Miscellaneous
As the Lowcountry region has grown, so has its issues with traffic and the strain on its roadways. One of the solutions proposed to ease that strain is a high-capacity mass transit system, something that doesn't exist yet in the state. That system is in the works for the Charleston area, and it has been for years. It’s called Lowcountry Rapid Transit, and this week residents got the closest look yet at how it will actually work.It’s a bus rapid transit system — listen for more on what that means — and it will stretch 21.5 miles, starting at the fairgrounds in Ladson, running through North Charleston on Rivers Avenue, extending downtown onto the peninsula and ending in the WestEdge area.The coalition of county governments behind the transit project, the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Chamber of Governments, just launched a virtual public meeting with new details and visuals.On today's podcast, project lead Sharon Hollis breaks down the basics of Lowcountry Rapid Transit, including the reasoning by the route, its stops and when it's expected to be operational. And reporter Rickey Dennis, who writes about the city of North Charleston, explains why the project's potential effects on housing affordability is a primary concern for community members and planners. Listen now for more.The Lowcountry Rapid Transit virtual meeting is self-guided and available at lowcountryrapidtransit.com. Public comments can be submitted on the site through May 26.