Who Is SWRTA?

The Santee Wateree Regional Transportation Authority (SWRTA) is the public transportation provider in Clarendon, Kershaw, Lee and Sumter counties; providing fixed route bus and ADA services in the City of Sumter with Shuttle services to the Cherryvale and Shaw Air Force Base Communities. SWRTA also provides Medicaid transportation services in Calhoun and Orangeburg counties, Commuter services to Myrtle Beach; Eastover to Columbia ( Lower Richland)and Bishopville and Sumter Loguff. SWRTA provides demand response (paratransit service), which operates in the urban and rural areas of the county. Paratransit service offers county residents accessible transportation options to ride any of these county routes based upon space availability as cash clients. SWRTA has a vanpool service from Sumter to Columbia.

SWRTA History

SWRTA, The Santee Wateree Regional Transportation Authority was created after the closure of the Sumter Bus Company.

In 1973, the South Carolina State Legislature saw the need for public transportation within the State and established the South Carolina Code of Laws Section 58-225-30.These laws enabled the establishment of the Santee Wateree Regional Transportation Authority in 1976; and in 1978 in agreement with the State laws, the SWRTA Board of Directors was formed. And in 1978 SWRTA began  serving the predominately rural Santee Lynches Region that includes Clarendon, Kershaw, Lee and Sumter counties.

In 1995, the SWRTA Board of Directors working with the South Carolina Department of Transportation agreed to manage and provide transit services to the Eastover ( Lower Richland) area, which was formerly operated by the Eastover Transit System.

In January 2000, the SWRTA initiated provisions of non-emergency Medicaid transportation services in Berkeley, Calhoun and Orangeburg counties. In 2007 when the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services changed its Medicaid Transportation services to a Brokerage System The SWRTA no longer provided services in Berkeley County.

Currently the SWRTA provides different types of transportation services in seven (7) of the 46 counties within in the State. The SWRTA provides Medicaid Transportation services in six (6) Calhoun, Clarendon, Kershaw, Lee, Orangeburg and Sumter; Paratransit services in all seven (7) fixed route services in Sumter City only with Routes extending onto Shaw AFB; Commuter and/or SmartRide services in Clarendon, Kershaw, Lee, Lower Richland and Sumter counties.

Today SWRTA is the second largest Small Urban and Rural public transportation system in the State providing transportation services within the Central Midlands, Lower Savannah and Santee Lynches COG Regions.

SWRTA has approximately 130 employees with two offices in Orangeburg and Sumter, with the main office being in the City of Sumter.

SWRTA is keeping fast to our motto, Your Community Transportation Provider " People Moving People"

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