FLORENCE, S.C. — Bus riders in Florence who finish work after dark could soon have a way home, as the Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority prepares to stretch its evening hours and patch a long midday hole in its Saturday schedule.
The changes follow public hearings this week where riders told agency leaders about packed buses, late arrivals, worries about safety at the main transit center and a two-hour Saturday break that can leave people stranded.
Executive Director Don Strickland said the authority will extend service hours on the Florence system, add a new route aimed at workers and rework Saturday timing. Many riders hold second-shift jobs at Magnolia Mall, hotels and other businesses and get off around 7 or 8 p.m., after buses currently stop, leaving some to walk home in the dark.
Riders may see the new schedule in a matter of weeks, according to the agency. The board meets Thursday to go over what it heard.
Money is part of the picture. Earlier this year the authority asked Florence City Council for $525,000 to handle higher fuel costs and an aging fleet after rides became free last year. Strickland said steady local dollars from the city and Florence County let the agency draw matching federal money it has missed in past years.
The authority is also weighing a new layout for its large Florence bus station, where armed security guards were added earlier this year. It is hiring as well.
