PDRTA reports rising ridership, new shelters and hiring needs

Don Strickland, executive director of the Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority, told the Hartsville City Council that the local transit service is seeing steady ridership gains after a route revision and service changes. "The service is doing great," Strickland said, adding that the system averages about 130 trips a day in the city — roughly 3,200 trips a month.

Strickland gave a breakdown of typical trip purposes: "If you were to take your average month of 3200 trips, 1,900 of the 3,200 trips is work-related, about 700 of those trips are medical, and roughly 600 are essential" such as grocery or bill payments. He said the city's local operating budget for service is about $600,000 a year, and that local support is required to qualify for federal and state grants.

The transit director outlined capital and accessibility improvements. With partners including the Bley Foundation and Care First Carolina, PDRTA has installed five bus shelters and plans five more in the next 60 days; the shelters are ADA-accessible and feature solar lighting and USB charging. "Those shelters are fantastic," he said, and noted coordination with public works and a local contractor on site prep and encroachment permits.

Strickland said recent route adjustments were intended to place stops on the same side of the street as boarding passengers to reduce dangerous crossings. After public input and internal review, the agency rotated some routes to improve safety and shorten travel times by several minutes for affected segments.

He also flagged staffing needs: PDRTA is actively recruiting drivers, mechanics and dispatchers, and encouraged local residents to consider positions that include state retirement and health benefits. Strickland said he would provide a written report to council with more details ahead of the next meeting.

Council members thanked Strickland for the update and asked clarifying questions about shelter locations and recent route changes.