Transit Menu
Transit Menu
Public transit is a way to reduce congestion in the US 17 corridor. The Charleston Area Regional Transit Authority (CARTA) serves the US 17 corridor. CARTA runs fixed routes, express routes and programs for disabled residents. CARTA's routes connect people to employers, shopping, schools, medical care and tourist attractions.
The US 17 team relied upon CARTA's Regional Transit Framework Plan to formulate its transit recommendations. The Regional Transit Framework Plan calls the US 17 corridor one of five, "promising high transit corridors in the region." The strategies presented in this study build on the recommendations of the Charleston Regional Transit Framework Plan. The Regional Transit Framework Plan is an adopted plan published by CARTA.
The US 17 corridor study looked at three strategies for improving public transit in the US 17 Corridor. These strategies include:
improving access to bus stops,
improving services, and
premium/enhanced services.
Please review the suggested public transit improvement strategies. You may zoom in to an image by clicking on it. Below each strategy is a survey asking which strategies you would support. You can choose to support as many strategies as you like.
Improve Access to Bus Stops
One way to help public transit riders is to improve sidewalk connections to transit stops. After reviewing sidewalk connectivity in West Ashley, the US 17 team believes transit ridership could benefit from improving sidewalks in the Chadwick Drive, Avondale Avenue, and Colony Drive neighborhoods. New or rebuilt sidewalks in these areas would provide safe convenient paths for riders to reach transit stops.
The three aerial photographs below show possible locations for these improvements.
Chadwick Drive
Avondale Drive
Colony Drive
Improving Services
Facilities and Equipment
Some residents reported that they did not like to use public transit because of unsafe or uncomfortable bus stops. This study found that 100 bus stops within the West Ashley study area had no bus shelters. Installing bus shelters, like the one shown below, increase ridership by providing a safe and comfortable area to wait for a bus.
Improving Service on Existing Routes
The US 17 team also considered improving service on the three primary existing routes in the study area. Improving services on these routes would include increasing the number of buses, re-routing the buses through the medical district via Courtenay Drive and Calhoun Street, or extending service to the Wal-Mart off of Bees Ferry Road. The routes are Route 30 (Savannah Highway), Route 31 (Folly Road), and Route 33 (St. Andrews/Ashley River Rd) are shown on the map below. More information on these routes is available by clicking here.
New Policies
Public/Private Partnerships
Public/Private Partnerships are agreements between a public agency and a private group. A common example is a toll road or bridge. Public/Private partnerships for transit could include:
advertising on bus shelters,
advertising on buses,
private shuttle services, or
commuter programs run by an outside partner.
Public/Private Partnerships increase the awareness of public transit and can help fund public transit services.
Transit Friendly Zoning
One way to encourage transit ridership is to focus development around transit stops. Communities can use their zoning codes to focus development near transit stops. The City of Charleston's Downtown Plan says the land use strategy is intended to be highly transit-supportive by placing greater amounts of employment (workers), tourism (visitors) and housing (residents) within proximity to existing and potential transit corridors.”
Premium Service
Mobility hubs allow for an easy transition between multiple modes of transportation. Mobility hubs may include drop-off areas, bike parking, ticketing kiosks, and other amenities. The figure below shows a conceptual layout for a mobility hub. Mobility hubs make it easier for multiple forms of travel to take place in an area. By providing convenient ways to use public transportation, more people will feel inclined to use alternate forms of transportation including walking and bicycling.
A- Bike Parking/Storage
B- Accessible Boarding Area
C- Automated Ticketing Kiosk
D- Real-Time Schedule Board
E- Shared Mobility Pick-Up & Drop-Off Site
Bus Rapid Transit
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a premium bus service offering fast, frequent, comfortable public transit. BRT mixes dedicated bus lanes and bus priority at signals to move riders to their destination faster. The US 17 Team drew upon BCDCOG's Regional Transit Framework Plan that identifies two proposed BRT Corridors that serve the study area. The maps below show those corridors (M and K).
Corridor K- West Ashley - Charleston (Glenn McConnel Parkway/US 17)
Corridor M- James Island - Charleston (Folly Road)
