Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority

Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority

Service area	Charleston County, Dorchester County
Service type	bus service, express bus service, dial-a-bus
Operator	Veolia Transportation
Web site	ridecarta.com

The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) provides area residents and visitors public transportation within parts of Charleston and Dorchester Counties. This would include the City of Charleston, City of North Charleston (including Dorchester Road to Ashley Phosphate and Ashley Phosphate Road in Dorchester County), Mt. Pleasant, James Island and parts of Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island.

History

The bus system in Charleston was operated by SCE&G until 1997, when the City of Charleston, City of North Charleston, Town of Mt. Pleasant and Charleston County joined together to create the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA). The transportation service provider explored many avenues to increase funding over the years but no source provided enough to keep CARTA from making substantial reductions in service.

In early November 2004, a half-cent sales tax referendum was passed (following one instance where it failed and another overturned), providing CARTA with the revenue to relaunch many of the services that were eliminated or consolidated due to insufficient funding. CARTA even added new routes and services throughout their rebuilding phases, as was the case with the launch of #CARTA Express in January 2007.

Veolia Transportation, a private international transportation company, is responsible for staffing and managing the bus drivers, and maintaining and scheduling the buses.

Services

Fixed Route Services

Fixed Route services much of the Charleston area by offering trips on 20 routes throughout the downtown, West Ashley and James Island neighborhoods of the City of Charleston, the City of North Charleston, the Towns of Mt. Pleasant and James Island with limited service on Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island.

• Route 10 – Rivers Avenue Limited
• Route 11 – Dorchester/Airport
• Route 12 – Upper Dorchester/AFB
• Route 13 – Remount Road
• Route 20 – King Street/Citadel
• Route 21 – Rutledge/Grove
• Route 30 – Savannah Highway
• Route 31 – Folly Road
• Route 32 – North Bridge
• Route 40 – Mt. Pleasant
• Route 101 – Spruill Avenue
• Route 102 – North Neck
• Route 103 – Leeds Avenue
• Route 104 – Montague Avenue
• Route 106 – Otranto/Stall
• Route 201 – North Beltline
• Route 203 – Medical Shuttle
• Route 301 – Andrews
• Routes 302/303 – Orange Grove/Ashley River Road (interlined)
• Routes 401/402 – Sullivan’s Island/Isle of Palms Zone (interlined)

Routes are serviced by large passenger buses complete with bench seating, two entrances, a wheelchair lift and a bike rack with space for two bikes on the front of each bus.

Regular adult bus #Fares are $1.75 per trip and transfers (available at certain points) are $0.30. Special fares are available for senior citizens, staff, faculty and students of MUSC and College of Charleston and those who qualify for Low Income Discount Fare.

CARTA Express

CARTA Express offers Charleston area residents a commuter-style service with limited stops from select hubs in North Charleston, West Ashley, Mt. Pleasant and James Island to stops throughout the downtown Charleston area.

CARTA Express is available each weekday during peak commuting times throughout the morning and evening hours. Downtown stops shared by the two routes include the intersections of Calhoun/Jonathan Lucas, Calhoun/St. Philip, Meeting/Columbus and the Visitor’s Center on John Street.

• Express 1 – North Charleston/James Island
• Express 2 – West Ashley/Mt. Pleasant

Express buses are the newest addition to CARTA’s fleet and are full-sized commuter-style buses with reclining, upholstered “airline-style” seats, reading lights and overhead luggage racks. Single door entry provides more room and beverages are allowed on board.

The fare for any Express route is $2.50 per ride; passengers can also purchase an Express Monthly Gold Pass for $76 which is good for any and all Express routes as well as all Fixed Route services.

DASH

The Downtown Area Shuttle (or DASH) service connects visitors to many key destinations throughout the downtown Charleston area. CARTA’s DASH service operates trolley-replica buses on four main routes to get passengers around downtown.

• Route 210 – Aquarium/College of Charleston
• Route 211 – Meeting/King
• Route 212 – Market/Waterfront
• Route 213 – Lockwood/Calhoun

Passengers on the DASH service take “cable car-style” trolleys throughout downtown Charleston.

As of November 22nd, 2010, a trolley ride on any DASH route is free.

CARTA Tel-A-Ride

If passengers are unable to get to a bus, Tel-A-Ride comes to them within a defined Tel-A-Ride Service area. Curbside service is available for those who meet the requirements for the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Smaller “neighborhood” buses are used for the CARTA Tel-A-Ride service offering both single-door entry and wheelchair accessibility.

Tel-A-Ride fares are $3.00 per trip.

CARTA at Night

CARTA at Night was implemented to take passengers to any stop within four designated “zones” after most regular bus service has ended. This service was discontinued in December 2010.

While CARTA at Night served four zones, passengers were able to request service to any stop within each zone:

• 1N - North Charleston
• 2N - Downtown
• 3N - West Ashley
• 4N - Mt. Pleasant

CARTA at Night routes were serviced by the large passenger buses (found during the day on the #Fixed Route Services) and the smaller “neighborhood” buses (used daily for #CARTA Tel-A-Ride service operation).

The fare for CARTA at Night was $2.00 per trip or free with CARTA Express Monthly Gold Pass; all other pass holders were required to pay a $0.75 up charge.

North Charleston Intermodal Transportation Center

After more than 15 years of planning, ground broke on the North Charleston Intermodal Transportation Center on September 5, 2007. The site will eventually serve as a transportation hub for AMTRAK passenger trains, commuter rail, Greyhound buses, CARTA buses, area taxis and shuttles used by the Charleston International Airport. The facility will be located at the intersection of Montague Avenue and Seiberling Road in North Charleston and within close proximity to the airport, the coliseum and convention center and Tanger Outlet.^[1]

Fares

Fares for CARTA services vary. Specific prices can be found here.

Transfer fees are $0.30 per transfer but are only available at certain points on certain routes.

Children aged six and younger ride Fixed Route and DASH services for free when they are accompanied by a paying passenger.

Low Income Discount Fares of $0.60 are available for those who qualify.

Seniors aged 55 years and older pay $0.75 for DASH and Fixed Route services that run from Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and after 6:00 p.m. and all day Saturday and Sunday and Holidays (except those holidays that the Downtown Area Shuttle does not operate). Drivers may request proof of age (Medicare cards or an I.D. card with date of birth will be accepted).

Disabled patrons or passengers with a valid Tel-A-Ride I.D. card can ride Fixed Route services for $0.40 every day, all day.

References

1. ^ Findlay, Prentiss (October 5, 2010). "$6 million federal grant to help fund train, bus terminal in North Charleston". Post and Courier. http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/oct/05/new-station-on-track/. Retrieved October 8, 2010.