm. Parking at the County Park is now $15 per day.  Other private lots are still $10. Parking at the City lot is now done with a smart phone application. We used our experience to plan future outreach efforts of this kind. We visted the opening of Coconut Joes new Pina Colada bar, a patio type space between Coconut Joes and the Hot Dog Stand. It was very nice. We also visited the wonderful supporters we have in the front beach business district. 

May 1- Started Latino Outreach Effort- We're working with Diane Salizar to update our exiting Latino/Spanish Language outreach materials. We rode the #23 bus together and planned out outreach effort which will include Latino activities at the May 22, Sea Island Luau at the Pink House Playa event. Also did outreach downtown where a lot of people without cars live, use transit and want to reach the beach later this month.

April 27- Transit Advocacy at Charleston County Council- We attended Charleston County Council with members of CAJM to advocate for better transit and affordable housing. We pointed out that lack of places to live and mobility were driving the region towards a loss of young, capable service workers critical to our medical and tourism sectors. It was a heavy evening, but at least we were able to let everyone present know about the bus to the beach. 

April 16- Downtown Outreach- We began trail outreach downtown targeting younger service workers, hotels and Apartment buildings. We got an incredibly positive response. A lot of people pay high rents to live downtown, near work and have shed their cars. They want to beach and they're ready to ride the bus, for them a short hop on the #4 and the shuttle out to the beach. What we learned will be used for a major downtown outreach effort in the near future.

April 25- Outreach in Mt. P. and N. Chas. Members of Best Friend's of Lowcountry Transit's Corps of Conductors leafleted over 1000 people at the Blessing of the Fleet in Mount Pleasant and visited 300 homes in the "Macon" section of N. Charleston with State Rep. Marvin Pendarvis. 

April 24- Dial's Pizza Begins Promoting Open the Ocean- Located at the Corner of Bogard and St. Phillip's Streets downtown, D'Allisandro's Pizza becomes our first community business partner to begin distribution of information about the Beach Bus Service to the community. We have an event planned for there on May 14.

April 21- Be Like Chloe! video goes online. Our meme about Jack slogging to the beach with a mountain of gear in his SUV and Chloe traveling light on the bus is now a video. View it on Facebook. 

April 21- Earth Day Effort- 300 Transit riders and 200 members of the public were leafleted with information on the new Beach service and the problems with the Rapid Transit plan. Work began   before dawn and covered several bus stops, parts of North Charleston and Downtown and the College of Charleston. Our target is to reach 30 thousand potential riders with the information about the beach service between now and July 17.

April 14- The first outreach effort set for April 25 in support of Open the Ocean has been set for Sunday, April 25 in N. Charleston, 4 to 6:30 pm and will be led by State Representative Marvin Pendarvis in the "Macon" and surrounding areas, operating from our popup tent at the Intersection of Spruill and Reynolds Ave. Volunteers are welcome. Full details on Facebook. This is part of the international Earth Day to May Day observance.

April 14- Windjammer Reopening Ocean Stage for National Acts

The popular IOP venue will be very active this summer bringing music and entertainment to the beach. Read the City Paper article. 

April 10, 2021- Events Updated
We have updates our events listings for the effort. As we work in the community, the events evolve and partners join to elaborate the activity. See the updated listings.

April 7- Key to the Sea presented to the public. The key to the sea was presented to the public at the Lincolnville Town Council meeting. This is the great, iron castle key which will be thrown into the ocean on July 17. The key is 13 inches long and rests in a custom made cherrywood case. After the original key is thrown into the sea, a second key will be placed in the box and it will be presented to the City of Isle of Palms as thanks for opening the ocean.

April 7, 2021- ATU Grant Funding for Open the Ocean Effort- The international Amalgamated Transit Union has made a grant to cover core elements of the Open the Ocean Effort. The union was instrumental in the efforts to help pass the referendum in 2016 sending funding and highly skilled organizers to build up our local effort. We have been partners with them and the Union local here in the fight for better transit since 2012. The Local Transit Operators Union is the oldest union in South Carolina, representing transit workers here since the days when electric streetcars drivers worked around horses on Charleston's streets. Learn more about the ATU

March 30- Fundraising begins. CARTA has failed to support bus service to the beach four times in the last twenty years. This time an empowered community is going to do the leg work for them. We need to raise 3,700 dollars to do this right. Choose the amount and part of the effort you want to support.. $300 has already been raised. You can contribute online trough Act Blue. 

