CARTA presently contracts with Transdev for staffing and managing the bus drivers in addition to maintaining and scheduling the buses.

As with many communities across the United States, the Charleston region was served by streetcars and buses that were operated by electric companies.

In 1978, the popular Downtown Area Shuttle or DASH service began with the help of a federal grant.

[3] From its inception, CARTA has been hampered by insufficient funding it claimed it required to operate effectively.

In early November 2004, a half-cent sales tax referendum was passed (following one instance where it failed and another overturned), providing CARTA with the revenue to relaunch many of the services that were eliminated or consolidated due to insufficient funding.

[5] In late 2013, CARTA inaugurated its North Area Shuttle service (NASH) as a free circulator route to serve the North Charleston area, however this service was suspended in June 2014 due to low ridership.

Smaller “neighborhood” buses are used for the CARTA Tel-A-Ride service offering both single-door entry and wheelchair accessibility.

CARTA@Night was implemented to take passengers to any stop within four designated “zones” after most regular bus service has ended.

[6] After more than 15 years of planning, ground broke on the North Charleston Intermodal Transportation Center on September 5, 2007.

The facility will be located at the intersection of Montague Avenue and Seiberling Road in North Charleston and in close proximity to the airport, the coliseum and convention center and Tanger Outlet.

[7] Funding shortages caused delays in the project, however construction was completed and the transit center opened on December 13, 2018.