By Daniel Brock
dbrock@scbiznews.com
Published July 17, 2010
The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority board listened on Wednesday to a “menu” of unpopular options for reducing costs and improving the agency’s bottom line.
A 16% across-the-board fare increase, route eliminations and discontinuation of the CARTA@Night program were among recommendations from authority officials at the transit system’s monthly meeting.
The board unanimously approved sending the suggested actions out for review at yet-to-be-scheduled public forums across CARTA’s coverage area. Officials hope to have information from those sessions in hand at the board’s meeting next month.
“We have to do something,” said Patterson Smith, the board’s chairman.
If the measures are passed, the regular adult base fare would increase 25 cents, from $1.50 to $1.75. Student passes, CARTA’s most heavily discounted, would increase from $60 to $70 per semester. The fare increases and route changes would be implemented Oct. 1.
“We haven’t seen anything to suggest that we’re being overly conservative,” said Keith Bustraan, an assistant Charleston County finance administrator, who is also a proxy member of the CARTA board.
Chapman said that tweaking lines and stretching funding to make up the shortfall without a fare increase or rate reduction is doable once, but it becomes considerably harder the second time around.
“Going into fiscal year 2011, we’re not going to be able to do that,” Chapman said.
In a notable increase suggestion, additional buses were proposed for the Rivers Avenue route, one of the authority’s busiest. It boasts the system’s best recovery rate, at 40%. The system’s standard fare box recovery rate is 30%.
More cuts
Ending Sunday service was also bandied about by board members, who said they were eager to hear public input. A total eradication of Sunday routes, which could save upward of $700,000 annually, might scrap the need for rate increases, officials said.
Chapman remained cautious when presented with the idea.
“Once we make a decision, we want to make sure we made the best decision,” he said.
Reductions would likely not mean driver layoffs, but they would leave no margin for extra work, according to officials.
Federal regulations require CARTA to conduct a public forum on the changes, and a new price structure would come only after gauging community reaction.
Board member Katie McClure pushed for each measure to be voted on individually, which likely will be how they’re handled.
“It’s a bad time to raise fares” at all for public transit-dependent people, she said.
A long walk
Corinthia Reynolds, one of a handful of residents in attendance Wednesday, addressed the board during a public comment session.
She said that children, disabled people and the elderly in her neighborhood rely on the Otranto line and that they would be “very devastated” if the route was eliminated.
Reynolds, who lives in a tucked-away housing cluster near Otranto Road in North Charleston, said she recently wrecked her car and the nearest Rivers Avenue stop is two miles from her house.
“It’s just a long walk,” Reynolds said.
Ridership riding high
The possible reductions and rate increases come amid record ridership for the agency.
CARTA tallied more than 356,000 riders last month, the highest June on record. That number was up 2.6% compared with last year, and ridership has risen 8.1% in 2010, according to Christine Wilkinson, transit administrator.
That comes on top of a record-topping 2009 that saw the system eclipse 4 million riders for the first time with no service reductions. Lower gas prices allowed the agency leeway then.
CARTA’s revenue is up 6.7% for this year, but officials said it’s not enough to offset the funding gap caused by a lack of county revenues.
Reach Daniel Brock at 843-849-3144.
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