March 29, 2021 - North Charleston, SC- SC State Representative Marvin Pendarvis (D-113, N. Charleston, Ladson, Lincolnville & Summerville) will serve as the honorary Chairman of Open the Ocean for Kids, the effort to bring local children to the beach on public transit this Summer being organized by Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit. Pendarvis will help bring the community together so children, can enjoy a safe, rewarding day at the shore. Read the detailed media release. 

March 27- Open the Ocean for Kids effort. We've published a detailed blog post on our plans to help kids reach the beach this summer on transit, including some local young people who have never seen the ocean. Read the detailed blog post. 

March 27- We've beginning to develop an element of the Open the Ocean effort focused on litter, recycling and a more sustainable beach experience for everyone. Cigarette buts can be collected and recycled along with other plastic trash and we're working out partnership to make sure the beach is clean and sustainable by reach the beach day Contact Claire Beazy with your ideas.

 

March 25- Demand Open Meeting Information- We've begun distributing a legal form written to comply with the SC Open Meetings Law which will allow anyone to demand formal notice of government meetings about public transit in the Lowcountry.  Read the details and download the printable PDF form at https://mailchi.mp/e276593cb227/chs-transit-riders-to-demand-notice-of-previously-secret-planning-meetings-1396845?e=[UNIQID]

March 25- We have received CARTA's response to our FOIA request regarding the Beach Shuttle, once it's scanned to PDF and placed online, we'll schedule a Zoom to discuss the contents. 

March 17- CARTA board failed to deliver schedule and route map at meeting, promises something soon. We are increasing pressure for real, detailed information on how the route connects to the #40 and #42 routes, and through them to the entire CARTA system. 

March 15, 2021- Awendaw Green will welcome us for a free night of music the Wednesday, May 26 before bus service to the beach begins. We may be able to run a bus from Summerville so everyone can be together (in a socially distanced way.) Event listing on Facebook.

March 13, 2021- Be Like Claire-
Download a copy of our new Poster / Meme 
Download the image for posting on Social Media

March 11, 2021- FOIA Request to CARTA & COG Freedom of Information Act Request to CARTA and the Council of Governments

Feb. 2021- The City of IOP has issued an official statement on the new service.  which includes a map of this proposed route. 

All events on the schedule can be found on our list of upcoming Transit Equity Events in the SC Lowcountry  You can also download a printable,  schedule for the effort at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XeHVwcgKBk6GENukMC6PXVcCC4GvmHNx/view?usp=sharing

The major effort will begin on May 4, Right to Ride Day, as part of our annual celebration of Mary Bower's 1867 successful effort to desegregate Charleston's horse drawn streetcars in 1867. Celebration events on River's Avenue on May 15 and at Pink House Neighborhood Resource Center on May 22 will follow. We'll Reach the Beach on Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend and mark the end of the campaign on July 17 when we Open the Ocean at the Isle of Palms. Events for the Hispanic/Latinx community and downtown Charleston are in development. 

Corps of Conductors doing Community Outreach

As part of this effort we'll be organizing rides to the beach for young people in our area who have never seen the ocean with preparatory swimming and safety lessons and appropriate community engagement. The first trips under this program will be held on Reach the Beach day.

We're also going to be handing out Masonite bus cutouts on May 16 for local artists to decorate in the tradition of Jamacian town buses. The painted and decorated cutouts will be returned at the Pink House event to be voted on by the public. The winning artist gets an all expense paid trip to IOP in the bus. 

Community outreach efforts began in Summerville on Feb. 22 at their black history event.  We plan to visit 3000 strategically identified households and contact another 10 thousand people at community events, farmer's markets and other celebrations in Summerville, North Charleston, Charleston, Daniel Island and Mt. Pleasant. Out reach will be conducted under the leadership of our professional Corps of Conductors, reinforced by volunteers and short term staff, including people recruited from our unemployed population and students. We'll be participating in local Juneteenth events in Summerville and other locations during the latter part of the effort. Will be present at Farmer's Markets, Concerts an Community Festivals as possible and appropriate while maintaining social distance. We have heavy duty gear, but it's hard to work with the public while wearing a biohazard hood.

Our Plan - This page will be our information hub for information on the new service and the tools you need to make it work for you. Google Maps, The Transit App and you smart phone are now your friends. However, we'll be doing a lot of proven, old fashion nose to nose (socially distanced) work. 

Children's Build a Lowcountry Transit System activity.

