Return to Main Menu

Riding CARTA Express benefits pocketbook by Cindy Abole Public Relations Each week, more MUSC employees and students are discovering the joys of worry-free commuting throughout the Lowcountry area. Ever since CARTA (Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority) Express offered its Park & Ride service last February, more people are abandoning their car keys.   Employee Pam Jackson uses her Express Service Pass to ride the bus to North Charleston. For information on CARTA, visit http://www.whydrive.net. With the start of school and additional drivers on the roadways, parking at MUSC and other downtown locations has become a commodity, and has its challenges. But for $5 per month (75 cents each way, by showing your MUSC badge), one can ride without the stress of rising parking costs and traffic snarls.   I decided to check out for myself what CARTA riders on campus were raving about. First, let me explain that I had not ridden on a public bus since the 1980s and never with CARTA. So I felt leery about mass transportation in the Tri-county area. But given the success of CARTA’s Express service, I tried it and came away pleasantly surprised.      I boarded the North Charleston CARTA Express bus (located at the Super Kmart on Rivers Avenue) at 7:19 a.m. Aug. 24. It is one of CARTA’s busiest routes under the Park & Ride Express programs.   The parking lot, where riders park, was full of morning commuters. I parked my vehicle and boarded the first of two CARTA buses to support the route’s growing capacity of riders. Behind the wheel was CARTA driver Donna Jenkins, a friendly Charleston native, who has driven for CARTA throughout the past year. I sat next to long-time commuter JoAnne Kwasniewski.   Kwasniewski began riding CARTA when the program was launched in February. Kwasniewski, who works in the College of Health Professions, lives just three minutes from the North Charleston Park & Ride stop.   “Not driving is so relaxing,” said Kwasniewski, who usually reads a complimentary newspaper or chats with fellow commuters. “Not having to battle I-26 traffic both ways allows me the time to unwind and relax, especially during the afternoon commute. It’s also a great savings to my pocketbook, with less gas  consumed and wear on my car.”   Kwasniewski is among a group of riders who regularly travels the express route to work. Employees and students drive from as far as Summerville, Knightsville and beyond to take advantage of the savings the program provides.   As the passengers settled into conversation, Jenkins focused on maneuvering the bus through Rivers Avenue and I-26 traffic. By 7:30 a.m., we sailed through merging Ashley Phosphate traffic and enjoyed a smooth drive into the Holy City. We arrived on schedule at 7:50 a.m.   On my ride home, I caught sight of a growing crowd waiting at MUSC’s Calhoun Street  bus stop. The stop draws commuters catching the northbound/westbound buses going to North Charleston and Mount Pleasant. Incidentally, the stop is being renovated to provide a bus shelter that will shield  commuters from inclement weather. During my wait, I recognize a few familiar faces from the morning’s commute.      MUSC commuters on the Mount Pleasant Express bus echoed the same pleasant experiences.      Annabel Woodman, R.N., of Mount Pleasant, works in the hospital and is a part-time student in the College of Health Professions. She loves her commute and uses her time to study and review coursework.   “I love it,” said Louise Webb, who works in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “I read, chat with other riders or  enjoy the scenery during the ride. It really is a plus that MUSC, as one of the area’s largest employers and institutions, offers this as a discounted benefit for commuting employees. People need to continue to support it.”          Friday, Sept. 7, 2007 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.