CARTA will begin operations at noon on Jan. 5. That means buses will be at their scheduled locations at 12 p.m. There will be no morning Express service or any Tel-A-Ride appointments. Please be advised: delays and cancellations of service are possible as conditions dictate.
Rural bus service provider TriCounty Link will not run on Friday, Jan. 5.
Any further updates will be available via media updates and CARTA and TriCounty Link social media channels.
Due to ongoing hazardous road conditions, CARTA will not operate any service on Thursday, Jan. 4. Authority officials will monitor the situation and provide updates here regarding service levels for Friday, Jan. 5
Due to deteriorating weather and roadway conditions, CARTA has suspended operations effective immediately and will resume service when the system can operate safely. Updates will be available via media updates and CARTA social media channels.
Thank you all for your patience with our North Charleston Park and Ride. We apologize for all the changes.
Starting Monday, November 6, 2017 all CARTA riders please return to parking in the front parking lot near Velocity. The parking lot paving appears to have been completed for now, so we should have a little more flexibility with parking spaces, but please try to stay within the area shown below on the map.
Buses will resume picking up at the front parking lot only on Monday 11/06/17.
A couple of quick reminders:
Permanent Park and Ride Update: We are still waiting on the sale of the land we are purchasing located on the other side of Texas Roadhouse to be finalized. At this time we do not have any additional updates or estimates when it will be completed. Staff will provide updates on site at the parking lot and through email as we receive them. Again thank you for your patience and understanding. Please feel free to call or email us with any questions or concerns.
Accurate bus tracking, easy trip-planning and more
The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) today announced its partnership with Transit, the premier public transportation mobile app.
Riders will now be able to navigate the Charleston area with accurate real-time predictions, simple trip planning, step-by-step navigation, service disruption notifications, and departure and stop reminders – and it’s all presented in a clear, bold interface.
“This app is a key tool in the rider experience and is the first of several digital steps we’ll be taking this fall to make CARTA more appealing,” said CARTA Board of Directors Chairman Mike Seekings. “Better technology is helping us lay the foundation for long-term, successful public transportation in the Lowcountry.”
Transit is available for free download in the Google Play and the App Store. Read Transit 101 for tips and tricks on how to use the app.
For riders without smart phones or Internet service, CARTA also introduced new SMS texting and phone service. Customers can call or text (843) 202-4410 and provide the stop number of their choice, which can be found on signs at bus stops. An automated system will then relay the next two real-time arrivals for each route servicing the selected stop.
“We’re sensitive to the fact that not everyone has a smart phone and we want to provide as many options as possible for all of our riders,” Seekings said.
In the coming weeks, CARTA will also roll out a new website and an online payment system that will be connected to on-board fare boxes. The transit system, meanwhile, continues to collect data from recently installed Automatic Passenger Counters that it plans to use in the deployment of future service. New shelters and buses are planned in the months ahead, as well.
CARTA riders can now call or text an automated number to find out when their bus will arrive.
Simply call or text (843) 202-4410 and provide the bus stop number of choice. (Each stop is assigned a number which is posted bus stop signs or can be found online here.)
Callers will be given the next two arrivals for each route servicing the stop, while texters will receive a response text with the same information.
Feed the Need, Belmond Charleston Place, East Bay Company, Blackbaud and more involved in effort keep residents connected to groceries via CARTA
Mickey Bakst and Paul Stracey of Belmond Charleston Place have officially presented a $46,000 check to the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority that will fund an additional six months of free service on King Street Route 20.
The contribution is part of an effort to assist residents in a part of the city heavily affected by the closure of Bi-Lo last fall. CARTA has provided free service on the route since October and has seen a 50% increase in ridership through January 2017.
Donors to date include:
However, Bakst and Co. don’t want to stop at the six months they’ll be providing. They’re also challenging others in the Charleston business community to get involved and fund an entire year of service on Route 20.
For others looking to get involved, checks should be made to Meet the Needs Charleston – a 501 (c)(3) that will transfer the funds to CARTA. The address is 275 Beech Hill Lane, Mount Pleasant 29464.
Feed the Need, Belmond Charleston Place, East Bay Company, Blackbaud and more involved in effort keep residents connected to groceries via CARTA …
Mickey Bakst of Feed the Need and Belmond Charleston Place, Hilton and Catherine Smith, East Bay Company, Neil Robinson, Sean Litton of Peninsula Company, Tony McAlister of McAlister Development Company, Blackbaud and others donating a combined $$46,000-plus to extend free service on Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority’s King Street Route 20.
The contribution will mean six additional months free service in an area of the city heavily affected by the closure of Bi-Lo in the fall. CARTA has provided free service on the route since October – and seen a 50 percent increase in ridership during that time – and will continue to do so through January 2017.
However, Bakst and Co. don’t want to stop at the three months they’ll be providing. They’re also challenging others in the Charleston business community to get involved and fund an entire year of service on Route 20.
“When you look at how Charleston is changing, how its long-time residents are being impacted, I think it is incumbent upon leaders in the business community to step in and help,” said Bakst. “Food is important to our city’s identity and it’s a core essential for everyone. We have to make sure that all residents have access to groceries. It’s the right thing to do.”
For those looking to get involved, checks should be made to Meet the Needs Charleston – a 501 (c)(3) that will transfer the funds to CARTA. The address is 275 Beech Hill Lane, Mount Pleasant 29464.
“In the past weeks we’ve seen residents of Charleston County pass a half-cent transportation sales tax and $500,000 in state funds has come in for shelters and buses,” said CARTA Board of Directors Chairman Mike Seekings. “Now the private sector is stepping up in an incredible way. Combined, this is unprecedented support for public transit in Charleston and we sincerely thank Mickey, Feed the Need, Belmond Charleston Place, Hilton, Catherine and the East Bay Company and Blackbaud for leading this effort.”
Route 20 runs along King Street and Meeting Street between Heriot Street and Broad Street. It serviced the former Bi-Lo and includes a stop in front of the Food Lion on King Street. Food Lion is providing passengers with $2 coupons – the price of standard CARTA fare – through the end of the year.
First-mile/last-mile …
Many public transit trips begin with a bike ride or lengthy walk and this holiday season the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) wants to help riders overcome what’s been dubbed the first-mile/last-mile problem – and also spread some Christmas cheer.
CARTA has partnered with Affordabike to refurbish 16 lost-and-found bicycles that will be given away to riders over the next couple of weeks in order to help them navigate walks of more than a quarter mile to their stop or final destination. A quarter-mile is roughly the maximum distance that most people find “comfortable” to walk to a stop.
Riders who could use two new wheels – or individuals who know someone who fits the bill – can submit requests/nominations through Dec. 20 by:
All CARTA buses, except free DASH shuttles, are equipped with bike racks as part of the system’s no-cost and easy-to-use Rack and Ride program.
Recipients will be selected by CARTA staff. One of the bikes will be given away through a drawing at the BCDCOG’s Walk + Bike BCD meeting Dec.13 at the former Navy Hospital. That drop-in event is scheduled from 3 – 8 p.m.
Download “Transit” and travel like a true Charlestonian.
Bus Route: See vehicle locations in real time, find nearby stops, and receive stop announcements.
Service Alerts: Keep on top of schedule changes, stop relocations and other unexpected surprises.
Favorites: Always take the same bus? Move it to the top of the list by adding it to your favorites.
Timetables: View the full schedule for a route and set alarms to remind you to leave.
Countdowns: Get real-time predictions based on data from the transit agency.
“Go”: Get step-by-step transit directions and notifications about when to leave for your trip and when to get off the bus.
Plan a trip!: Compare trips side by side with your preferred transport modes selected.
