Ferries, not buses, emerge as potential transit solution for Daniel Island

Daniel Island was built around water, yet it moves almost entirely on wheels.  

Each day, its bridges carry a steady stream of cars in and out, reinforcing a simple reality: if you live here, you drive out.  

Now for the first time in a more formal way, leaders at the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority, known as CARTA, are openly exploring whether that has to remain the only option – not by adding more buses across the bridges, but by introducing ferries across the water instead. 

While nothing is funded or finalized yet, CARTA board chairman and Charleston City Councilmember Mike Seekings said the idea is moving into a study phase focused specifically on water transit. 

“There haven't been any studies done yet – that's going to be the next step,” he said. “We're going to focus on the water side of it for now.” 

When asked what form transit would take, his answer was simple: “Ferries.” 

“Given the status and population of Daniel Island and where we think people want to go, the water is going to be a very good solution, and in the end, a much more economical one,” he said, noting studies will likely begin this year. 

The focus on water-based transit marks a clear distinction from traditional bus expansion, something Seekings called “unrealistic.” 

“For bringing full-time, seven-days-a-week bus service to Daniel Island, I can just tell you right now, there is not the demand. If there was, we would be there, but there just isn't.” 

A long-discussed gap in service 

The conversation around transit on Daniel Island is not new. Residents have raised the issue for years, pointing out that while other parts of Charleston have CARTA access, Daniel Island does not. 

Island resident Debbie Sindelare has been one of the more consistent voices on the issue. 

“Despite being one of the Charleston area’s most vibrant and growing communities, Daniel Island remains a transportation island in more ways than one, yet there is still no public bus service connecting it to downtown Charleston or the broader region,” she wrote in a recent Daniel Island News column. That gap has never made much sense.” 

She said the common explanation – lack of demand – has never been fully tested. 

Others say even limited service could help residents who rely on cars or ride-shares. 

Why ferries are back in focus 

For Seekings, the renewed attention on water transit is rooted in experience, not theory. 

He pointed to the 2018 closure of the Wando Bridge after a snapped cable forced traffic onto the remaining lanes. During that disruption, CARTA, the South Carolina Department of Transportation, and private partners operated temporary ferry service. 

“We operated ferries… and it worked. They were full. People loved it.” 

That “pilot program,” he said, demonstrated that water routes can function as real transit, not just an emergency backup. 

Seekings also pointed to Charleston’s history. 

“In the early 1900s, when transit was really focused on the Peninsula, it also had a ferry component to it, so there's a history there. There'sclearly an opportunity here.”  

Potential routes 

There are no official routes yet, but early discussions focus on the natural waterways inside the I-526 loop. 

“The natural points of contact would be Daniel Island, North Charleston, and the Charleston Peninsula (downtown),” Seekings said. 

The idea is not a single commuter line but a broader water network linking key parts of the region. 

The biggest hurdles: infrastructure and funding 

Unlike buses, ferry systems require physical access points on the water. 

“You've got to identify points of embarkation, debarkation. The biggest infrastructure needed is docking space and parking, because they'reeffectively parking ferries,” Seekings said, noting that Daniel Island has the geography to support it, but logistics will determine feasibility. 

“There's plenty of deep water access to Daniel Island, and you don't even really need that deep of water for the scale we're talking about.” 

Daniel Island Ferry co-owner Colby Hollifield said operators are already working with CARTA and city leaders to expand service, adding that while commuter demand has fluctuated since COVID-19, “the boat part is the easiest part of the equation,” with docks and parking posing the biggest hurdle. 

While it’s too early for funding details, Seekings said any future system would likely rely on a mix of local, state, and federal sources, along with the region’s transportation sales tax. 

“The (transportation sales tax) is vital for public transit in the region,” he said. “If we don't continue the 2004 half-penny in the next ballot with the referendum, all of this and more is going to be almost impossible to do without the funding.” 

“Nothing’s not an option” 

Despite the early stages, Seekings said the intent is clear: the conversation is not going away. 

“We've got to do something. We can't do nothing. Nothing's not an option. We want to make sure that there's transportation planned for Daniel Island in the future.” 

He said early evidence – including past ferry use and private water shuttles – suggests demand may already exist, with a pilot program possible after feasibility work. 

Residents response mixed 

Reactions on Daniel Island remain split. 

Sindelare said transit would fill a long-standing gap. 

“A modest CARTA route or shuttle connecting Daniel Island to downtown Charleston could deliver real benefits to residents, businesses, and the region as a whole.” 

Others remain cautious. 

Daniel Island resident Mark Ellis said he’s open to the idea, but unsure it fits the island’s daily reality. “I can see the appeal, especially for downtown trips but I don’t know if enough people would actually use it day to day to make it practical.” 

Another resident, Karen Whitfield, questioned whether resources might be better spent elsewhere. “It sounds interesting, but I worry about cost and whether it would really solve the traffic issues we actually deal with on the bridges.”  

The next phase for CARTA 

For now, the idea of public transportation on Daniel Island remains exactly that – an idea entering the study phase. CARTA is expected to begin feasibility work focused on water transit, with possible pilot programs still down the line and potentially involving private partners. 

Seekings said broader regional transit planning also plays a role, especially as Lowcountry Rapid Transit moves toward construction. 

Still, for the first time in years of discussion, officials are openly pointing to ferries – not buses – as the most realistic path forward. And as Seekings put it, the direction is not about whether transit comes to Daniel Island but how. 

“We will keep moving it forward. We'll get it studied up. We'll figure out logistics and keep moving.”