Mount Pleasant SC- Transit trip planning can now be done online, automatically on Google Transit. This can be accessed through the mapping functions of most Android Phones, I phones, the Ipad mapping and navigation ap, the wwww.eastccrider.com website and through Google Transit. Note that the #402 Island Flex bus has not yet been included into the system but that service is still running. East Cooper CARTA Riders has contacted both CARTA and our board members about that issue.
The system has huge advantages even for experienced riders. If you have a smart phone or internet access, you really don’t need paper maps and schedules any longer. they system provides walking directions to the nearest stop and multiple options for your trip. In areas like North Charleston and Downtown where there are several routes, much faster trips may be possible than someone would plan using paper maps utilizing transfers and connections the rider might not be aware exist. Even if you have been riding the system for years, you should check out some possible trips.
I discovered a transfer which shortened one local trip West of the Ashley by 30 minutes and an uptown, counter intuitive use of the King St. Route which saved 15 minutes.
If you don’t ride the bus, this system can be of great use when friends or family need a ride since you can find a bus trip for them which brings them close to your location, then go pick them up. In areas where this system has been deployed, ridership has increased by as much as 20%. In addition to being a sought product online, Google offers transit directions to anywhere located in Google Places as an option.
This same system is available in over 100 other cities in the US. On a GPS enabled smart phone, it makes paper maps and schedules utterly obsolete. In a City like Portland, bus travel is faster than using a car once the time finding and using parking is considered.
Google Transit contributes to increased ridership. Later this year, real time updates to the system from the buses using GPS data transmitted over the cellular network will become available.