Headquarters 3613 Lucius Rd Website catchthecomet.org Routes 27 | Locale Columbia, SC Founded 2002 Service type Transit bus | |
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Service area Richland and Lexington Counties, South Carolina Fuel types Diesel fuel, Compressed natural gas | ||
The Comet, officially the Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (CMRTA), is the operator of mass transportation in Richland and Lexington counties in the Columbia metropolitan area of South Carolina. Eighteen standard, all-day routes serve metropolitan Columbia, while eight peak hour routes and one weekend special are also operated by the transit agency.
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History
Until 2002, the public transit system in Columbia was operated by the South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G), a successor of a former streetcar system. The city of Columbia signed a deal with SCE&G in December 2001 to take over the transit system effective the following year, in exchange for a 30-year utilities franchise. The Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (CMRTA) was established in 2002 and contracted Connex to operate its bus routes beginning in October 2002.
For the first 10 years of operation, the CMRTA relied heavily on transitional funds from SCE&G to fund service. After a $2.5 million funding shortfall and bus service cuts in 2010, the CMRTA Board placed a sales tax on the November ballot to fund transit; the tax measure failed by 2,200 votes. On November 6, 2012, voters in Lexington and Richland counties approved a one-cent sales tax to fund public transit service. A government activist filed a lawsuit in late 2012, arguing that the election had been subject to widespread disenfranchisement. The South Carolina Supreme Court upheld the election and tax in March 2013, dismissing the case and allowing planning on service restoration to continue.
In April 2013, the Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority re-branded itself as "The COMET" with new liveries and branding to follow.