Camden County Joint Comprehensive Plan
Public Transportation During the steering committee/steering committee meeting, there was significant discussion about the role of public transportation and the importance that it has in Camden County. The issue of public transportation is even more significant in rural Georgia, particularly in Camden County. According to a December 2013 Forbes Magazine article, the costs of car ownership can vary as much as a $10,000 difference in operating expenses over a five year period depending solely on the address of a motorist. This article notes that Oregon has the cheapest ownership costs which include gasoline, insurance, repairs, taxes, and fees at an average of about $2,204 per year. In comparison, the state of Georgia faces annual car costs at an average of $4,322 which is well above the national average of $3,201 per year. Therefore, the state of Georgia has the highest annual automobile ownership costs in the nation. The residents of Georgia not only suffer the highest state automobile taxes and fees in the nation, they tend to drive far more than the national average, due in part to sprawl and a dearth or lack of public transportation. The article cites that Georgia’s pay $1,952 for taxes and registration while the residents of Oregon pay the lowest taxes and registration costs at $157. The high costs of car ownership and the lack of public transportation have significant impact for residents who desire access to conduct day to day business. Currently, the Coastal Regional Commission, which serves as the regional commission for the Coastal Region of Georgia which includes Camden County, provides general public transit services in 10 counties by Coastal Regional Coaches. The Coastal Regional Coaches are operated by the Transportation Department at the Coastal Regional Commission. The service is available to any resident of the Coastal region, for any purpose, and to any destination in the Coastal region. The fares for the service are very affordable and vary with different itineraries. The Coastal Regional Coaches is a demand-response, advance reservation services that operates Monday through Friday. During the committee meeting/steering committee, many of the participants noted that they were in favor of more enhanced service than currently provided by the fee based service. It was also noted during the meeting that it is would be costly for residents residing in Camden County and its three cities to use taxi service for basic needs such as doctor appointments, purchasing groceries, and going to work. In the spirit of cooperation, citizens of the City of St. Marys attempted a pilot program with the Coastal Regional Commission and its Coastal Regional Coaches to provide an enhanced level of service than currently exists with the current system. St. Marys assigned a task force to assist with their efforts and the group stated the transportation relates closely with economic development and makes it easier for citizens to work, shop, obtain medical care, and access public service. The program proposed by the City of St. Marys and the Coastal Regional Commission involved a bus service that ran on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and one Saturday per month starting in early 2018. Each van operated by Coastal Regional Coaches will be to accommodate 10 passengers and will be equipped with one infant seat. Unfortunately due to a lack of ridership the pilot program was discontinued by the Coastal Regional Commission. The pilot program still notes the importance of transpiration as it relates to economic development. 141