Lowcountry Rapid Transit enters final design phase

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The Lowcountry Rapid Transit (LCRT) is officially in its final design phase.

Leaders celebrated their progress at the future site of the Shipwatch Square Transit Center. The LCRT project began in 2019, reached it 60% design phase in September, and is now awaiting federal funding in the coming years.

The transit center is one of the main components of the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA). Once the LCRT is completed, it will combine the two into this station.

“The LCRT serving as spine for that network,” Sharon Hollis, principal planner of the LCRT, said. “We’ll be relocating our super stop, which is over on Cosgrove, to this location. So we can bring all the buses in at the same time, really spend up that transfer, and make it safer for everyone trying to transfer off Rivers Avenue.”

Reggie Burgess, the mayor of North Charleston, said the LCRT will become vital for his community. He emphasized the necessity for residents to have access to public transportation to get to and from work.

“A majority of this will actually go through North Charleston,” Burgess said. “We’re looking to make dedicated bus lanes to keep rapid transit flowing. The one thing that we realize is that the Lowcountry Rapid Transit system will improve the quality of life for the traveling public.”

According to officials, the route will stretch 21.3 miles including through the cities of Ladson, North Charleston, and downtown Charleston.

The state’s first mass transit system is planning to improve roadways and infrastructure for its riders along with bikers, pedestrians, and drivers. The 20 stations are expected to be center and side running, have 21 hours of weekday service on a 10-minute schedule, accommodate accessibility needs, and provide WIFI.

The project is waiting for federal funding, which leaders said they are in the process of applying for. However, they are confident the project will be completed.

“As long as we meet those benchmarks, we are number one on the list for all the federal projects,” Mike Seekings, Charleston city councilman and CARTA chairman, said. “So, we have no doubt that as long as we do our job, and we have, that this project will be fully funded, and a go, on time, on budget. We worked really hard, but one thing that doesn’t keep us up at night is whether this is going to happen. It is but it’s a matter of making it happen that’s kind of the elbow grease of it.”

The Shipwatch Square Transit Center is expected to break ground within the next year or so. Construction for the project is projected to begin in 2027, with an estimated full opening in 2029.