CARTA Moving Forward with Fare and Pass Improvements

SENIOR FARES TO EXPAND, TRANSFER FEES TO BE ELIMINATED, WEEKLY FARES TO BE ESTABLISHED

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (May 15, 2019) – Today, the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) Board of Directors approved moving forward with the following items:

• Expansion of Senior Fares ($1 per ride) to all operating hours (previously available between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.)
• Elimination of transfer fees (currently 50 cents)
• Establishment of weekly unlimited regular passes ($15) and Express passes ($25) (currently available on a monthly basis)

CARTA staff will now revise official policies and complete required authorizations to put the changes in place for approval at the July 15 board meeting.

“The steps taken today will directly benefit a large portion of our ridership by easing strain on wallets and reducing barriers to mobility,” said CARTA Board of Directors Chairman Mike Seekings. “The board is focused on continuing to develop a system that works hard for riders in a convenient and cost-efficient manner and our work to this point has placed us in a position to make constructive decisions like this.”

The CARTA board noted the involvement of the Charleston Area Justice Ministry in bringing forward the changes for consideration.

ABOUT CARTA

The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) is a public transportation system dedicated to providing affordable transit in the Charleston community through local fixed routes, on-demand paratransit service, and express commuter routes. For the latest on CARTA, visit www.ridecarta.com, like us on Facebook or follow on Twitter at @RideCARTA. All customers are encouraged to plan rides and track buses with the CARTA-endorsed Transit app.