Archive for the ‘information’ Category

Vote for Transit in the Primary, March 19

Linda Page of the CARTA board & Mt. Pleasant Town Council speaks to candidates in a rainy Kmart cURRENparking lot on FcURR

The Primary phase of this election has ended- Updated information on this election and Transit Voter activities can be found on our Farebox to Ballot Box Page

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Thanks and congratulation to the Seven candidates for the First District US Congress Special election who took one of our four guided rides on CARTA in February and March.  Early voting is now available at the Election Commission Warehouse on Headquarters Road in N. Charleston, a short walk from the CARTA stop on Dorchester Road, near it’s intersection with Leeds Ave, served by the Dorchester Road #11 Bus.  Google Transit Directions to the Election Commission from Mary Street, Downtown Charleston. Anyone over 65, full time students and people who have to work on election day, and seven other categories of voter can vote now.  Everyone can vote on the Primary election day, Tuesday, March 19 from 7 am to 7 pm.  For questions about voting, contact the Election Commission at (843) 744-8683 or see their website at http://www.charlestoncounty.org/departments/BEVR/index.htm

When you are contacted by candidates before the primary, remember to tell them you ride, you vote and you want to know what they’re going to do if elected to help our community continue the journey to better public transit.  About one third of CARTA’s budget comes from funds appropriated by the US Congress, including grand funding for the purchase of new buses and funds to pay operating expenses.

Thanks for Taking a CARTA Ride with US

Below are the Candidates who got on board with the riders before March 15, 2013.  Best wishes to all of you who made part of your campaign’s journey with us.  The links take you to their websites or facebook pages where you can study their positions and ask them questions which you need answered to decide how to vote.  Those without a date or route listed did not ride with us despite a vigorous recruitment effort by local Republican and Democratic transit riders.

Democrats

1. Elizabeth Colbert Busch (D)  Colbert Busch Facebook  rode with us on March 14, Coleman Bvd, 41.
2. Ben Frasier

Green Party

• Eugene Platt (G)
• Larry Carter Center (G) rode with us in the rain on Feb. 7, The Green Party selected Platt to be it’s nominee at their meeting on March 9.  Greens use a meeting system to pick their candidate instead of a primary.

Republicans

1. Keith Blandford  indicates that he will not be riding, and that he is opposed to public transportation,
2. Curtis Bostic or Bostic on Facebook
3. Ric Bryant rode in the Morning on Feb. 28, North Charlston Exp.
4. ‘Larry Grooms or Larry Grooms on Facebook
5. Johnathan Hoffman rode in the rain, Feb. 7, Mt. P. Exp & 40
6. John Kuhn
7. Jeff King
8. Tim Larkin rode on Feb. 13, Mt. P. Exp & 40
9. Chip Limehouse or Chip Limehouse on Facebook
10. Peter McCoy
11. Elizabeth Moffly  rode on Feb. 13. Mt. P. Exp & 40
12. Ray Nash
13. Andy Patrick
14. Shawn Pinkston or Pinkston for Congress on Facebook
15. Mark  Sanford or  Mark Sanford on Facebook
16. Teddy Turner rode in the rain on Feb. 7, Mt. P Exp.

Thanks also to Linda Page of the CARTA Board and Mount Pleasant Town Council who met with four of the candidates during their rides.

Linda Page, Mt. Pleasant Town Council, Vice Chair CARTA Board stands next to the door of a CARTA bus.  She kept East Cooper buses from being sent to other parts of the county.  A summer bus service for IOP & Sullivans is being considered.

Service on the new 41 Coleman Blvd. Route will begin Monday, Feb. 25 and improved service on the 40 Trans Mount Pleasant bus begins Sunday.  Thanks to our East Cooper CARTA Board Representatives and local leaders for maintaining our share of CARTA services.  We’ve also learned the first three new bus stop benches will be installed thanks to Mayor Swails shortly, with over 400 thousand dollars in CARTA provided bus stop improvements planned county wide this year.  We were also able to retain Tel-A-Ride coverage on the Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island.

1. New 40 Route Page updated, now running more frequently.
2. New 41 Map and Schedule   Runs every 70 minutes directly from Downtown Charleston, Visitor’s Center through the Ravenel Gateway Hotel District, Veterans Memorial Waterfront Park, Patriot’s Point, Wingo Way to Coleman Blvd. past Rifle Range and back to the City on the Same Route.
3. Notice from CARTA on Feb. 2013 route changes
4. Service on the 401 & 402 Routes ends Saturday, Feb. 23

To retain these new bus routes and the additional frequence on the 40, we must increase the number of people riding the bus.  If we do not reach ridership standards, service can be cut or cancelled.  If you would like to help with that effort, please contact Hungrneck Straphangers immediately.

Welcome aboard, Transit Riders going somewhere together in 2013!

CAARTA #401 Bus at Mount Pleasant Waterfront Memorial Park

Five Million trips will be made on Charleston County Public Transit this year.  Auto is optional for a new generation & economy evolving new priorities.  The urban, elderly, tourists, disabled, students and people too busy to drive are experiencing smarter, more connected mobility. Transit builds a stronger America and protects the Earth’s environment. Hungryneck Straphangers is organizing an East Cooper community ready to ride!

