NAACP to act on bus cuts
The Charleston branch of the NAACP said it has concerns about recent cuts to the area bus service, and it will ask for a meeting with representatives of the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority.
Branch President Dot Scott said Thursday night at Morris Brown AME Church that she would contact CARTA Executive Director Howard Chapman. "We'll make the call to schedule the meeting," she said.
That was good news for West Ashley resident Claire Singleton, because the cutbacks caused her to lose her bus ride to work on the overnight shift at the Medical University of South Carolina.
"I've been telling people that we need to come out in numbers. They're ignoring us totally. We're just little people," Singleton said.
Singleton rode the CARTA@Night service, which was eliminated to help make up for a $1.3 million budget deficit. Route 106 Otranto/Stall was axed and service was reduced on 20 routes. Because of its budget crisis, CARTA also raised fares by 16 percent.
"CARTA@Night, it was working. I think that was the biggest loss to the people in the community," said Felicia Woodberry. She uses two CARTA routes on which service has been reduced.
The Charleston branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People held the Town Hall meeting at the church to discuss the CARTA cuts. "It's really surprising the number of people who are affected," Singleton said.
More than 250 people signed a petition that circulated around town protesting the end of CARTA@Night because they said it was essential to their livelihood. However, CARTA@Night and Route 106 Otranto/Stall were the least-used routes on the CARTA system. Annually, an estimated 40,500 passengers used the CARTA@Night service while Otranto/Stall had 22,443 riders, officials said.
The budget shortfall happened because CARTA's revenue from its 18 percent share of Charleston County half-cent sales tax fell dramatically in the economic recession. Officials said that services that were cut could be restored if revenues improve.
