CARTA to host quartet of public meetings on comprehensive operational analysis results

CHANGES TO SEVERAL ROUTES PROPOSED FOR LATER IN 2016

CARTA will hold a series of public meetings in February related to a recently completed Comprehensive Operations Analysis (COA) of the system conducted by partner organization Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester Council of Governments.

The plan is an in-depth study of the transit system designed to both identify strengths and weaknesses while developing recommendations for improvement, along with short-, mid- and long-range phases and goals.

Initial recommendations for the short-range phase will be discussed in detail publicly this month. A version of those recommendations for service, which will include changes to several routes, is slated to go into effect later this year.

The public meetings are each scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on the following dates:

Mount Pleasant, Tuesday, Feb. 16:
Mount Pleasant Town Hall
Council Chambers
Building C, Municipal Complex – 100 Ann Edwards Lane, Mount Pleasant 29464

Downtown Charleston, Wednesday, Feb. 17:
Trident Technical College (Palmer Campus)
Room 122: 66 Columbus Street, Charleston 29403

West Ashley, Monday, Feb. 22:
John Wesley United Methodist Church
626 Savannah Highway, Charleston 29407
(The meeting will be held in the smaller chapel, not the main sanctuary.)

North Charleston, Tuesday, February 23:
North Charleston Armory Park
5000 Lackawanna Boulevard, North Charleston 29405

“The COA process provides a thorough look at the CARTA system to determine which aspects are working well and which are in need of improvement, and it makes recommendations on how CARTA can chart a course for the future,” said CARTA board chairman Mike Seekings. “The recommendations resulting from this analysis are intended as a starting point for CARTA and the region’s continued planning processes, which will include ample opportunity for review and comment by our passengers and the public.”

The short- and mid-range phases of the COA are focused on:

• Need for Innovation/Investment: CARTA management and operations must develop strategies to serve the market and make services attractive to existing and potential customers. One of the main obstacles facing transit service is making it competitive with driving. Investing in technology and passenger amenities are strategies that will help the service attract new customers and improve existing passenger experience. Identifying savings and potential reallocation (changing where some funds are utilized) or new areas of investment are key parts of the recommendations.
• Limited Funding Resources: It is important to prioritize services with the available funding to ensure that customers are being served in the most efficient and effective ways possible. The COA looked at headway adjustments (the length of time it takes a route takes from beginning point to end point), service productivity analysis, route combinations, splitting routes and changes in the interlining of routes.

“This study is crucial to the process of creating a truly efficient system and positioning CARTA for improved funding,” Seekings said. “Both are key factors needed to ultimately build a world-class, regional transit system in the Charleston area that will connect communities throughout the Lowcountry as we continue to experience growth that is great for our economy but not as good for our roads and traffic conditions.”

Regular CARTA fare is expected to remain $2, with one-way Express fare holding at $3.50.

About CARTA
The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) is a public transportation system dedicated to providing affordable transit to the Charleston community through fixed routes, Tel-A-Ride/demand service and express routes. CARTA services greater Charleston. For the latest on CARTA, visit www.RideCARTA.com, like us on Facebook or follow on Twitter at @RideCARTA. All customers are encouraged to map rides and track buses with Google’s Transit program and the CARTA Bus Tracker.