We're going to hold events, visit community festivals and do plane old door to door outreach in communities where we know need for beach access exists. Children who have never been to the beach will see the ocean for the first time. We'll deal with the scourge of bus pirates. In July, Rev. Thomas Dixon, leader of the July 18, 2015 march to the sea will lead us in riding out to the ocean, uniting the waters and then unlocking the ocean by hurling one fo the bronze keys to the ocean kept since 2015 into the sea. Then, of course, we'll have a party. All our upcoming events will be listed on our Facebook Page. 

Together We Go Forward! This effort will launch our next major campaign, to recover a plan for the Rapid Transit line which provides the reliable, high speed transit service from Summerville to downtown Charleston promised to voters before the 2016 Half Penny sales tax referendum, including restoration of service all the way to Downtown Summerville, dedicated transit lanes for the entire route within Charleston County and recovery of the historic rail line into Charleston's urban care for transit service. 

We'll update this page as plans evolve. If you have questions or want to offer input, contact William Hamilton, Executive Director of Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit at wjhamilton29464@gmail.com or call (843) 870-5299

Christian King Answers 10 Transit Questions in Race for CHS City Council

Christian King, (Image, left) candidate for Charleston City Council, Dist 10 (West of the Ashley) will released her detailed answers to the 10 Transit Questions posed by Best Friends of Lowcountry Tranist on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 8 am at the Bus Stop at Citadel Mall during a guided bus ride for Candidates conducted by Best Friends Executive Director William Hamilton. The media is welcome to meet the candidate at the bus stop, however filming on board a bus requires permission from CARTA.

King is the first of over 100 Candidates for Mayor and Town or City Council in the Lowcountry to answer all ten questions in written form. Mayor Techlenberg, who sometimes sits on the CARTA Board and Mike Seekings, member of Charleston City Council, Chairman of the CARTA Board and Candidate for Mayor have both not yet provided answers to these questions, including the critical Low Line. Seekings is alleged to have said he's been given a dozen copies of the questions by voters.

King will be available to respond to press inquiries about her answers to the questions at 8 am at the Citadel Mall Bus Stop before departing for downtown Charleston on the #33 Bus at 8:23 am. She will arrive at the Mary Street Transit Center at 8:55 am and be available for interviews there for as long as needed. You can see the trip itinerary on Google Maps.

King can be reached for comment today by phone at (843) 442-6079. Her full answers to all ten questions are set out below verbatim, formatted with images added by Best Friends.,

Answers of Christian King

Do you favor locating the bus rapid transit line on the old railroad line running into Charleston (site of the proposed Lowline park) or do you believe that it and its stations should be located in traffic on Meeting Street?

 I am very much in favor of locating the bus rapid transit line on the old railroad line running into Charleston. I agree that it makes common senses and the best use of funds now and the future to use the abandoned railroad right of way beneath I26 offers the opportunity for a faster trip downtown and space for functional stations to connect with free DASH bus service, regular CARTA bus service to Mt. Pleasant, West Ashley & James Island, Bike Share and services like Uber. All of this can be combined with a pleasant, useful linear park and bikeway using the rail line and space in the existing, but little used "park" under I26. It is quite obvious there is no space in the Meeting Street right of way to put stations and locations for other transit services to transfer passengers.

 This common-sense proposal of a distance of an uninterrupted BRT trip on a dedicated transit line is being supplanted by a proposed Low Line Park. According to their website, the proposal is from a  group called the Friends of Lowcountry Low Line who purchased the property from Norfolk Southern.(This portion-does not make sense to me. Why did they do they or who selected the board) Their focus per the website to be in creating an economic output. This focus concerns me because of our Community mindset and our community goals need to be about more than just the dollars and sense of Economic Development. Our leadership in this community needs to be about more than just the dollars and sense of Economic Development.

Our leadership and especially the leadership of District 7 on Charleston City Council MUST reprioritize the balance between money and people...and it MUST be done now before  yet another generation of young people behind. PEOPLE must come FIRST!

There are many adults in our community who have already been left behind by decades of our City government focusing solely on the dollars and sense of Economic Development. For many of those people who have been left behind, there is simply no way to fix this. We can help them to survive in this world that left them out, but our primary effort NOW must be that of building strong capable children for the future of our community, and that is what MY life's work has always been about.

 Finally, this quote is taken from the website of the Friends of Lowcountry Low Line who purchased the property from Norfolk Southern:  The late Jane Jacobs, author, and champion of community-based approaches to city planning, wrote that "Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody."  However, I am sorry that I was not aware of this issue earlier to promote the essential open, public discussion of this issue and clear standards be obtained before the November 5th election. 

2. Will you commit to holding a public hearing to hear the public’s concerns and consider written materials presented. prior to your council’s vote on approving or disapproving the CARTA annual budget?

