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 Berkeley, Calhoun and Orangeburg counties, Commuter services to Myrtle Beach and from Eastover to Columbia ( Lower Richland). 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 on a space available basis as a �cash client�. SWRTA has several vanpool services from Sumter to Columbia, Sumter to Camden and Bishopville to Camden.

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 1978, to serve the predominately rural Santee Lynches Region that contains Clarendon, Kershaw, Lee and Sumter counties. In agreement with the State laws, the SWRTA Board of Directors was formed.

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.

Currently the SWRTA provides different types of transportation services in eight (8) of the 46 counties within in the State. The SWRTA provides Medicaid Transportation services in six (6) � Berkeley, Calhoun, Clarendon, Kershaw, Lee and Sumter; Paratransit services in all eight (8) fixed route services in Sumter City only; Commuter (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 covering over 5,000 square miles within the Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, Lower Savannah and Santee Lynches Regions.

SWRTA has approximately 115 employees with three offices, Berkeley, Orangeburg and Sumter, with the main office being in Sumter City.

SWRTA is keeping fast to our motto �

�Your Community Transportation Provider � People Moving People�

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