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But the real action happens every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday between midnight and 4 a.m., and despite not being willing to give their names, the CATA bus drivers left no details out in describing their rowdy after-dark shifts. The White Loop, affectionately nicknamed the WOOP, is “dreaded by all the drivers,” said one bus driver.
The Lansing bus authority had 69 drivers who made $60,000 or more in 2012, including one who earned $104,411.The Capital Area Transportation Authority had 236 bus drivers in 2012, many of which were part time. Salaries ranged from under $1,000, to 34 bus drivers who made more than $70,000, according to information obtained from a Freedom of Information Act request.
The salaries include overtime.In recent years, customer bus fares have covered only about of the system's total operating costs.“CATA has the lowest cost per passenger ($2.37) of any transit system in the state of Michigan. An operator’s pay is just one component of actual cost,” said Laurie Robison, the director of marketing for the Capital Area Transportation Authority.
“There is no ‘annual salary’ for our bus operators as they are paid on an hourly basis. Their ‘annual pay’ is based on how many hours each operator actually works in a year.”By comparison, the average salary of an associate professor at Ferris State was $71,900 while an assistant professor earned $64,500 in 2012, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.“Everything about mass transit is grossly overpriced,” said Leon Drolet, chairman of the Michigan Taxpayers Alliance. “That’s one reason there is a lot of skeptics with mass transit.
It’s not about getting people around, it’s about spending government money.”Jeff Steinport, who helped found citizen taxpayers watchdog group in Kent County, has investigated transit spending in Michigan. He said he wasn’t surprised more than 30 CATA drivers made $70,000 or more.“Regional transit agencies are unaccountable,” Steinport said. “They do not have elected leadership yet they are able to raise taxes. Regional transit agencies are undemocratic and consequently, they are insulated from the consequences of making poor financial decisions.
No one is held accountable when the system is wasting taxpayer money. We believe that regional transit agency boards should be elected, like every other government entity in the state that is able to raise property taxes. Further, unlike school districts, transit agencies have no mandated transparency.' CATA served 11.8 million passengers in 2011, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.
The agency's 145 buses served about 223 passengers per day, according to MDOT.When factoring in inflation, CATA’s drivers’ labor costs have increased from $2.6 million in 2003-04 to an anticipated $4 million in 2012-13, while drivers’ benefits have jumped from $1.2 million in 2003-04 to an anticipated $2 million in 2012-13.See also.
Available in the App Store and on Google Play, “Transit” offers numerous features to help you easily navigate around Charleston.Bus Route: See vehicle locations in real time, find nearby stops, and receive stop announcements.Service Alerts: Keep on top of schedule changes, stop relocations and other unexpected surprises.Favorites: Always take the same bus? Move it to the top of the list by adding it to your favorites.Timetables: View the full schedule for a route and set alarms to remind you to leave.Countdowns: Get real-time predictions based on data from the transit agency.“Go”: Get step-by-step transit directions and notifications about when to leave for your trip and when to get off the bus.Plan a trip!: Compare trips side by side with your preferred transport modes selected. PassesPasses are great if you ride regularly, prefer not to carry exact change, or are visiting and plan to use CARTA services to get around Charleston. Passes are accepted on all regular fixed route buses, while premium services like Express will require a up-charge.Note: Update 11/2019–Weekly passes for fixed route and Express routes NOW AVAILABLE.For questions regarding eligibility and requirements, email or call.Please note: CARTA does not replace or refund lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed passes. If you have questions or concerns regarding your pass purchase, please contact administration at. Children.
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Regular routes and flex service free for children under 6. Must be accompanied by a paying passenger.Low-Income FaresLow-income fares are available to those who qualify. Qualified individuals will receive a CARTA ID that they will need to show when paying the discounted fare. Qualifications must be re-verified every 6 months to be eligible to use the discount fare. Low-Income tickets are available at CARTA Administrative offices and at The SC Works Charleston Career Center.
Low-Income Fare: $1.25 per rideLow-Income Ticket: $1.25 eachLow-Income fare and determinations are made at:The SC Works Charleston Career CenterPhone:Phone:ID cards are issued between the hours of 8:30am and 5:00pm, Monday–Friday (Closed for lunch 12noon-1pm) Senior FaresCARTA takes you to most hospitals, libraries, grocery stores, shopping centers and service agencies throughout the Charleston area.On Monday, August 21, CARTA will hold another Senior Free Day where seniors 55+ can ride all routes for free. This is the perfect opportunity to get some shopping done, visit friends or family or simply explore the city and our different routes. If you have any questions, please call for more info.As of Monday, July 15, 2019, Seniors ride for a discounted fare (over 50% off regular prices) of $1 during all hours of service. Seniors are considered 55+.Drivers may request proof of age.
Medicare cards or I.D. Card with date of birth will serve as identification for the fare.Want to ride, but not sure how? Simply call and let our operations staff pair you with a CARTA Ambassador! Learn the ropes and make a new friend. If you’re interested in becoming a CARTA Ambassador, or wish to be paired with one, please call or email us at. Regular Fixed Route FareA discount fare is available to the disabled and can be used on all Fixed Routes, all day, every day.Disabled Fare — Regular Fixed Routes: $0.75 per rideTo use the disabled fare, you must receive a Disabled Fare ID Card issued at the SC Works Charleston Career Center. Passengers with a Tel-A-Ride I.D.
Card can ride fixed-routes for free.The SC Works Charleston Career CenterPhone:Phone: Schools & School GroupsAs a pilot program, all students through age 18 ride for free in the CARTA service area. Please check back periodically for any changes to the policy. Best Value PassStudent passes are valid for an entire semester (6 months-period), all for only $80 per semester.Student passes allow unlimited use on all regular fixed routes and can be used on premium services like CARTA Express with an additional $1.00.Student passes are available for student attended eligible institutions. For eligibility requirements, please call.Students will be required to show a current school ID.Passes can be purchased at the CARTA offices located at. Several institutions throughout the Charleston area work with CARTA to provide students with passes on campus.Programs and cost vary for each institution. Passes are available on campus at the following:. Trident Technical College.
Miller Motte Technical College. Charleston Southern UniversityFor more information, please call.Discounts may be available if you have a school group that would like to use CARTA for a field trip or area outing. Large groups should always contact CARTA administration offices to make sure that services are monitored to ensure an effective trip.Here’s a few thing to keep in mind:. An existing route must be used. CARTA can not come to your location or detour from regular route service for your trip. Please plan your trip along regular route lines and regular route times.If you need trip planning assistance, please refer to our trip planner or call to speak to administration.If your school would like to find out more about CARTA’s pass programs, contact us by email at or call.
As of Monday July 15, 2019 passengers will be allowed one transfer at no change. Transfers will be issued in the same manner; passengers will need to ask the driver for a transfer when they board the bus and pay their fare. Transfers can be made to another bus routed of the same type or same direction.Transfers are not allowed from DASH Shuttles.
Transfers between differing bus types are not allowed.Transfers are timed and travel on all routes to complete your trip should be conducted during the time allotted on the transfer ticket.Passengers will only be issued one transfer per trip. Passengers can not receive a transfer using a transfer.
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