Yes, I will commit to holding a public hearing to hear the public consider written materials presented, prior to your council’s vote on approving or disapproving the CARTA annual budget. I will also hold quarterly meetings and input sessions in various communities of my district to hear their concerns, issues, and suggestions about CARTA. Actually, I think all of the City Council should spend a day twice a year riding the bus line from their home to understand the challenges their constituents face and if elected I will make that proposal.

3.  Do you believe the rapid transit line should reach downtown Summerville or are you willing to let it end at the Charleston County line? I believe the Rapid Transit Line should reach downtown, Summerville. 

The rapid population growth and the need for affordable housing is pushing more and more people to outer areas, such as Summerville to live. But they are still working in Charleston. To help reduce traffic congestion the rapid transit line needs to go all the way downtown.

4. Do you believe the rapid transit line should run in segregated lanes on Highway 78 or are you willing to have it operate in traffic from Rivers? Ave. to Merlin G. Myers parkway outside Summerville? 

I believe that the rapid transit line should run in segregated lanes on Highway 78. Have you ever seen Fairground Traffic? To have it operate in traffic from Rivers will defeat the purpose.

5. What do you believe should be done to assure that affordable housing is constructed within walkable distance (a half-mile) of the rapid transit line, including the location of the old Navy Hospital in N. Charleston

Planning and zoning using allow more density in areas that will allow it. Plans should be in place for permanently affordable housing and mix-use housing areas. Also, tiny homes and other creative use should be considered.

6. Do you support the implementation of a complete streets standard in the area you would represent accommodating pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders? 

Yes, this is very similar to what Charleston Moves asked me and answer to them and now is Yes, I would work to support the implementation of a complete street standard in my area that would represent accommodating pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders.

7. Will you support requiring developers to build sheltered bus stops and pull outs as part of their development agreement with your Town, City or County? 

Yes!! Regardless of the outcome of this election, I am going to work with BFOLT as a priority issue for my community. There are too many members of my community, traveling to and from work having to stand in the elements while waiting on the bus while other areas especially in tourist areas who are very comfortable.

8. Do you support returning regular scheduled public transit bus service to one of our local beaches three days a week, Friday, Sat. and Sunday for 12 hours a day with service not less than once an hour starting no later than Memorial Day Weekend, 2020 and to operate said service until the last Sunday prior to Oct. 1 of the year? Yes!! I have you seen the traffic during that time of year? 

What a difference it would make if we could reduce the number of vehicles going there.  I believe that it will also increase the number of low wealth community members access as well. Also, this bus service would also eliminate the problem with finding parking and the schedule of parking.

9. Would you support repeal of the “Pay Go” plan and restoration of full funding for improvements in regular bus service, raising the money available to improve CARTA and Link service within Charleston County from the current level of 3 million dollars per year to 14 million dollars per year.?

Yes, we need to spend the money now and provided full funding for improvements in regular bus service,tackle the unreliable service, increase frequency and extend hours, especially on the Citadel Mall-Sam Rittenberg-North Charleston-route that was suggested by CAJM in May.  

 The pago plan is currently diverting 11 million dollars and bus funding a year to road construction. We do need more roads West Ashley, however in many areas there is no more Room for significant new road capacity. Improving transit is the only way we get to reduce congestion that building new roads to undeveloped areas which  creates more sprawl and more traffic instead of making sure the area's current residents who are paying sales taxes have better transit service. Failure to provide an increase in higher funding for Carta  is irresponsible and unfair to the people who voted for the referendum. We need to improve basic bus service West Ashley with  money the voters appropriated for that purpose in 2016. We need to spend the money now because 14 Million today is worth far more  than five years from now. The funds are available-use them now. The citizens of West Ashley deserves those services.

10.  Will you commit to a plan to complete and commence operations no later than Nov. 2023 on the bus rapid transit line serving Summerville, Lincolnville, Ladson, N. Charleston, the Neck and Charleston. Yes, I will definitely commit to a plan to complete and commence operations no later than Nov. 2023 on the bus rapid transit line serving Summerville, Lincolnville, Ladson, N. Charleston.

  I am so disappointed that we could not have taken Indianapolis example and already have ours in place. . Indianapolis voted to build its bus rapid transit line the same day Charleston County did in Nov. 2016. Operations commenced there in Sept. 2019, 2 years agn ten months after vote approval. Plans for our line anticipate a 9 year planning and construction process the longest such process we know of anywhere on Earth for a project of this type.

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