Dial-A-Ride -- is it worth using? (Spartanburg, Gaffney: house, transfer, to buy)

[Just Saiyan Paul]

Hello folks!

I'm 19 years old (going to be 20 in August) and I have not found the time to actually get me a car or go to the DMV since I've been so busy with college work.

Sometimes I use SPARTA to get off campus at SCC and going home will take nearly 4 times as long as I'm going through two buses. Plus, the nearest bus stop is a mile away from my house since I live on the outskirts of Spartanburg (near Broome High School). Walking gets pretty tiring when it's hot outside, too. Transfers and passes are cheap there, though. Sadly however, that doesn't seem to generate enough revenue for the city to warrant better transportation.

I thought about taking a Dial-A-Ride bus to get to certain areas not served by SPARTA (Boiling Springs, Duncan, Gaffney, etc.), and had several questions regarding that. Have you people used those Spartanburg County Transportation Service buses before? Like, what would be the exact cost of going to Duncan? Do you have to call for a ride a day in advance, and do you pay immediately when you get on the bus? Thought about maybe hitting Shipwreck Cove on my own whim.

- Paul P.

[CCUGal]

You haven't found time in almost 4 years to at least get a license?

Boy, the day my divorce was final, my butt was at the DMV office within 15 minutes so I could get a new license with my new last name. If I had that kind of time, anyone in the world has time to get their license.

[antenna]

I don't drive due to my vision, so I am a regular bus rider and have used the Dial-a-Ride service occasionally. It has been a while since I have used it, so maybe things have changed. You are correct that rides have to be reserved by a specific time the prior day. You have to plan ahead, and I'd recommend setting some reminders on your phone to call and make reservations. Cost is done by zone, and they can tell you the cost on the phone. You will pay cash when you get on the bus, and I think they will take a check.

Here are the big drawbacks. First, the public ridership portion is shared with medical transport and other social agencies, and public riders end up being the lowest priority. They carry a lot of dialysis patients in the morning, so I haven't found them useful then. I've heard it's better by 9am. For school or work, you'll probably want to set pickups where you call when ready. That ensures they don't come too early, but means you might have to wait awhile. The routes to drop off vary each day, so you might get a direct ride or you might get to tour the county. Dial-a-Ride does pickup until 6, which is later than the last city bus.

I don't see why you couldn't take it out to the Duncan waterpark. You might have some waiting to do. However, if you have a buddy with a car, you could offer to buy their ticket for about what the ride you cost and no waiting.