Archive for the ‘editorials & guest columns’ Category

Over the past three weeks, thousands of Transit riders in Charleston, Summerville, Goose Creek and Beaufort have been given an informational flyer on the Congressional Election “We Ride Together, We Vote Together.“ (Downloadable PDF)

If you would like to help hand these flyers out on the buses to other riders, a very powerful way to encourage transit riders to vote, please call William Hamilton at (843) 870-5299.

Voters have the opportunity to choose between Elizabeth Colbert Busch (D) and Mark Sanford (R).  If you have trouble getting to the polls, either campaign will be happy to arrange a ride to the polls for you Monday (for early voting) or Tuesday.

• Colbert Busch- http://colbertbuschforcongress.com/welcome/
• Sanford- http://www.marksanford.com/home/

This is the view of Charleston thousands of train passengers passing through our derelict N. Charleston Station see.

Many riders have asked how this election is relevant to the quality of public transit we have in the Lowcountry.  The answer is that even basic services like transit are now under constant threat.  While large, well organized lobbies exist for the oil,  automotive and highway construction industry, the thirty million transit riders have only begun organizing themselves into a national political force in the past year, when Congress slashed Transit funding from 20 to 18 percent of the Federal Transportation Budget.  This triggered massive cuts in service across the United States.

What Poor Transit Systems are doing to the Lowcountry

For the people who depend on transit, a number which rose by 6% across the country last year, such cuts have drastic, even lethal effects.  Riders making long walks home form now distant transit stops get hit by cars or become victims of crime.  The elderly find themselves stranded as they age on Daniel Island.  Those who lose their car, often then lose everything.  They can’t ride the bus for a few weeks, scraping up the money for repairs while keeping their job.  I’ve met successful people in Charleston who have confided in me that when they lost their car to a run of bad luck, the bus helped them rebuild their lives.  Some are wealthy today.

Organizers from Americans for Transit and the ATU leafleted the riders going on the Dorchester Express bus in Summerville

In places like Beaufort, where the bus runs only to and from work once a day, entire lives are wasted with people left to do little more than work, wait and sleep.  Shopping, civic and cultural activities are out of reach for people living on St. Helena Island an other rural communities.  ”Going on the Bus” in Beaufort is viewed as a sort of living death in many rural communities   Younger residents would rather leave, so they take their energy and talent elsewhere.  Those who stay and ride have few options for spending their hard earned money.

Even for those who drive, the highway system has reached a point where it’s so large it can no longer be adequately maintained or further expanded with existing revenue.  Younger people are giving up on the automobile altogether in increasing numbers.  It just costs too much and takes up too much time.  Throughout our public information campaign, Republicans and Democrats have both told us they want better transit.

The Congressman elected Tuesday will be the point person for all Federal involvement with local transit issues in the district.  Fixing the problems with the long delayed intermodal center, making sure basic funding remains available, or helping replace some of our aging fleet of transit buses requires a Congressman’s support.  We asked both candidates to ride.  Colbert Busch rode the #41.  Sanford never took a ride on a bus.  We asked both candidates to answer two, relevant but simple questions.  Colbert Busch answered.  Sanford didn’t.  Five Republicans did ride the bus: Moffly, Turner, Larkin, Hoffman & Bryant.  Both candidates received phone calls from many riders asking them to ride and answer.  You can read Colbert Busch’s full answers on the Flyer PDF.  The flyer also provides contact information for the Sanford campaign so you can try to find out what his position is.

Please vote carefully on Tuesday.  It was only eight years ago that CARTA resumed full operations after a disastrous two year near shut down.  People died because the buses stopped running.  We can argue about art in government buildings or how much Ft. Moultrie should be open, but when transit gets cut people lose their jobs, their families and sometimes their lives.

Three US Congress Candidates stand in the rain during the “Ride in the Rain” on Feb. 7

Transit is only one of several important issues in this election, but it touches on the core controversy of our time.  Are we building a society which offers dignity and freedom to more people or are we building a society which concentrates power and wealth in the hands of a few?  Real wealth requires a shared prosperity which has to include opportunities to travel, change jobs, shop, learn and enjoy our golden years for most people.  Even those fortunate enough to be wealthy benefit from customers who can travel, employees who can get to work, patients who can access medial care before it requires an EMS trip, fellow citizens who participate in civic and cultural life and tourists who can enjoy our coast.

Free Markets, Competitive Economies

Free markets mean nothing to an elderly woman stranded on St. Helena Island who can’t get to a store.  If we don’t have transit services which meet these needs, many capable people will relocate to, travel to or invest in other places which do.  I’ve met gifted young people in Portland, Seattle and New York from South Carolina building lives which are rewarding without cars who left South Carolina and have no intention of returning. It wasn’t just about transit, but they abandoned their cars, built lives and they swear they’re not coming back. In the intensely competitive future, SC needs such talent and skill.

