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Our Service Overview

Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority provides public transportation in the 6 county Pee Dee region of South Carolina. The 6 counties are Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Marion, and Marlboro.

PDRTA has 3 offices. Each office dispatches trips for 2 counties. The Florence office also houses the Authorityís administrative offices and a maintenance facility.

Chesterfield and Marlboro Counties
3908 Highway 9
Cheraw, SC 29520
Phone: 843-537-6610 or 1-800-768-4928
TTY: 843-537-1346
Fax: 843-921-4413

Darlington and Florence Counties
PO Box 2071
313 Stadium Road
Florence, SC 29503
Phone: 843-665-2227 or 1-800-922-8989
TTY: 843-662-3309
Fax: 843-667-5087

Marion and Dillon Counties
140 Airport Court Road
Mullins, SC 29574
Phone: 843-423-6112 or 1-800-868-0556
TTY: 843-423-4636
Fax: 843-423-5288

Services are divided into types:

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Fixed Route Service

Fixed route service is what most people think of when they envision transit: a bus that travels along the same route at regular times each day and has regular bus stops along the route. PDRTA operates fixed route bus service in the greater city of Florence area via the Florence Transit System. Whether a person's destination is work, medical appointment, hospital visit, education, shopping, or recreation, the Florence Transit System is an economical means to access the many amenities of the city. Click here to learn more about Fixed Route Service with PDRTA.

PDRTA also offers fixed route commuter service into Florence from Dillon, Marion, Hartsville, and Darlington. These commuter services give people in other communities the opportunity to get to work and school in Florence. These buses connect with the Florence Transit system, making over 100 destinations easily accessible, year-round, 6 days per week.

PDRTA buses leave Marion several times each day to transport hundreds of workers to the Grand Strand. This is deviated fixed route service, which means that PDRTA adapts its routes to accommodate the large number of workers on these buses by dropping them off and picking them up at or close to an ever-changing variety of workplaces.

In 2008, PDRTA introduced fixed route transportation connecting Chesterfield and Marlboro counties, with service between Chesterfield, Cheraw, and Bennettsville. In cooperation with Northeastern Technical College, faculty and students ride free on these routes.

In Lake City, daily commuter transportation to Myrtle Beach continues to be a huge success.

Plans are underway to offer fixed route service from Lake City and Timmonsville to Florence, connecting with the Florence Transit System, and to offer fixed route service within the cities of Darlington, Hartsville, and Timmonsville.

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Paratransit or Demand-Response Service

Paratransit or demand-response service remains the greatest portion of PDRTA's day-to-day business. Demand-response service is a reservation system for door-to-door transportation. PDRTA is the transportation provider for many human services agencies in the Pee Dee. We take the elderly to nutrition sites throughout the area, Alzheimer's patients to Adult Day Care centers, dialysis clients to clinics, mental health and persons with disabilities and special needs to counseling and treatment centers, to name just a few. Medical appointments make up the largest portion of paratransit services, and our vehicles can be seen throughout the Pee Dee, taking people to and from hospitals, doctors offices, and clinics. Work, shopping, training/education transportation are also included in paratransit, so for many residents of our area, life-saving and life-improving services would be unavailable without PDRTA. Click here to learn more about Paratransit Service with PDRTA.

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Van Pools

Still largely underutilized, PDRTA offers a limited number of vehicles for van pools. Similar to traditional car pools whereby one person with a car takes co-workers to and from work each day, van pools take workers to and from the same or nearby work destinations. Under the van pool program, PDRTA provides the group with a vehicle, insurance, fuel, and maintenance. The group has a designated driver who takes participants to and from work. Drivers ride free, and the riders pay a monthly fee to participate. Van pools are an economical and green alternative for work.

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Tax Incentives for Transit Users and Businesses

Under Internal Revenue Service rules, individuals who use transit to get to and from work are entitled to designate their transit costs, currently up to $205 per month, as pre-tax dollars. Businesses that subsidize employee transit costs do not have to pay payroll taxes on transit subsidies. Tax incentives are an excellent employee benefit, and businesses benefit from improved employee morale and reliable employee transportation, lower taxes, and a reduced need for parking space.

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Complementary Paratransit

Complementary Paratransit is door-to-door service offered to certain individuals with disabilities who, because of their disability or other eligible reasons, cannot access regular fixed route service. For more information on Complementary Paratransit and how to apply, please click here.

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Charter Service

PDRTA complies with the US Code of Federal Regulations with regard to charter service. In general, 49CFR Part 604 prohibits recipients of federal funds through the Federal Transit Administration from providing charter service. Part 604.2(e) contains exceptions under which charter services can be performed by PDRTA. Persons who believe their request may be allowed under the exceptions may call the Florence PDRTA office for information. To read the regulations, please download the Charter Service Final Rule. A list of private charter companies can be found through the Motorcoach Association of South Carolina.

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Coordination of Transportation

PDRTA complies with Executive Order 13330 with regard to coordinated transportation for human service and other governmental agencies. The federal government realizes that while transportation is a component of human service agency services, coordination of transportation across agency lines and populations is less costly, less wasteful of taxpayer dollars, and conserves our natural resources. To that end, President George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13330 in February, 2004. To read the document, please download it here. PDRTA remains a strong proponent of coordination, meeting with and urging state and local officials and agencies to stretch budgets and resources by using PDRTA's services.

All rights reserved. Copyright 2009 - 2010, Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority