CARTA’s free beach shuttle sees an increase in ridership

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority, or CARTA, says its annual beach reach shuttle program has seen a big uptick in ridership for the 2024 season.

The program is midway through its third season and CARTA chairman Mike Seekings said on Wednesday that ridership is up 53% compared to the numbers from last year.

“The program is working. It has taken a little while to get the word out there but we’re rolling, and we invite anybody in the community to come out and come ride with us one weekend,” he said.

How it works is simple: Park for free at Mount Pleasant Towne Center and hop aboard one of CARTA’s free beach reach shuttles (stop ID #715 on Market Center Blvd.) The air-conditioned bus will take you to the county park on Isle of Palms where you can enjoy your day without worrying about finding a parking spot.

“You don’t have to worry about parking, paying for parking – or as you have seen, Isle of Palms has stepped up its enforcement. It’s a very easy stress-free way to spend a day at the beach in our community,” he said.

The service is available on weekends through the Labor Day holiday on an hourly basis (9a-5p).

“This is a service that we want to make sure locals – people in our community – know about and use. We are targeting locals to get out there and have another amenity through CARTA, another way to get around in their community.”

You can bring your beach gear like chairs, small umbrellas, boogie or body-boards and coolers. Tents, large beach umbrellas, surfboards and other bulky items may not fit and are not allowed. For more information about the shuttle service, please click here.