News & Announcements

Free BEACH REACH Shuttle to Run May Through September

UPDATE: Thanks to contributions from the Town of Mount Pleasant and the City of Isle of Palms, the Beach Reach Shuttle will be a fare-free for riders throughout the summer.

NORTH CHARLESTON (May 19, 2021) – The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) today announced details of the Beach Reach Shuttle for summer 2021. The hourly service, which launches May 29, will provide a new connection between Mount Pleasant and Isle of Palms.

PARTNERSHIP IS IN HONOR OF NATIONAL NURSES DAY, MAY 6

NORTH CHARLESTON (May 5, 2021) — The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) is partnering with Proterra, a battery-electric bus manufacturer and leading innovator in heavy-duty electric transportation, to offer free rides on National Nurses Day, Thursday, May 6.

EV will be fourth in Transit Authority fleet

The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) will soon add a new electric bus to the fleet, after receiving a $608,000 award from the South Carolina Department of Insurance on Tuesday.  

HOP service will be temporarily suspended on May 8, 2021.  CARTA staff will continue to be in frequent contact with city officials regarding the service and hospitality needs and will continue to closely monitor traffic and parking patterns along with other parameters to determine when HOP service will return.   

The Books on Buses program aims to increase access to library services and encourage literacy throughout Charleston County

Public transportation riders in Charleston County will now have access to free books for their rides. Charleston County Public Library and The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) have partnered to provide free books for all ages at two major bus stops in Charleston County.

At this time we do not have plans to stop service this afternoon.  However, expect some delays and potential detours due to flooding in area, declining weather conditions and potential traffic volumes.  At times routes may have to pause in place where they are in route depending on conditions, but routes should resume on a regular service schedule as the weather and roadways permit.  We do suggest that if possible please try to make any trips before or after the inclement weather is expected.  Changes or suspensions to service will be posted on ridecarta.com and on all social media channels.  Please check the transit app to track the bus when possible.

CARTA customers be advised, as of Friday, February 26, 2021 Route 204 will no longer operate.

CARTA OnDemand is a new program providing service to the Route 204 service area.

Click to CARTA OnDemand view more information about CARTA OnDemand. Call 843-629-6284 for questions or concerns regarding Route 204 and/or CARTA OnDemand.

Route improvements are coming to Folly Road — with MORE frequency & wait times cut in half!

Starting on Monday Feb. 8, wait times will be cut in half! The route will now run every 45 minutes, doubling the frequency on the route.

More frequency means…..A BETTER RIDE…A BETTER EXPERIENCE!!

CLICK HERE to view new schedule.

For more info call 724-7420 (Option 1)

Pilot program will offer door-to-door service for seniors and Tel-A-Ride customers making qualifying trips on the peninsula

NORTH CHARLESTON (Jan. 28, 2021) — The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) next week will launch CARTA OnDemand, a first-in-the-region partnership with transportation network companies Uber and UZURV.

The pilot program will offer door-to-door service for seniors age 55 and up and Tel-A-Ride customers making qualifying trips to or from the Medical District and/or WestEdge Publix on the peninsula. 

The service, which officially launches on Feb. 1, will operate from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Trips with both UZURV and Uber cost $4 each way and rides can be scheduled as much as 30 days in advance or with as little as 1-hour notice.

“The focus of CARTA OnDemand is on one thing: putting our riders first,” said CARTA Board of Directors Chairman Mike Seekings. “The enhanced level of service offered through this partnership with Uber and UZURV will make traveling easier for the most vulnerable transit users. Direct, on-demand access to necessities such as doctor appointments, the pharmacy and grocery store is an unprecedented step forward for public transit in our region, and it is something we hope to replicate in the future.”

CARTA OnDemand will be offered in addition to the existing Tel-A-Ride paratransit service. Riders in need of wheelchair accessibility will be required to use UZURV in order to access CARTA OnDemand. As part of its door-to-door offering, UZURV’s credentialed and certified drivers are able to assist riders to and from vehicles upon request.

The new service is available to seniors 55-plus for up to 20 trips per month to and from the Medical District and an additional 10 trips per month to or from the WestEdge Publix. All CARTA Tel-A-Ride customers are eligible for unlimited use of the service on the Peninsula. (The Tel-A-Ride service application is available here.)

Registration for CARTA OnDemand is now open for anyone 55 and older at RideCARTA.com/OnDemand or in person at the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments, 5790 Casper Padgett Way in North Charleston. Current Tel-A-Ride customers are pre-qualified for the program. 

Registered users and Tel-A-Ride customers can book rides through the Uber app or by calling the CARTA OnDemand call center powered by UZURV at (843)-592-3505.

Cash is not accepted for the service; a debit or credit card is required.

Under the program, CARTA will subsidize the difference between the $4 rider fare and the total trip cost, up to $21. Customer service staff will inform riders whether or not trips meet eligibility requirements during the registration process. Tips are not included in the price of the ride and are given at the customer’s discretion.

Personal care attendants can be approved as part of the Tel-A-Ride application. If approved, PCAs would be part of the ride request through UZURV. When booking, Uber riders should note the additional passenger count. PCAs will not be charged.

Masks are required while using CARTA OnDemand.
For full details regarding the CARTA OnDemand pilot program, visit RideCARTA.com/OnDemand.

Transit system partners with DHEC, local governments to provide screening service

NORTH CHARLESTON (Jan. 26, 2021) — The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) will partner to offer Covid-19 testing at two of the transit system’s key hubs.

Beginning Monday, Feb. 1, mobile testing kiosks provided by DHEC will operate at the CARTA Mary Street stop, 63 Mary Street (adjacent to the City of Charleston parking garage), and the CARTA SuperStop, 3376 Rivers Ave. in North Charleston.