More people riding CARTA | TheDigitel.com

Published August 5, 2008 at 6:05 pm by Chris Giganti.

Filed in: Event calendars, News, Travel, CARTA, buses, ridership, gas prices.

More people riding CARTA

The city’s buses are apparently seeing an increase in riders as gas costs continue to rise, and this is good news for everyone. ABC News has a story up about how CARTA is reporting a 22 percent increase in riders from this time last year.

From ABC News 4:

“I’m saving 50 bucks per week and that’s pretty good money for me,” Virginia Myers told ABC News 4. She currently drives a small economic car but still says fuel costs at $3.68 per gallon in Charleston are just too much.

“It’s either gas in the vehicle or food on the table so they have to make a choice,” Robert Snipe added.

You can find more stories about CARTA on our topic page.Charleston City Paper also reported on a CARTA ridership increase a couple of months ago, saying that the system reportedly saves some riders up to $200 a month. With events like “Dump the Pump” free-ride day back in June, it’s hard for the transit system to miss.

And while most are making the choice for financial reasons, it’s good for everyone because the more people use the system, the more improvements can be made to what is (I think everyone would agree) a less-than-perfect public transportation situation here in Charleston. Which, in turn, leads to more people using the system and more profits, and so on. So if you’re interested, CARTA has its board meeting on Tuesday, August 20, at 2 p.m., and the public is invited.

Check out CARTA schedules and bus routes online, and if you haven’t taken the bus lately, do it!