Mt. Pleasant, SC- Tomorrow the Board of CARTA, our regional public transportation authority, will consider route changes in the East Cooper area, just North of Charleston, SC. These are my admittedly locally focused comments on the issue. While larger policy issues are implicated, this is political detail work informed by an intimate, personal experience with riding the system and the landscape around the routes, including its often inadequate pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. Public comment will be received at Mt. Pleasant town hall on Wednesday, January 19 at 2 pm.
This is part of an effort to salvage the best possible result from further budget cuts. The main part of this post is also available as a downloadable, illustrated PDF CARTA Comments for East Cooper PDF
Wizz to Wando
Wando High School needs access to public transportation to allow students to participate in after school tutoring, Sports and other extracurricular activities. Hundreds of students and their families are unable to take advantage of the school’s facilities due to the lack of access today. A good stop location between the two entrances to the school (where there is little traffic) and a convenient round-a-bout for turnaround just beyond them are available. The school and school district have already committed to support a ridership development effort, including a pass program.
Hope for the Hospital
The new Mt. Pleasant Hospital, near Wando High School on North 17, could be a ridership generator as other hospitals with transit are now. It’s parking lots and access roads were designed to provide a convenient place for a bus to stop without requiring passengers to wait in the shoulder of the highway. It’s an easy right hand turn in and out after returning from Wando. The hospital needs to be engaged in formulating a ridership development program.
Reach the Beach
The Isle of Palms offers the area’s most efficient opportunity for beach access with a good stop location (with benches) at the entrance to the county park, where showers and changing rooms are available. It’s also in the middle of the Island’s commercial district and the street grid there offers a quick turnaround in a trip on island of only a few blocks. Transit access to the beach, if reliable and on schedule, has been a proven success when it has been available. A reliable transfer from the #40 and on time operation are key. The County Park needs to be involved in ridership development here.
Covet Coleman
Coleman Blvd. has had various CARTA service on an on again, off again basis for over 25 years. The Town of Mt. Pleasant has major revitalization and development plans which require transit to succeed. Most of the adjacent neighborhoods are connected to Coleman by sidewalk. Merchants, churches and non profit entities all need to be engaged in a ridership development effort here which extends and builds on existing development, planning and revitalization efforts.
Beware Bowman
While the Bowman and Johnnie Dodds Intersection stops have been a consistent source or ridership for the #40, an overpass will be built there over the next several years. The new location of East Cooper Hospital is nearly a mile from that stop. The library and senior center, as well as the old Wando High School Campus can be better served from Mathis Ferry Road, at least on a temporary basis through the overpass construction period. This can be accomplished by moving the #40 on to Anna Knapp & Mathis Ferry until it returns to 17. The loss of service to Wando Crossing Shopping Center can be avoided by providing service to that area from the new Mid Town Blvd. behind the center, which is fully sidewalked and closer to the stores than the current stop. Transit operations on Johnnie Dodds over the next several years will have to work around construction. It’s imperative that the new road include appropriate location for transit stops, linked to places of commerce, civic activity and employment by safe, walkable routes.
Stage to Engage
The East Cooper Community should have another opportunity in early February to engage stakeholders in planning the new routes and obtaining community by in for ridership development efforts while public attention is focused on the route planning process. In today’s difficult times, with staff, resources and attention at a premium we need to leverage the focus of planning change into a commitment to make the new routes work, including another effort involving restaurant and hospitality workers in the hotel cluster around the foot of the Ravenel Bridge.
William Hamilton 1/18/2011 10:21:02 AM