Transit advocates demonstrate against planned CARTA service cuts on May 1, 2012 in Charleston, SC
Transit riders have made it clear:
- Build on the success of increasing ridership (up 15% to 425 thousand in March 2012) and farebox revenue (Up 8%)
- Stop the cuts
- Adopt a long term plan for CARTA to build a dependable, basic bus transit system for our region, with night and weekend service, and safe, comfortable and accessible stops.
Please join us at the CARTA Board Meeting on Wednesday, May 16 at 2 pm at the Lonnie Hamilton County Office Building 4045 Bridge View Drive, North Charleston, SC 29405 (Transit directions below) to be heard during the public comment period. Speakers usually have 2 minutes. If you can’t be there, sign our online petition now which will be presented to the board members then. For those riders present at the meeting, we’ll have T-shirts for you to wear to show your support for basic, functional bus transit for the Charleston area. If you aren’t comfortable speaking in public, you can hand in written comments or just wear a shirt and raise your hand in a show of support.
Unless we act now, together for a better system which serves everyone, we’ll end up fighting each other over pieces of the system this summer, the long term strategy of opponents of public transit where riders lose.
- Sign up to attend the Wed. April 16 Board meeting on Facebook
- Sign the online petition to show your support
- Contact the organizers for more information 870-5299 or wjhamilton29464@gmail.com
- We have signs and window clings available for businesses who want to show their support for public transit.
- Join our facebook group and let your views be known.
Students from the University School of the Lowcountry in Mt. Pleasant Address the CARTA Board
Bus directions to the CARTA Board Meeting
The CARTA #103 runs on Leeds Ave and the nearest stop is 0.3 miles from the Lonnie Hamilton Building. Some of the possible trips indicated here stop on Rivers Ave., which is a 1.1 mile walk to the Lonnie Hamilton Building. It is side walked the entire distance. If you get there early, there are places to rest inside the building. All persons entering the building will be subject to security scanning. Auto parking at the Lonnie Hamilton Building, in a lot costing millions of dollars is free.
- East Cooper- Wando High School
- Downtown- Mary Street
- West Ashley- Citadel Mall
- North Charleston- Northwoods Mall
Background Information on the plan and cuts
- Younger Americans are driving less, Taking Transit More- http://www.uspirg.org/reports/usp/transportation-and-new-generation
- Continue the Progress Proposal from East Cooper CARTA Riders https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=10aqryEpXpgNjXKQTVBwQlFtoJrjicHLbiY2hhR2ImlI
- Much misinformation about pay for bus drivers has been circulating. Starting pay for a CARTA Bus Driver is $9.81 per hour and increases with seniority to $17.86 and hour after over a decade of service. Many drivers get only one day of vacation and two days of sick leave per year. Many work “split shifts” driving during the morning, taking a forced 2-4 hour time off the clock and then driving again in the evening. Others are required to work overtime. Bus drives must pass tests, have a CDV license and a clean criminal record
- The Low country is a dangerous place for the long walks to bus stops reducing the number of routes would necessitate for riders. Many bus stops lack safe sidewalks and street lighting to make the trip to and from the bus one a rider can survive. Planned lack of night transit service for the next five years endangers riders and pedestrians. Here is a map of the pedestrian fatalities in and around Charleston. While pedestrian fatalities have been falling across the US, they’ve been rising in SC. http://www.thestate.com/2011/12/07/2071370/pedestrian-deaths-up-sharply-in.html WCIV reports two deaths, a motorist hitting a pedestrian and the motorist (who lost his license) being killed on a bicycle on the same road six months later. http://www.abcnews4.com/story/18310087/ccso-deceased-bicyclist-was-charged-with-felony-after-dui-death
- Proposed CARTA Five Year Plan http://www.ridecarta.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Agenda_Board_2012_0418_Part-3-of-4.pdf
- April 2012 CARTA Ridership and Financial Report http://www.ridecarta.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Agenda_Board_2012_0418_Part-2-of-41.pdf
