Mass transit key to state's transportation future, supporters say

Post and Courier: "Some 80 percent of people surveyed in 2013 agreed that better public transit is needed, according to the study.

Maria Parker of Charleston said she can drive to work in 25 minutes but the CARTA bus service takes over an hour to get to her job in North Charleston. She lived in Germany where she did not need a car because of the advanced rail transit that cost $1,000 per year for a pass, which she said is much less than the cost of owning and maintaining a car.

Tom Fressilli of Mount Pleasant said the area needs Amtrak passenger trains running west. The route from here to Atlanta goes first to Washington D.C., he said.

"This is not rocket science. We put a man on the moon. We've got an economy geared toward cars and asphalt," he said.

The annual number of passengers on the local bus service run by CARTA has climbed past the 4.9 million mark. But as rider demand rises, the agency is scrambling to find funds to replace an aging fleet."

Half of South Carolina does not drive

Post and Courier: "Half of S.C.'s population does not drive an automobile. About 10 percent of the people driving on our roads should not drive because they lack a valid license or insurance. These facts make the S.C. Department of Transportation's decision to hold its Sept. 23 public meeting on Daniel Island difficult to respect."