Grand Strand bus service no longer on state’s ‘high risk’ list

The Grand Strand’s public bus service is no longer in danger of losing state funding.

State Department of Transportation officials sent Coast RTA a letter on Jan. 6 informing the Conway-based agency that the transit service’s “high risk” status had been removed.

“We’re pleased with the direction that Coast RTA is moving in,” said Doug Frate, the DOT’s director of intermodal and freight programs.

“High risk” agencies face greater scrutiny from the state and can be forced to overcome additional bureaucratic hurdles when seeking funding. If problems persist, more drastic measures can be taken.

“Their next step would be pulling our funding,” said Coast General Manager Brian Piascik, who was hired last year.

Coast initially received the “high risk” designation in 2011 because of a botched bus shelter and signage program.

That project wound up costing the bus service more than $375,000 and was one reason the agency’s former CEO Myers Rollins lost his job in 2014.

Rollins had disputed Coast’s status with the state.

Shortly before he was fired, Rollins presented a letter to local media that bore DOT letterhead and had purportedly been written by the agency’s former deputy secretary. The letter described the DOT rescinding Coast’s “high risk” status.

State officials later said the letter was a fake and did not come from the DOT.

After his termination, Rollins sued Coast and the DOT, stating in court papers that the letter was legitimate.

Rollins’ lawsuit has not gone to trial yet.

The past contention between Coast and the state appears to be over.

Under Piascik’s leadership, Coast boosted its standing with the DOT by improving the agency’s management and internal controls, Frate said. He added that Coast leaders have also handled reviews well and proved they could address contracts with the state in a timely manner.

Piascik said the status change is a reflection of the state’s confidence in the agency.

“It’s just perception,” he said. “They feel like we have a plan. We’ve been doing better with our reporting and those types of things. So they have a better comfort level that we’re meeting, basically, the regs that they set for us.”

This story was originally published February 2, 2016 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Grand Strand bus service no longer on state’s ‘high risk’ list."