McCormick County Expands Transit Service to Three Cities in Abbeville County | New

Plans to provide transit service to Abbeville County have been underway for at least a year. In April, Bill Boone, executive director of the United Christian Ministries in Abbeville County, requested County Council support for the plan.

On October 8, Matrans officials received a $ 100,000 grant from the National Rural Transit Assistance Program for Community Rides, which will fund the system until December 31, 2022.

A three-day service will be available, with one day for each town – Abbeville, Calhoun Falls, and Due West – and an additional day designated as a “Big Circle” day to encompass Abbeville County and connect to the public transportation system. Anderson Electric Common at Honea Path. .

The three cities were chosen because they each have medical facilities.

When funders attempted to determine support for a transit system, a UCMAC survey indicated people wanted to go to the ministry’s free medical clinic but had no transportation. . Other organizations across the county have also expressed a need for transportation.

Almost 260 responses were returned. Up to 60% of respondents live in Abbeville, 21% live in Calhoun Falls, the rest in Iva, Lowndesville and Due West. More than half of respondents said they had problems getting to doctors’ offices and grocery stores. Up to 12% said they could not find work due to lack of transportation.

According to the survey, in 2015, the Abbeville region medical center conducted a community health needs assessment. Up to 13 organizations were asked to list the critical needs of Abbeville County. Seven of them indicated that transportation was a critical need.

The goal is to help as many people as possible, Boone said in April. The focus is likely to be on the provision of medical transport services, as well as transport to grocery stores, pharmacies, work and school.

Transit time for all sites in Abbeville County will be 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to Matrans executive director Becky Moon.

The transit system schedule for Abbeville County will be as follows: the bus will be at Due West on Monday, at Abbeville on Tuesday, and at Calhoun Falls on Thursday.

In addition, the bus will make the “Big Circle” to integrate with the Anderson area transit system on Friday. Matrans is due to be in Abbeville on Wednesday to take people from McCormick to the Abbeville area medical center for dialysis and will be there for use by people in Abbeville if needed.

If connections can be made to the Anderson area mass transit system, then Matrans will be able to unite with Honea Path once a week, possibly during the first and second run of the electric mass transit system. ‘Anderson in the early afternoon.

Those who need to use the transit system should call 864-446-6415 before 2:00 p.m. the day before pickup.

Authorities decided not to charge departing riders for using the transit system in the hope that this would encourage people to use it frequently.

At McCormick, fees vary depending on where the runners want to go. A return trip to McCormick County costs about $ 2-3; $ 7 for trips to Greenwood and Abbeville; and $ 14 for a trip to Augusta, Moon said.

Some people would be willing to pay for the goodwill, Boone said in April. The UCMAC survey indicated that $ 3 is the maximum that some people would be willing to pay for a one-way trip to or from work.

If people have the option to shop, dine, or receive health care locally, “it supports your own county, it supports the city you live in,” Moon said.

“If you invest in it, you invest in your community.

Matrans owns more than 20 vehicles, including minivans, coupes (small buses) and four larger vans, all of which are ADA compliant, Moon said. It employs 13 people as drivers.

Matrans will provide the vehicle for maintenance. If he needs to park a vehicle in Abbeville, Boone has offered a place in the UCMAC car park.

Each month, the McCormick Area Transit System will distribute data regarding the number of passengers, location, mileage used, etc. This information will be used to continually reassess the system and hopefully be used to secure a public transport contract with the state. Ministry of transportation.