COG takes on governance of TriCounty Link

Listen to this article

The Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments board of directors has assumed governance of TriCounty Link, the region’s rural public transportation service.

TriCounty Link had previously been governed by its own board of directors.

“This move will allow us to make strategic adjustments over time as our region changes,” COG Executive Director Ron Mitchum said in a news release. “The tri-county urban area is expanding while the rural area is shrinking, and this will impact how funding is allocated by various sources, including the federal government.”

Mitchum said TriCounty Link’s purpose will increasingly be connecting rural residents with employment training and jobs, and the governance change will make it easier to introduce new types of service.

The TriCounty Link system comprises nine regular fixed routes and six commuter routes. The current fleet consists of 60 vehicles that seat between 14 and 32 passengers.

The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority, the region’s urban transit provider, is administered by the COG but has its own board of directors.