The upcoming 2024 Transportation Sales and Use Tax Ordinance and Referendum, that is to be voted on in November, is shaking up discussions about public transit options in Beaufort. With a fast-growing residential and tourism population, it is apparent that the people of Beaufort are beginning to need more options for transportation. In the recent City Council work session on July 9th, Councilman Josh Scalatte reintroduced the proposed penny tax on the ballot this November, which sparks necessary discourse regarding the state and quality of Beaufort’s public transportation options. To gain a better understanding of what the future of public transportation in Beaufort might look like, Beaufort Insider spoke with both Beaufort Mayor Phil Cromer and Director of Marketing & Communications of LRTA, Brian Sullivan.
Brian Sullivan told Beaufort Insider that an upcoming transportation study in Beaufort County will be the driving force to develop the LRTA’s future service coverage. Sullivan reported seeing the need for a more robust system in Beaufort firsthand, emphasizing that “in Beaufort, there is no real public transportation.” But not for long, as the study is expected to be completed within 10 to 12 months. In the meantime, Mayor Cromer and Beaufort City Council will have had adequate time to converse with the public and define what the city’s priorities will be for public transportation. But of course, there is always the question of how much this future development is going to cost.
Inadequate funding has been noted by both Mayor Cromer and Brian Sullivan as the biggest issue facing the development of the city’s public transportation system. However, the upcoming 2024 Transportation Sales and Use Tax Ordinance and Referendum, that is to be voted on in November, could be a game changer for both Palmetto Breeze and the City of Beaufort. This referendum would collect $950 million for numerous improvement projects around Beaufort County including funding for mass transit, road, and pathway improvement projects, giving the City of Beaufort, Port Royal, and Lady’s Island each $10 million for municipal projects. In the City Council meeting on July 9th, Councilman Mitch Mitchell made a point to reference the last tax referendum, which was not passed, reminding citizens that “education is going to be key to this and the more that we can do as a city to educate the citizens, the more likely this will be successful.” All councilmen could agree that the more that the referendum is explored and discussed the better, and future work sessions will be held on the topic.
But the million-dollar question remains, if the new tax referendum is passed, what would the city do with $10 million in funding? In an interview prior to the last City Council meeting, Mayor Cromer reported his long-term vision for the City’s public transportation options, “I want to see regular routes that connect Beaufort, Port Royal, and Lady’s Island.” Furthermore, Mayor Cromer touched on additional routes that would connect the military bases to downtown and neighboring islands. Currently, there are no transit routes that incorporate any military base in Beaufort.
As talk of the tax referendum is becoming more prominent, many stakeholders have mentioned the idea of a trolley service downtown, including Mayor Cromer and other city councilmen, and Brian Sullivan of Palmetto Breeze. Mayor Cromer, who campaigned on the idea of a trolley prior to his election, explained in our interview that, “the trolley would enhance tourism, reduce congestion, and improve walkability.” When asked to envision what the trolley would look like, Mayor Cromer emphasized that the trolley would be crafted to fit Beaufort’s character and charm, but “no matter what, it must be useful and convenient, and we’ll have to educate the public to make them aware and encourage them to use and support the trolley.” In the most early stages of the city’s future development, Mayor Cromer envisioned that the city could implement a Park-and-Ride system, especially for large events downtown. For example, with the Annual Beaufort Water Festival that’s happening right now, such a service would help alleviate congestion and parking issues while opening the area up to bring more festival-goers and tourists into town.
In 2018, there was a free shuttle service in downtown Beaufort that stopped at multiple historical markers and tourism attractions in the area, funded by local organizations and museums. When questioned about its closing, Mayor Cromer explained that the shuttle only lasted about three months and did not function as well as intended largely due to irregular routes and a lack of public knowledge. This is one of many areas where Palmetto Breeze’s research study will come in handy.
The Spanish Moss Trail is an example of how affordable and convenient public transportation can benefit the community. Spanning over 10 miles to connect Beaufort and Port Royal, the trail provides a safe and scenic pathway for work commuters, tourists, and recreational residents to traverse and enjoy. On the road, the Lowcountry Regional Transportation Authority, also known as Palmetto Breeze, is the primary transportation provider for Beaufort and surrounding areas. Palmetto Breeze has about two dozen fixed route commuter bus lines, and offers both demand response and coordinated trip services in the surrounding area.
Despite the numerous benefits to both the Spanish Moss Trail and the services of Palmetto Breeze, residents and tourists of Beaufort require a more robust public transportation system to meet their needs as Beaufort’s popularity and population continue to increase. In a recent interview with Mayor Phil Cromer, he stated that the challenge with Palmetto Breeze, “is that we are limited in routes, frequency, and operating hours.” Currently, there is only one bus route in Beaufort, Route 702, a loop that runs throughout the city by demand from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Monday through Friday. While convenient during the weekdays, the limited operating hours put a burden on those that cannot or do not drive. It also puts a burden on residents who work unconventional hours, such as food service workers, which make up the largest percentage of employment by industry in the last quarter of 2023, according to S.C. Department of Employment & Workforce Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages. Although Route 702 is limited, the Beaufort Loop is and has been the most traveled route over the last year compared to Route 501 from Seabrook and Route 502 from St. Helena Island, as shown by Palmetto Breeze ridership data provided by Brian Sullivan.
Beaufort and its neighbors have made great strides in building a functional public transportation system. Yet, as the population grows and tourism expands, we must continue to develop these systems to meet the needs of the people. The upcoming 2024 Transportation Sales and Use Tax Ordinance and Referendum that is to be voted on in November could prove to be a turning point for Beaufort. But if the referendum is not passed, both Mayor Cromer and Brian Sullivan have reported that these ideas will still be discussed and built upon, it will just take longer to collect the necessary funding to make it happen. Regardless, addressing the gaps and areas for improvement is essential for fostering economic mobility and enhancing quality of life for residents and tourists alike. Through collaboration with stakeholders and development of current systems, Beaufort can move towards a future where reliable, affordable, and accessible transportation options are available to everyone. Even the people that will never use it will benefit from it, as Brian Sullivan explained. “We always tell people that you don’t have to ride public transit to appreciate and support it, because it helps you as a private driver, your contractors, it helps everybody,” he said.
Both the City of Beaufort and Palmetto Breeze have expressed great interest in gathering public opinion on the future of transit in the area. To contact the City of Beaufort, citizens can attend the next City Council meeting on August 27th either in-person or via Zoom to ask questions and/or make comments. To contact Palmetto Breeze, please reach out via their Facebook Page, or leave a message on the Palmetto Breeze website.`
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