Mount Pleasant, SC- Members of Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit & Hungryneck Straphangers, supported by other members of the SC Progressive network, will hold a protest at the offices of Congressman Mark Sanford and US Senator Lindsey Graham in opposition to a bill introduced by Sanford to eliminate all federal funding for public transit in the United States on Thursday, April 23 at 10 am. The offices are located at 530 Johnnie Dodds Boulevard, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464-3083. For more information on the protest see
www.busec.org.
Prior to the protest, supporters of public transit will hold a Stand Up 4 Transit demonstration at the nearby corners of Johnnie Dodds Blvd. and Houston Northcutt Blvd.
As part of the demonstration, local transit riders will offer statements to the media and anyone else present about the importance of public transit and the long history of support for transportation and communication by our Federal Government including the monumental efforts to build the transcontinental railroad, Panama Canal, interstate highway system and the transit systems which now provide access to work and opportunity for 30 million Americans.
During the demonstration petitions will be delivered to Sanford and Graham’s Offices and members of the transit riding community will visit staff there to share their concerns.
Members of the Network will also attend Wednesday night’s ALTI26 regional rapid transit planning meeting at the Military Magnet School in N. Charleston from 6-8 pm.
Sanford’s bill would slash federal transit funding to nothing over a period of five years, eliminating on third of the funds CARTA currently uses to operate and rendering the Lowcountry regional rapid transit system now being planned nearly impossible to construct. CARTA might be forced to eliminate over 40% of its service. The exact impact of such a massive loss of support has not yet been calculated.
In addition to Sanford’s bill, if Congress US does not act to reauthorize federal funding for transpiration before May 31 the current temporary authorization will expire. Transit funding, as well as federal funding for road and bridge construction would end on June 1st.
Hungryneck Straphangers communicated their concerns about the bill to Sanford’s office on April 8, but has had no response from the Congressman. Congressman James Clyburn, who also represents parts of the Charleston area, is a strong supporter of public transit.
For More Information Contact
William J. Hamilton, III
Attorney at Law, Coordinator Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit
(843) 870-5299
7:20 AM PT: We'll be live on WCBD Channel 2 news at 5:30 am with Annie Taylor on News 2 Today that morning. Other activists are welcome at the shoot.