Federal Transit Administration Region Applauds The Comet
The Midlands transit system (The Comet) is winning accolades for improvements in its service since implementation of the penny sales tax passed in 2012.
On May 14, The Comet won one of the inaugural STAR Awards Awards (The Southeast Transit Achievements and Recognition) at the 2015 Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Region IV Southeastern Regional Transit Conference. FTA Region IV includes more than 150 transit agencies in the Southeast, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“It’s nice to be recognized by our peers, but we’re even prouder of the support we’re getting from riders and the community for the positive changes we are making,” said Robert Schneider, The Comet’s executive director.
Since receiving the first revenues from the sales tax in February 2014, The Comet has:
- Increased ridership and services by at least 40 percent
- Added flex route to rural north-central part of Richland County
- Restored weekend service and added Sunday service that equals Saturday
- Eliminated transfers, lowered the cost of an all-day pass, and added two new fares (5-day and 7-day)
- Introduced real time tracking and mobile pay apps
- Introduced the Half-Pass program that allows seniors, persons with disabilities, persons with Medicare cards, veterans and youth to carry mobile ID cards for half fares on all-day, 5-day, 7-day, and 31-day passes .
- Introduced The Orbit:, a downtownloop
- Added express route to the northeast part of Columbia
- Added three non-downtown routes: Cross-town, In-town and Route 63, which terminates at the USC campus.