On Tuesday, vote like someone’s life depends on it, because it does.

On April 5, 2013, Hungryneck Straphangers learned that for over a year, CARTA has been negotiating to sell the planned location of the North Charleston Intermodal center and use some of those funds to purchase the old, existing Amtrak Station East of River’s Ave, off of E. Montague in North Charleston so that location could be converted into our region’s transportation hub.  This new plan evidently has been delayed by the Federal Transit Administration for reasons unknown.

Extensive drainage, landscaping, paving and sidewalks have been installed at the Intermodal center site in N. Charleston.

Dave Crossly of Hungryneck Straphangers has agreed to lead a study group on this problem with the assistance of Larry Carter Center.  Meetings and events will be listed on our Straphanger’s Calendar.  The group will conduct an independent rider’s oriented investigation of what has happened and prepare to make sure that rider input is included as the process moves forward.  At this time, we have no conclusions to offer.

The reason cited for this is an alleged problem with construction of the necessary railroad siding at the original location.  Years of planning and millions of dollars have already been spent on this location.  Drainage, parking and landscaping are already constructed.  You can see a photo album of the Intermodal Passenger Transportation Center site in N. Charleston.

You may read details in this article in the Charleston Post and Courier:  CARTA Plan to Purchase Amtrak Station Derailed

Since I am not a railroad engineer, I can’t evaluate the seriousness of the problem alleged to exist at the original site.  Most of you are familiar with the current Amtrak station.  Last week we learned that there may be a serious crime problem in the area which preys on train passengers.  We will be requesting information from the North Charleston Police Department to determine if those rumors are true.  CARTA drivers also inform us that there are serious problems getting buses to and from a bus transit hub at that location due to difficulty of making a left hand turn across two lanes of traffic, up an incline and over two railroad tracks in a distance of 30 feet in a full sized bus.  The grade crossing there is also often blocked by trains.

View of South end of station platform, Amtrak station, N. Charleston, SC

We have a photo album of the current 1950s era Amtrak Station in N. Charleston, which despite its horrific condition, has some wonderful staff who would love to help you go railroading.  If you’ve always flown, you don’t know what you are missing.

It’s deeply disturbing that these discussions have gone on behind closed doors for more than a year while input from bus and train passengers and drivers was never requested.  A transparent, detailed public exploration of what may or may not have happened here is in order.  Our community is investing tens of thousands of dollars in a major, new transportation study now.  Progress is impossible when mistakes like this are made and public confidence in planning is eroded.

South End of Amtrak Station, N. Charleston, SC. Much of the station building is unused.

We have contacted the Federal Transit Administration and expressed our concern.  Amy Bernstein, informed us that our input should be directed towards our representatives in Congress.

Fortunately both locations are in James Clyburn’s District, where we have a sitting Congressman to work with.  You can contact Congressman Clyburn at https://clyburn.house.gov/contact-me

However we have no current Congressman in SC District 1, which includes most of the Charleston area.  We’re currently preparing to elect a new congressman in the 1^st. District. We requested their thoughts on this issue last week.  Elizabeth Colbert Busch responded on Friday and we’ll be revealing her answer a week from today at the April 15 meeting of the SC Progressive Network at the International Longshoreman’s Hall at 8 pm (the meeting starts at 7 and everyone’s welcome.

Former Governor Sanford did not responded, but we invite all riders to contact his campaign with your input on this issue.  Information about how to contact both campaigns can be found at www.busec.org/vote

This gatehouse is the only structure on the N. Charleston Passenger Intermodal Center Site

South End of Amtrak Station, N. Charleston, SC. Much of the station building is unused.

Next week we’ll begin the region’s first major modern Transit Riders Voter information campaign, distributing 15 thousand information cards in the Charleston area and Beaufort.  We’re looking for volunteers who like to ride and talk to people.  Please contact me at wjhamilton29464@gmail.com if you are interested in helping make sure things like the Intermodal Center planning problem don’t keep getting repeated while highway projects go on regardless of the cost or issues which may arise.  It’s time for a uniform, higher standard of transportation planning to apply to all taxpayer funded mobility projects.

By Jack Little, Executive Director
East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO)

As published in The Moultrie News

I exceeded the mileage recommended between oil changes for my car last week. I always take it to Tom Carlson and his reliable staff at Precision Tune at the corner of Hwy. 17 and Venning Road. Their location is convenient to ECCO. Tom does great work. When Tom works on my car I drop my car off each time. I ask someone to pick me up and take me back to the office. Then later in the day, I politely, feeling like I’m imposing, ask if they would take me back to pick it up.

This time I had a different idea. I would use CARTA for my rides.

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