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posted on Saturday, January 25, 2020

Interested citizens who attended a public transit meeting in December were told Hartsville will soon have means of getting around town on public transit.  About 15 people attended the meeting at the Greater Hartsville Chamber of Commerce headed by the Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority (PDRTA) and CareSouth. This is not a CareSouth thing. It is a community thing," said Joe Bittle, representing CareSouth at the meeting. "We just saw the need." Bittle said they did an assessment for the area and found a need for public transportation. He said discussions began in February 2018 and a team was put in place that has been working on bringing it to fruition. Don Strickland, with PDRTA, said it should be up and running very soon. He said they wanted to reach out to people who share their vision and give an update on their progress. "We are so close," Strickland said. "This going to happen and we are going to do it the right way," Strickland said. "We don't want it to go away in a few years." He said PDRTA initiated service in Hartsville from 2010-2011 but that it wasn't "done the right way then." He said they didn't have enough local support. He said local funds are necessary to receive federal and state funding to "put a bus on the road." He said they didn't have the necessary local support then but now they do. Strickland said it will take about $160,000 to put a bus on the road for 8 hours a day during weekdays. At the time of the meeting, he said they were nearly there. And they are already looking at adding Saturday hours and extended hours. Strickland said the bus will be equipped with audio and video cameras, CPR trained drivers and the federal government requires them to be ADA accessible with a wheelchair lift. They are also looking into having some seated bus stops with benches at the higher traffic locations. Planned routes encompass stops at Walmart, Carolina Avenue, Fourth Street, pharmacies, grocery stores, doctor offices, schools and other locations.  He said they have already been working with the Governor's School and Coker College to meet the needs of their students. Both Bittle and Strickland said there will be more accountability and a way of reporting issues as they happen. Strickland outlined ways businesses could participate as sponsors of routes and brochures. Strickland said some of the things they learned from their past experience were that more public outreach and more local support are needed as well as travel training and marketing. For additional information about PDRTA visit www.pdrta.org or call 843-665-2227.

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