Trans Mt. Pleasant – Route #40

The 40 links Mount Pleasant to Downtown Charleston and is the area’s longest running bus route, having been on the road East of the Cooper since at least the 1950s. There have been several route changes.  You can now plan trips using this route (and nearly all others) using Google Transit, which will automatically generate alternative trip itineraries based on your location and destination.

Route map for the 40

Image, left, Peter Techlinberg, CARTA Transit planner at proposed location of Park West Bus stop, still not availabe.  Stops at this location and the intersection of Highways 17 & 41 are top priorities for the ECCR #40 Route Committee.

Starting April 17, 2011, the 40 runs from Downtown Charleston at the Mary Street Transit Center and Visitor’s Center. The bus departs Downtown Charleston at 38 minutes after the hour, making several stops as it runs up Meeting Street to the Ravenel Bridge.

See full, official schedule for the #40 Trans Mt. Pleasant

After the spectacular bridge crossing, the bus stops at the Entrance to Patriot’s Point and the College of Charleston Athletic Center. It turns on Houston Northcutt to make a stop at Mt. Pleasant Town Hall, between Cinebar and Whole Foods where there is a Shelter. Persons wishing to transfer to the #401 East Cooper Connector Route for Travel around Mt. Pleasant should transfer there.  To transfer to the #401 East Cooper Connector from the East / Outbound #40, you’ll need to cross the road and wait near the two concrete benches and painted pillar on the opposite side of the road, about 150 North or to the right as you cross the four lane road.  In addition to the two exposed concrete benches, those waiting more than a few minutes to transfer may enjoy using the shaded picnic table under the trees behind the stop.

After passing Whole Foods, the 40 turns right and  then runs North through the Johnnie Dodds Commercial District, passing the Twin River Lanes Bowling Alley, several shopping Plazas and hundreds of other businesses.

The 40 reaches the intersection of Bowman Road, near Kmart, where passengers can again transfer to the 401 East Cooper Connector route.  Also stopping at Kmart are the Express Bus to Downtown Charleston and Citadel Mall and the Tri Count Link bus to McClellenville and Awendaw.   This stop also serves the East Cooper Hospital medical complex. This area is currently in the middle of a road overpass construction project, but eventually should include road improvements to make it an comfortable, safe and effective transit connection including appropirate bus pulloffs and shelters.

Kmart also sells discount, electronic bus passes for CARTA, which allow frequent rides to realize huge savings on fares a the Customer Service Counter.

Since this project is under construction now making sure the Bowman Road & 17 intersection enables transit connections is a major concern for East Cooper CARTA Riders.  Make sure you share your interest with members of Mount Pleasant Town Council.  Councilwoman Linda Page can’t get appropriate plans without public pressure.

The 40 continues on to pass Wando Crossing Shopping Center on the right which has an Office Depot, several Clothing stores and a Walmart.  It runs about another 0.75 miles before reaching Mount Pleasant Town Center, a major shopping village with a dozen restaurants, Barnes and Nobel, 12 screen Palmetto Grande Cinema and a Lowes.

Town Center is the location of the mainland stop for the #402 Bus to the Beach, where passengers can transfer for a quick and visually spectacular trip over the marsh, creeks and inland waterway to the front beach of the Isle of Palms and the Beachfront Park there, which is equipped with bathrooms, showers and changing rooms. The Town of Isle of Palms also has a shower and bathroom facility and there is a delightful beachfront commercial district.  The connecting stop for the #40 and #402 Beach Bus is across the street from Carvel Ice Cream.

You can also connect from the #40 at Town Center to the #401 East Cooper Connector, which runs to two stops on the South Side of the Shopping complex along Hungryneck Blvd.  The first connecting stop is near BI-LO, just past the IOP Connector Road.  The Second is on the intersection of Hungryneck and Market Center Drive, where its a sidewalked 250 foot walk North to stops for the #40 and #401 across from Carvel.  The nice people at Carvel have put a bench out for riders, however there is none on the other side of the street which has a different landlord.

After leaving town Center, the 40 travels north passing Christ Church on the Right, the oldest church in the area and crossing the location of the Eastern Defensive entrenchments for Charleston during the American Civil War. Historic Boone Hall Plantation is passed on the left, where many motion pictures and television shows have been filmed, including North and South. Boone Hall’s entrance is some distance up Long Point road and it best reached by transferring to the 401 East Cooper Connector route at Houston Northcutt or Bowman Rd. since it stops closer to the Boone Hall visitor’s entrance.

Beyond Boone Hall, the 40 Reaches the intersection of Highway 41 and 17, near the location of nationally famous Jack’s Cosmic Dogs, which has been features in several food shows and is noted for it retro road house décor and unusual hot dog preparations.

Further out the 40 turns into and runs through Oakland Plantation shopping village, with over 40 stores. The Walmart has a comfortable waiting area for transit riders and the bus goes right up to the front door. In cold weather, riders can shelter in the heated vestibule to wait for the bus. This is the location for transfers to the rural links C203 bus which runs further out into the country including service to Awendaw and McClellenville.

After exiting Oakland, the 40, now 15 miles out from Downtown Charleston goes past the Residential Community of Charleston National before reaching Wando High School, a 3400 student Gold Award Winning High School under the leadership of Principal Lucy Becham, a fierce transit supporter, chosen the nation’s best High School Principal in 2010.

Wando is also the home of the Warriors for Transit, a team of students who do transit outreach for CARTA and the East Cooper Transit Riders in the area. The trip from Charleston to Wando covers over 20 miles and takes 57 minutes.

After entering Carolina Park and making a stop at Wando, the 40 circles a round-a-bout and returns to Highway 17, now headed South to make stops at Mount Pleasant Hospital, which has front door transit service.

At present there is no approved stop at the Park West Community.  East Cooper CARTA Riders has identified the lack of stops at this location as a major problem which must be addressed.  Watch our Calendar for future meetings on these serious deficiencies.

On it’s inbound run the 40 now stops near the Intersection of Highway 17 and 41 in front of Greater Goodwill AME Church.  It’s easy to pull into the Church parking lot to drop people off and pick them up from the back side of this stop.  We’re pushing for a shelter at this location.

The #40 thereafter returns to Charleston, making the stops described above from Town Center to Downtown in reverse order. In Charleston there is a stop at the Visitor’s Center before reaching the end of the line at the Mary Street Transit Center.

Park Pleasantly, Play on the Penensula

Once Downtown, East Cooper Riders can enjoy the city using the free DASH bus system, without having to park or spend time in parking garages.  You can park in Mount Pleasant along the #40 line and ride downtown to enjoy Charleston without the hassles of traffic, parking, tickets and road rage.  All the DASH lines run near the Mary Street Transit Center and Visitor’s Center.  When you’re done downtown, the 4o brings you home.  For those of us who ride it a lot, stepping on the #40 is as good as being across the river.