The pains of riding (and learning) the CARTA bus system
Jessie and Beau (no last names to be found) recently went on a "CARTA Adventure" to see just how efficient and pleasant it can be to take the bus from the Citadel Mall in West Ashley to downtown Charleston.
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Doing the trip for the Coastal Conservation League the pair wanted to see just how practical a trip done by car in 15 minutes can be done on the bus.
The short answer? It's not very quick or very pleasant.
Check out the video on Vimeo or up top.
Oh, and you'll recall that due to budget cuts CARTA is planning to increase their ticket prices and trim some routes. You can give the agency feedback about that over here. And you can e-mail miscellaneous comments to askcarta@ridecarta.com
- Read all about the transport group on our CARTA topic page.
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31 Jul 2010 6:51 pm.
God, I tried that once as an undergraduate: Big mistake! We left around noon with the intention to make it back for a meeting at 5:00 PM. When we asked the driver "Does this bus go to Citadel Mall?" a more appropriate answer would have been "Eventually." She finished the downtown route, with just two of us on the bus, she parked for 45 minutes for a smoke break then began her downtown route over again. By the time we stepped off the bus at the mall it was past 3:00! We were both trying not to cry at the thought of getting right back on the bus or missing our meeting. Thank the Lord friends of ours passed us in the mall parking lot and gave us a ride home! When we told them about our 3+ hours of CARTA travel, one girl turned around to look us in the eye and said: "Don't you EVER think of taking the bus again." I have heeded her advice ever since.
31 Jul 2010 9:37 pm.
I rode the bus once from around Citadel Mall to downtown. It's a pretty straight shot, no changing buses. We got to St Philip Street and the bus driver got off the bus and disappeared. I forced the door open and walked to my destination. Never rode the bus again.
31 Jul 2010 11:20 pm.
I'm the first to admit that figuring out CARTA isn't easy, but I found that doing some research and preparation goes a long way. I'm not sure why y'all went to the superstop 1st? There's a bus from the citadel mall to meeting and mary, bus 30 eastbound runs every 45 minutes and would have gotten you downtown in 30 minutes. I usually call CARTA if I'm not sure how to get somewhere. Usually if you tell them where you're going they can tell you the times, stops and buses. The website is helpful as well. I totally agree that many of the stops are poorly marked, often no shelters and in locations that aren't always safe to get to. There are some major issues with the system, but I have always found my drivers to be informative and helpful, and so are the passengers I ride with. My suggestion is to email CARTA about the issues and complaints you have.
02 Aug 2010 3:34 pm.
Jessie White and Beau Daen
Kathi- Thanks for the suggestion to email CARTA or to check online before a trip out.
As I am definitely a planner- I probably would have too looked at a map or called! :)
But as we saw on the video, they did try to use maps and ask the drivers. Jessie and Beau are confused looking at maps and it seems like the maps don't do a good job of explaining their routes. Maybe they just wanted to check out what a "super stop" looks like. Doesn't look so super to me! There wasn't even anyone behind the desk for them to ask questions. Seems strange.
It must be realized that plans can change while people are out and there are many, many people who use CARTA and other forms of public transportation who may not have access to email or internet or phones at home or while they are out.
It is my personal opinion that public transportation of this magnitude be safe and reliable and self explanatory for its riders.
03 Aug 2010 10:40 pm.
I am the first to admit CARTA is far from perfect and there's plenty of room for improvement, which is why I blog about living carfree in Charleston at http://carfreechas.blogspot.com/. However because I absolutely rely on CARTA for my livelihood, and don't ride the bus as a lark, I just didn't find this to be the depiction of a normal experience in riding CARTA. Can and does this kind of thing happen? Definitely. Could, and should CARTA do better? Absolutely! Which is why I'm blogging about some of the issues as well as attending CARTA board meetings, FRAC meetings and the upcoming public hearings.
04 Aug 2010 12:57 pm.
I am totally perplexed as to why these two took the route they did. The 301 route starts at the Visitor's Center and ends at the mall, which can clearly be seen on the CARTA maps. I started using CARTA this year when my car broke and it took me about 5 minutes to figure out the map online. My pickup at 830 am is always on time, and it takes me about 10 minutes to get to work on 61. The route to the mall isn't that much longer. The system failed me just once (the bus was about 40 minutes picking me up in the evening, but i later found out it was due to some crazy accident at Sam Ritt). Yes, CARTA can use some improvement, so can these two with their map skills.
PS, my car is now fixed and I still use CARTA just for the heck of it!