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Comet reports year‑over‑year ridership gains; December surge noted

Richland County Transportation Advisory Committee · January 12, 2026
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Summary

The county’s Comet transit program reported increases in ridership year‑over‑year — staff cited roughly 12.5% growth overall and a larger percentage increase for December — and said USC routes showed markedly higher passenger counts.

Representatives from the Comet program reported year-end ridership increases in their presentation to the Transportation Advisory Committee.

Dr. Nitsch (Comet) said the system saw notable ridership growth compared with 2024 and reported a roughly 12.5% year‑over‑year increase overall. He also said December showed a much larger jump, reporting that December 2025 counts were "up 55–57%" compared with December 2024. On University of South Carolina (USC) routes specifically, staff reported a substantial increase in passengers year‑over‑year.

The presenter told the committee the transit financial report was included in the meeting materials and invited committee members to ask follow-up questions of Maurice and other staff. No further questions were raised at that point in the meeting.