By Daniel Brock
dbrock@scbiznews.com
Published Aug. 19, 2010

The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority approved a 16% across-the-board fare increase Wednesday but tabled discussion on possible service reductions and a final 2011 budget until its September board meeting.

Adults will pay a quarter more for the regular fare starting Oct. 1, the beginning of CARTA’s fiscal year. Semester-long student passes will increase from $60 to $70.

CARTA last raised fares in October 2008, when a 20% across-the-board hike was implemented.

The moves, necessitated by a $1.4 million reduction in Charleston County half-cent sales tax funding, come after several months of discussion by the authority’s board and a number of public meetings this month aimed at gleaning input on cost-cutting measures.

A shortfall of as much as $1 million is still looming, and CARTA is scrambling for ways to make up that gap. In addition, on Wednesday, the budget was deemed unworkable by board chairman Patterson Smith.

Underperforming Route 106 Otranto/Stall and the CARTA@Night program have been offered up for the chopping block; tweaks to Express Route 2 Mount Pleasant/West Ashley have been suggested; and a pair of DASH routes have been recommended for consolidation.

Those moves combined would save the authority $732,000 annually.

Meanwhile the fare increases would add between $303,000 and $580,000, with a “worst-case scenario” of a 6.4% dip in ridership factored in for the low total, according to CARTA estimates.

The elimination of Sunday service would cut costs by $785,000, though some board members have been loath to support that move during recent discussion.

“The board just wanted just wanted more time to look at the measures,” said Howard Chapman, CARTA’s executive director.

Adding a pair of buses to the severely crowded Route 10 Rivers Avenue service, at a cost of $243,000, is practically the only new major outlay CARTA is considering as it scurries to finalize a budget.

Reach Daniel Brock at 843-849-3144.