CARTA hopes community partnership will make bus stops safer

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The bus stops and shelters we see along the road are important parts of the lowcoutry's public transportation system.

But making sure those stops are in safe places for riders can be a challenge. About 60 new bus stops and shelters are going up across the lowcountry right now.

And sometimes the safest place for a stop is on a piece of land that’s privately owned.

On Wednesday, CARTA’s board will discuss some of the challenges they’ve run into trying to get new stops up. They say a solution to that is community partnership.

Property and business owners who have safe space for a stop can work with CARTA to provide that resource. Board Chairman Mike Seekings says the service starts before folks step foot on the bus. That starts at the bus stop.

“We want to make sure we get them out there as quickly as we can, in places that are appropriate for our customers. And so, we’ve identified those areas and some of them are on private land so we’ve been working with private landowners and businesses to make sure they’re out there,” said CARTA Board Chairman Mike Seekings.

Seekings says so far the partnerships have been great. Volunteers can also adopt a stop and help keep it clean and litter free.

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