Lowcountry Rapid Transit

Project Benefits

Project History

The South Carolina Lowcountry has long been one of America's premier destinations for visitors and new residents. In fact, with dozens of people relocating to the area every day, our region is growing at three times the national average. More people means more diversity, community vibrancy and economic opportunity. But with growth comes growing pains -- including strain on our already congested roadways.

In response to a clear need, LCRT project sponsor, the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments, conducted an intensive 15-month analysis to identify a transit alternative that would improve mobility and propel our region forward. After examining many options, and considering all available data, the i-26ALT study concluded that a bus rapid transit system running parallel to Interstate 26 would be the best regional solution.

Learn more on the i-26ALT study by clicking the link below.

Read the Analysis

LCRT Defined

Lowcountry Rapid Transit is being planned as a bus rapid transit (BRT system) serving the greater Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester region.

The Recommended Route

Through coordination with stakeholders, an end of line was identified at Hagood and Line adjacent to the Gadsden Green community. Stations in the Medical District with proximity to Gadsden Green and to West Edge generated the highest ridership for the LCRT and improved the project's competitiveness for federal funding.

The project team also adjusted the northern end of line from Downtown Summerville to the Exchange Park in Ladson. These decisions were made to balance costs while maximizing ridership and overall reliability for LCRT to qualify for federal funding. From this base, regional rapid transit can grow and thrive.

Project Funding

Funding is a critical component of LCRT. In 2016, Charleston County voters approved a Transportation Sales Tax Referendum that included $180 million for LCRT construction and an additional $70 million for operations. Today, the project team is positioning the system to receive matching resources through the highly competitive Federal Transit Administration Capital Investment Grants program. Project cost and ridership projections will play a critical role in eligibility for funds.

Project Timeline

We are at the halfway mark for a 12-year process to build the state’s first bus rapid transit system. The program requires projects to follow a clearly defined schedule, and construction is anticipated to begin in 2023. Hover over the dots on the timeline below for more details.

Project timeline is estimated under the New Starts Capital Investment Grant program guidelines.

• Local Planning Completed 2016

  Pre-Project Development, Operational Analysis, Alternatives Analysis, Travel Demand Forecasting

• Project Programming Completed 2019

  Preferred Alternative Identified, Agency Coordination, Scoping and NEPA, Funding and Schedule, Existing Conditions Evaluation, Conceptual Design (10%)

• Project Development

  Complete NEPA, Approximately 30% Design, Locally Preferred Alternative on the Long Range Plan

• Engineering

  Funding Commitments, Prepare Engineering Plans, Specifications, and Cost Estimates

• Construction

  Construct Infrastructure, Procure Electric Buses and Charging Equipment, Operator Training, Safety Certification

• Revenue Service

  Grand Opening, Open Service to the Public

Environmental Impact

A two-year National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review of the project began in late 2019. The purpose of this review is to minimize environmental impacts and ensure that the public is included in the decision-making process. The NEPA review is overseen by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). More information can be found by clicking the button below.

Learn More Now

Navigating NEPA

The NEPA process involves documenting a project’s impacts. The amount of documentation required is based on a project’s “class of action.” There are three classes of action:

• 1

  Categorical Exclusion (CE)

• 2

  Environmental Assessment (EA)

• 3

  Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

LCRT’s current class of action is a specific type of CE, known as a Documented Categorical Exclusion (DCE.) A DCE includes more detail than a typical CE and like a CE, documents an action that does not directly or cumulatively have a significant effect on the natural or human environment.

The use of Categorical Exclusions reduces paperwork, saves time and resources, and allows the project to stay on schedule — but also presents unique challenges.

Since the purpose of a DCE is to document minimal impacts of a project, it limits the area of effect the project can have and therefore confines the project predominantly to the existing roadway. This means that roadways cannot be widened to accommodate the project. Additionally, the project is limited in its ability to impact environmental resources in the corridor, including historic areas in the project area.

Read the final DCE.

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