Posted on Tuesday, September 14, 2010
On November 2, 2010, Horry County residents will vote on the following referendum: Do you favor the funding by Horry County, in an amount not to exceed 6/10ths of a Mill ($1,080,000.00) annually, for the operations of a regional public mass transportation provider such as Coast RTA?
Read below for some answers to frequently asked questions about this mass public transportation referendum. Download the brochure here !
1. What is Public Transportation?
- Public transportation is a service for seniors, students, medical patients, workers, tourists and others who do not have private transportation.
- Like police, fire, EMS and road construction, it is a public service for those who need it, when they need it.
2. Who uses mass public transportation?
Public transportation riders are diverse:
- Seniors 65 or older, 7%
- 18 years and younger, 10%
- Women, 52%
- Caucasians, 45%
- African-Americans, 31%
- Hispanics, 18%
- All other commuters, 6%
3. How does the cost to ride mass transit compare to the coast for a cab?
- In Horry County, a cab ride starts at $1.50, and $2.80 per mile thereafter. Coast RTA fixed routes are $1.50 per ride.
4. How would investing in transit benefit me personally?
- Each bus removes 40 cars from our roads further reducing congestion and making the roads safer for everyone.
- Less traffic congestions improves the quality of life.
- Public transportation benefits the environment and causes less dependency on foreign oil.
5. Wouldn’t it be cheaper to build or widen more roads?
- Studies have shown that new roadways quickly fill to capacity which does not relieve congestion.
- It could coast up to ten million dollars ($10,000,000) per mile to build a roadway.
6. Why aren’t the buses full all of the time?
- The purpose of mass public transportation is to provide service to those who need it, when they need it.
- Like police, fire, and school buses, Coast RTA’s system is designed to meet the needs of the community.
7. How will funding Coast RTA help support tourism in Horry County?
- Coast RTA provies transportation options for residents that work in the tourist industry.
- Coast RTA provides options for tourists to park their cars and relieve congestion.
8. If the referendum doesn’t pass, what will happen?
- Jobs will be lost
- People will lose accessibility to work, recreation, education, shopping and medical appointments
- Tourism and the local economy will be adversely affected.
9. How much would it cost the average household in Horry County?
- $0.00 – $2.40 per year for the owner of a $100,000 home.
10. How can I support mass public transportation in Horry County?
As a concerned citizen, you can:
- Contact your local, state and federal officials to ask for their support
- Write letters to City and County Council
- Write letters to the Editor
- Host informative meetings
- Encourage people to go to the polls on November 2 to vote
- Most importantly…”Try Transit!”
For more information contact:
Yvette Jefferson, Coordinator
Speakers Bureau
phone: 843-488-0865, ext. 221
email: yjefferson@coastrta.com