Image, right- CARTA (Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority) opreates public transit services in the urban core of Charleston County, including most of Mount Pleasant, including Tel-A-Ride Services for the Disabled, Express Bus Commuter Service, The #40 Trans Mount Pleasant Route, #401 East Cooper Connector and the Free Downtown DASH Bus system.

Improved Service Starts in late February

This year East Cooper will get service ever 40 minutes on the #40 Trans Mount Pleasant bus, new #401 East Cooper Connector Service along Coleman Blvd. directly to Downtown and real time uplinked GPS data on bus locations and speed so online Google Transit trip planning moves from when the bus is supposed to come to when it is going to arrive.  Unfortunately regular bus service on the Isle of Palms and Sullivans Island provided by the #402 Island Flex will end, however Tel-A-Ride service for disabled persons living on the Islands will continue.  There is some discussion of operating a seasonal bus service on the Islands in the warmer months and Hungryneck Straphangers will work actively in support of such a plan.

Empower East Cooper Public Transit, Help Hungryneck move ahead!

Ride Smart and Connected- Plan trips online using Google Transit (Video at left), your smart phone, or from the www.ridecarta.com website (Main page, left hand side, top). Assist others by printing out, emailing or posting links showing trips they can make (with real time arrival information transmitted from the buses coming soon). Contract for a discounted trip with CARTA for your school, church or community group.  Buy a discount multiride pass at Kmart, Sea Island Piggly Wiggly or online.

Park Pleasantly, play downtown! Park near home and use transit to reach the free DASH bus system, fun and shopping downtown. Help visitors save hundreds of dollars staying at hotels East of the Cooper while taking the bus to Charleston.

Show the Way– Get your business, school or other group bus schedules and maps for you area.  Request a few from your bus driver while on board, pick up some up at the Mount Pleasant Kmart or Sea Island Piggly Wiggly  or request a larger supply from the CARTA and Tri County Link administrative offices.  Promote available bus routes when you’re hiring employees, advertising, renting or selling real estate to increase your response.  Employers can participate in a new federal program to provide payment for transit use as a tax free benefit.

Improve Everyone’s ride!  Greet your driver. Say hello to other passengers. Thank the driver when you get off the bus.

Get on Board- Join our mailing list or Hungryneck Straphangers Facebook Group for updates on public hearings and advocacy opportunities to improve our routes and stops.  Follow Hungryneck Staphangers on Twitter  or check for our route focused has codes for the #40 Trans Mount Pleasant Route #CARTA40

Start with Stops- Work with your community, government or businesses to get stop shelters erected.  Make walkable and bikable routes to stops available.  See our Start with the Stops Page.

Let’s Talk- Invite us to speak to your group about East Cooper expanding transit system with CARTA and Tri County Link Service reaching Mount Pleasant, Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, Awendaw and McClellenville.  Contact Hungryneck Straphangers  for a presentation.

Image, Right- Tri County Link,  runs public transit to McClellenville and Awendaw, Connecting with CARTA at Oakland Shopping Village (Super Walmart) and Wando HS.  It also operates other routes in rural Charelston, Berkeley and Dorchester Counties.

The Bus is up to U.S.- Get on the mailing list for American’s for Transit, to protect and improve service across the nation, making America more secure and protecting our environment.  Try transit on vacation. Bring the good ideas you discover home to share.

Ride Proud & Loud- Let the people who represent you in government, the businesses you patronize and the organizations you work with know you ride.  Vote for transit and engage candidates about our issues during their campaigns.  See candidates package for SC-1 Congressional Election.  You’re empowered to make transit work for everyone East of the Cooper.  Attend public hearings. Speak up for transit! Make East Cooper transit enabled, not auto dependent!  See our Straphangers Calendar for upcoming events.

Stand Up and Grab a Strap- For full information on all the things your neighbors are doing to improve mobility for everyone East of the Cooper (including those of you still fighting the traffic in your cars) see the main page for Hungryneck Straphangers.

Special National Day of Service Outreach Event, Sat. Jan. 19

Mount Pleasant, SC-  Helping the Mount Pleasant community take advantage of improved public transit services coming to the Johnnie Dodds Corridor later this winter will be the focus of a National Day of Service effort connected to the Presidential Inauguration & Martin Luther King Holiday on Saturday, January 19 sponsored by the Hungryneck Straphangers.

Volunteers will gather at the Starbucks near the intersection of Highway 17 and 41 at 9:30 am and then move out to surrounding residential communities and businesses with information about improvements to the CARTA 40 bus service, which will be going from running once an hour to running once every 40 minutes a few weeks later.  Soon this service will also be supported by real time bus location and travel data updates through Google Transit transmitted from the buses, allowing riders to obtain updated arrival times for their bus online.  They also be distributing information on locally proven transit strategies to make businesses more successful at hiring employees and getting costomers and information on the Tri County Link Bus route running from that area to McClellenville and Awendaw.

You can sign up to participate in the event and learn more about the national effort at https://donate.2013pic.org/page/event/detail/wf2 online.  For more information call (843) 870-5299.

You can reach the event location on the CARTA #40 route (Directions from Charleston)  and the Tri County Link Bus from McClelleville/Awendaw.