Florence County, South Carolina – The Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority (PDRTA) is making a big change to how public transportation works in Florence County. Starting on Monday, August 11, all PDRTA transportation services in the county will be free of charge. This was made possible thanks to funding gotten by the Florence County officials.
The new program, called “Fare Free Florence,” aims to remove financial barriers for people who need to use public transportation to get to work, medical appointments, stores, and more. The change is a big deal for the area since it means that it will now be like Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Marion, and Marlboro, which currently have fare-free service.
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On August 11, there will be a special launch celebration at the Florence Transit Center, which is located at 228 W. Darlington Street. The celebration starts at 9:30 a.m. and at 10:00 a.m. there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Local leaders will be honored, and everyone in the community is welcome to come, hear from transportation officials, and take part in a picture opportunity to celebrate the shift.
“This is a major step forward in removing barriers to opportunity across Florence County,” said Don Strickland, Executive Director of PDRTA, in a release sent to Florence News Journal. “By eliminating fare, we’re not only expanding access to jobs, education and healthcare, but also creating a more efficient service for everyone. We’re incredibly grateful to Florence County for stepping up to support fare-free service.”
This decision makes sense for PDRTA in terms of both money and practicality. Passengers only had to pay $1.50 for a trip on city lines and $1.00 for a journey on LakeTran, but the cost of maintaining and managing the fare collection systems was higher than the money they brought in. Continuing with a fare-based model would have forced a costly upgrade of farebox equipment. By not charging fares, the revenues can be used to make services better, more reliable, and bigger.
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The PDRTA is South Carolina’s biggest regional transit authority. It was set up in 1974. It covers more than 3,500 square miles and runs 44 bus routes, giving around 400,000 people rides each year. PDRTA continually evolves to meet the requirements of the Pee Dee region. It is now more focused on connecting workers, making healthcare easier to get to, and helping elderly.
Residents can find more details and updates about Fare Free Florence at www.pdrta.org and by following PDRTA’s social media channels.
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