COMET Chat with John Andoh – February 2021

By John Andoh
Executive Director / CEO, The COMET

The year 2021 has gotten off to an eventful start and The COMET is moving full steam ahead!

February is Black History Month. The COMET is proud to again feature the story of Sarah Mae Flemming on its social media channels. You may recall the “Saving Sarah’s Seat” awareness campaign we conducted last summer honoring Ms. Flemming’s contributions to the civil rights movement in our city, state, and country. As the historic story goes, on June 22, 1954, Sarah Mae Flemming, a 20-year-old resident of Eastover, boarded a crowded bus operated by South Carolina Electric & Gas Company. When asked to leave her seat and move toward the rear, Flemming resisted racial custom by attempting to exit from the front of the bus. The driver struck and ejected her from the bus on the corner of Main and Washington streets. The NAACP filed a lawsuit on her behalf, and in July 1955, the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Brown desegregation mandate be applied to public transportation. The ruling was cited in the lawsuit that brought an end to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, made famous by civil rights activists, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rosa Parks.

As that local bus system, The COMET continues to lead the way to honor and respect Ms. Flemming for standing up for her rights as an American citizen.

We are also leading the way providing people with transportation resources to help combat COVID-19. This month, The COMET launched a comprehensive campaign to inform and transport Midlands residents to major vaccination sites in Richland and Lexington Counties. “Don’t Miss Your Shot” seeks to connect people who need and desire the COVID vaccine to a transportation service offered by The COMET that best fits the individual’s situation. Transportation is free of charge for those eligible to receive their vaccine.

Through partnerships with the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), Prisma Health, Lexington Medical Center, Columbia VA Health System, Columbia Housing Authority, Senior Resources, Thomas Media Group/Black Pages/Black Expo, Cooperative Health, Hawthorne Pharmacy and local governments, The COMET is getting the word out that lack of personal transportation must not be an impediment for receiving the vaccination against COVID-19. Our list of community partners is growing daily, and we are honored to be in this fight against the pandemic with them.

A dedicated web page, www.COMETCovidHelp.org, radio, television, printed materials, social media, billboards, and in-person will be used as channels for messaging and detailed information on how to use The COMET transit services to get to vaccination locations. Those without internet access may call 803.255.7100 for general information.

A few months ago, we gave you a preview of our new mobility programs. We are happy to report that The COMET’s Volunteer Transportation (V-TRIP) and Pick-Up Program (PUP) are now online. These programs, in collaboration with Able South Carolina, benefit those who are underserved by the present transit system. The funding for the mobility programs is made possible through a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant. Eligibility for both programs is available for people who are 65 and older and those with disabilities living outside The COMET service area but in the Columbia Urbanized Area. Orientation or training is required before starting. All trips must begin or end in the Columbia Urbanized Area.

For V-TRIP, a program participant will be given funds to pay his or volunteer driver in the form of a reimbursement for mileage according to the federal mileage reimbursement rate. Volunteer drivers can be a friend or a neighbor. Reimbursement is available up to 100 miles per month, per program participant to pay the volunteer driver.

With PUP, a taxi or rideshare service like Uber or Lyft will be available 24-hours a day, seven days a week. The program provides a 50% discount up to $50 per month. Once applicants have completed the required training, turned in their application, and DART eligibility, Half Fare Program participation, or age of 65 or older has been confirmed, they will receive a Taxi Voucher Card.

We look at this as a win-win for our respective organizations and the people of the Midlands. These programs help provide a seamless manner in which The COMET can deliver transportation services to include those areas where we may not have a regular bus route. More details and a map are on our website.

February is also the month in which we celebrate Valentine’s Day. Love takes on many forms and expressions. One of The COMET bus operators, Satara Lopez, was recently honored by the Columbia Urban League as a Front-Line Hero. In an interview, Lopez talked about how her love for people enables her to enjoy doing her job, even in difficult situations. Having a heart for passengers, looking for opportunities to pay it forward and bringing light to someone’s day, and getting riders to their essential destinations makes Lopez a wonderful example of our team’s dedication. If you know of someone, like Satara Lopez, who would like to join The COMET’s bus operator team, have them apply with our contractor, RATP Dev USA at www.ratpdevusa.com/careers.

It’s been a delight to share this month’s update. Please reach out to me anytime if you have any thoughts, comments or questions about The COMET at 803.255.7087 or email [email protected].