Gotta See A Man About A Bus...

So, the transportation systems in SC are getting some money from all this stimulus spending. Where does Greenville stand?

By Ashley Fletcher Frampton 
SCBIZ Daily Staff
CHARLESTON -- The state’s major metro areas are set to receive nearly $15 million from the federal government in stimulus money that will go directly to regional transportation capital projects. 
Transportation authorities in Charleston have already decided to use most of its portion of the money to purchase up to 15 new buses. And while Columbia and Greenville have yet to finalize plans, authorities in both areas also intend to use the money to purchase new vehicles and update old buses, including the addition of satellite tracking systems.

Charleston buses 
On Feb. 26, the Charleston Regional Transportation Authority approved the purchase of nine to 15 buses with a portion of the federal stimulus allocation. 
A member of the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority board wants the public to ask CARTA leaders to rethink a commitment to use more than $4.5 million of its $6.4 million in federal stimulus money to buy new buses; instead, he wants CARTA to use the allocation toward a project that will create local jobs. 
Board member Paul Thurmond said that he’s not opposed to eventually buying new buses but that he thinks the federal money should go toward a project that will create the most local jobs in the shortest amount of time. CARTA has a project that could create up to 500 jobs, but that plan was voted down. 
“For me it’s not saying the buses aren’t important. Obviously, that’s the mode of transportation that CARTA uses, and I don’t have the background they do in regards to how often they need to be changed out,” Thurmond said. “To me it gets to the philosophy of what the stimulus is for.” 

Columbia buses
The Central Midlands Regional Transportation Authority will receive about $5.4 million from the federal stimulus package for capital purchases, executive director Mitzi Javers said. 
Preliminary plans call for the purchase of five to seven new buses to replace older vehicles, updates to the exterior of other buses and installation of a satellite tracking system on all 71 of the agency’s vehicles. 
The agency’s board has not finalized those spending plans, Javers said, but will do so by the end of the month. 
The buses that would be replaced are nearing the end of their useful lives, Javers said. They would be 9 or 10 years old by the time replacement buses arrive, a process she said typically takes between one and two years. 
Painting the exterior of several buses that are 7 years old — not old enough to be eligible for replacement — would help the bus system maintain a positive image in the community, Javers said. 
The bus system’s other planned purchase, tracking systems for all buses in the fleet, will help the agency monitor its service. Javers said the devices will allow the system to better ensure buses are arriving on time. They also will improve coordination between fixed-route buses and paratransit vehicles transporting individuals. 
Spending plans are based on capital needs that the transportation authority already had identified, Javers said. 
“We did not foresee being able to meet those needs for at least three years,” Javers said. “This will put us ahead in terms of getting our capital replacement program going.” 
Though the bus system has struggled to find a stable source of operating funds recently and is facing the end of a $3 million annual commitment from SCANA, the federal stimulus money could be used only for capital needs, not operations, Javers said. 

Greenville buses 
The Greenville Transit Authority will receive $3 million in federal stimulus funds to replace aging Greenlink buses, said James Bourey, city manager. 
Bourey expects that the city will replace eight of the fleet’s 20 buses. The money is already allocated and does not require approval from Gov. Mark Sanford or the state Legislature, he said. 
The new buses should save maintenance costs down the road, he said. 
“In the course of the next few years, hopefully we can get some new funding to replace the rest of the buses,” Bourey said. 

Scott Miller and Andy Owens contributed to this report

8 Buses.  Man, buses are expensive.  Well, let's hope this is a jumping off point to providing some much needed public transportation in Greenville!