MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (August 9, 2019) - The Town of Mount Pleasant Transportation Department is reminding commuters that all Charleston County School District (CCSD) schools will begin their 2019-2020 calendar school year starting Wednesday, August 21. School start and release times vary by school but generally fall within 7:20 – 8:20 AM and 3:00 – 4:00 PM.
Traffic volumes on major roadways within the Town typically see an increase of approximately 20% to 30% in the morning peak hour during the school year compared to when school is not in session. This leads to longer commute times with larger delays occurring near these facilities. Avoid the frustration of waiting in traffic and plan to leave earlier or later to miss these higher volume periods. Otherwise, please have patience and understand the reason for this added travel time.
We ask that you respect and adhere to your school’s drop-off and pick-up routes and to park only in designated areas to avoid the likelihood of pedestrian-vehicle conflicts. Please contact your school for specifics on their approved routes and parking areas. Additionally, the Town fully supports and advocates for the use of alternate modes of transportation to and from school through CCSD’s school bus system, CARTA’s public transit, carpooling, walking, biking, etc. CARTA provides free bus passes to all students in the Tri-County region and can be requested by visiting the following website: https://www.ridecarta.com/studentsridefree/.
Please use extra caution during this change of traffic patterns as more pedestrians may be present on the roadways, especially near school campuses.
All comments or questions should be directed to James Aton, PE at (843) 856-3080 or JAton@tompsc.com.