Mount Pleasant, SC- We're working here to bring non profit groups, churches, government, schools and business together to help create a more efficient and useful bus based public transportation system in the East Cooper area, which also included the communities of the Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island. Today we're calling on everyone involved in the effort to reach out to friends and neighbors with information on our efforts.
The CARTA transit agency here has taken two million dollars in budget cuts over the last two years while still managing to increase ridership by 3%. These are tough times, but the need for public transit in our area has never been greater. There is a lot of conflict as people and areas compete for diminishing resources. (CARTA is funded largely by local sales taxes and Federal grants.) CARTA does however, claim one of the highest rates of farebox cost recovery in the United States.
The main body of this post is today's appeal sent out to the people involved with our project. It contains links to PDFs we're using to engage the community. Yes, we're pounding the sidewalk and working the phones as well.
Thank you for your interest in the East Cooper CARTA Riders Facebook group. Our membership has grown from 14 to 45 in the past few weeks as we work to support the efforts of Linda Page, the Towns of Mt. Pleasant, Sullivan’s Island and the Isle of Palms and CARTA in the effort to improve the East Cooper Route system.
We’ve already reached out to hundreds of riders, businesses, non profit groups and churches. However to generate the involvement we need to get and keep a functional regional transit system, we need your help.
Please download the Promotional Flyer and feedback from available from https://docs.google.com/...
Make a few copies and hand it out to your friends, businesses you work with, landlords and community associations and ask them to consider being involved in this effort. Everyone in the East Cooper area from an unemployed person looking for work to the wealthiest real estate developer benefits from a transit system which allows students at Wando and other schools to stay after for sports and extracurricular activities, brings new tenants to rent, allows employees to get to work, reduces traffic and brings customers into our shopping areas. You know this, but your friends and associates may not. It will make a much bigger impression coming from someone they know.
We meet in eight days, on Thursday, Feb. 10. In two weeks, the CARTA board will make its decision. Six months after that, our new routes and services will be subjected to competitive evaluation.
The Flex Bus which is still operating until the new plan is implemented) will be providing transportation to and from the community workshop on Feb. 10, so if anyone needs a ride, they will be able call CARTA and make a reservation. Flex Bus Information from CARTA Website
I’ve worked up a map which shows one of the proposed options for the new East Cooper route system which puts both routes on a single map. You can take a look at that at https://docs.google.com/...
Thank you for your attention and interest in public transportation in our community.