Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009

Bus gets green light from Myrtle Beach to Charleston

The Coast Regional Transportation Authority is moving forward with plans for a new route from Myrtle Beach to Charleston, scheduled to start a month from now.

The authority held two public information meetings in Georgetown and Myrtle Beach, Monday and Tuesday, that were sparsely attended, but authority officials said they've been getting positive feedback from businesses and residents who plan to advertise or use the route. The authority released a tentative schedule for the trial run at those meetings.

"We have a tentative schedule, and on Thursdays that route will pick up at the veterans medical center at The Market Common and would drop off at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Charleston by 9:30 a.m.," said George Osborne, planning specialist for the Coast RTA.

"As demand proves itself for the route, we'll make adjustments. Right now there's a lot that we're testing."

The route will make two full loops from Myrtle Beach to Georgetown to Charleston and back during its Thursday route and three full loops on its Saturday route.

The route will be geared to veterans on Thursday, stopping at three medical centers when it gets to Charleston. The Saturday route will stop at the Charleston Visitors Center, where riders can pick up buses to other destinations, Osborne said.

The authority had originally considered sharing its profits with the Charleston transportation authority, but decided to run the route separately from the Charleston system for the first few months as a test. Riders will have to pay full price to get on a local bus once they arrive in Charleston.

Bus pass prices have been set for the route, with an adult ticket costing $15 one way and $25 round trip, regardless of whether riders get on in Myrtle Beach or Georgetown. Children under 12 will ride for free, and teens and other students will receive a discount. The authority decided to start the route off with a two-for-one discount on adult tickets to attract riders.

Osborne said some seed money will come from insurance reimbursement from a bus that was lost earlier this year. The authority is expected to purchase a bus with more amenities, and Osborne said federal stimulus money will be used to purchase ten buses to fill other existing routes over the next few months, some of which will have specific amenities that could make them usable for the Charleston route. He said the buses will be incorporated onto other longer distance routes to stops like Andrews rather than being reserved for the Charleston route.

Yvette Jefferson, marketing specialist for the RTA, said area businesses have responded well to the route, with numerous Myrtle Beach attractions and a handful of Charleston businesses asking about advertising.

"A lot of businesses were interested in placing brochures on the bus, or advertising on the DVD we had mentioned playing during the route's service," Jefferson said. "I did get a call from an art gallery owner in Charleston who was also interested in advertising, so that part has been going really well too."

The authority will hold another public input meeting in Conway on Dec. 1, but Jefferson said if anyone still wants to comment they can send e-mails to yjefferson@coastrta.com.