The public transportation system in Charleston is supposed to connect people to work, school, and healthcare, but the reality stands in stark contrast. Every day around 15,000 people ride buses in Charleston; 11,000 of those people ride because they have no other transit option.
Most transit-dependent people earn less than $40,000 a year, most of them are African American, most of them are women, and most of them use the bus to get to work.
Even though the Charleston region is the most dangerous region in the state for cyclists and pedestrians, 13,200 people still have to walk and bike the first and last miles from their bus stops. The average wait time for buses is an hour, making it nearly impossible to do anything but build your life around a bus schedule.
In April 2019, CAJM pushed officials to change the following inequitable fare policies: charging fees to transfer buses, failing to provide a weekly unlimited pass, and preventing seniors from using their discounted fares during peak hours. CAJM also pushed officials to increase bus frequency on three major routes: the 11, 12, and 32.
In August 2019 the Charleston transit authority, CARTA, passed all three of CAJM’s fare policy recommendations. In August of 2020, a proposal was put forth to increase the frequency on one of its primary routes, Route 32. This proposal passed in September of 2021 and will begin on October 3, 2021. CAJM continues to support increasing frequency on other routes and inequitable fare policies.