CARTA Users Want Better Bus Stops

Mount Pleasant CARTA users will appear before Mount Pleasant Town Council Tuesday to lobby for more comfortable bus stops and better crosswalks along Johnnie Dodds Blvd.

“We want to be sure the new highway works for everyone, including the half of the population which doesn’t have a driver’s license," said William Hamilton, leader of the Hungryneck Straphangers, a bus transit rider’s advocacy group.

The group wants the town to push for bus stop construction to be included in the $140 million Johnnie Dodds construction project.

"We have to act before the work is done, the concrete is hard and the money is gone,” Hamilton said.

The group is leading a month-long petition effort, asking for "complete streets" it says the community has been promised.

In addition to the petition, the group is conducting outreach with officials on CARTA's board, in Mount Pleasant town government, the Charleston County Council and the region's state legislative delegation. See Tuesday's town council agenda.

CARTA routes are important in Mount Pleasant, Hamilton says, because the ridership reduces traffic congestion. He says bus usage east of the Cooper has increased 74 percent during the last five years.

The regional transit provider is planning new routes for the Mount Pleasant area, and Hamilton thinks CARTA's planning should be coordinated with local government to increase utilization. Sign the petition.

CARTA's No. 40 route and its Express Route from Mount Pleasant to downtown have taken hits in ridership over the last year. Road construction hurt the buses efficiency and made commute times less predictable.

When construction is complete and new routes are in place, Hamilton says better bus stops and crosswalks could contribute to a surge in use.

"Advocates want to see a recovery in service quality and ridership become the foundation for future more efficient and cost effective service for more people," he said. "Functional stops and safe pedestrian road crossings are essential to enable that recovery and future improvement."