COLUMBIA, S.C. — The COMET is asking for community feedback to decide between two concepts of the a new bus network could look like.
The two concepts along with the community response is part of the first phase of the Reimagine The COMET planning process. According to The COMET, this is a two-year planning study to recommend changes to the system.
Over the next two months, The COMET invites the public to learn more about these two concepts by reading more at its project website here, participating in public meetings and taking the public survey.
The two concepts are a coverage concept and a ridership concept.
The coverage concept would include higher coverage, which means more people and places would have service. This concept also includes shorter walks to routes and longer waiters since it would be spread out to cover more area. In some places, variable transit service would replace existing bus service.
According to The COMET, this concept would take 50% of the budget for ridership goals and 50% for coverage goals.
Peak services:
- Keeps route 74, 92x, 93x, 97 with other routes that have higher frequencies during peak periods continuing to do so.
Soda cap routes:
- Removes route 2, keeps route 1, 4
The ridership concept would include more routes available ever 15 minutes, all week long. It would also include key routes running on the weekends and faster transfers. Some places would lose service in this concept.
According to The COMET, this concept would take 80% of the budget for ridership goals and 20% for coverage goals.
Peak services:
- Keeps routes 92x, 93x with all other services the same during the midday and peak periods.
Soda cap routes:
- Are replaced by other radial routes since they mostly provide duplication.
To view the concepts in further detail view the plans here.
The COMET will be engaging the public in multiple ways from November 12th through December 31st to get responses from riders and the general public.
The COMET will host virtual public meetings on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 from noon to 1 p.m. and Wednesday December 9, 2020 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. to explain these concepts and answer questions.
Details for participating in these public meetings are available at the project website www.reimaginethecomet.org.
