Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority
| Founded | 1973 by |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Chattanooga, Tennessee |
| Service area | City of Chattanooga, Hamilton County and surrounding areas |
| Service type |
|
| Alliance | Lookout Mountain Incline Railway |
| Routes | 16 |
| Depots | 1 |
| Fleet | 105 |
| Annual ridership | apprx. 3 million |
| Fuel type | Electric Natural Gas Diesel |
| Executive Director | Lisa Maragnano |
| Website | www |
The Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) is the mass transit provider for Chattanooga, Tennessee and its vicinity.
Public transportation first appeared on the streets of Chattanooga in 1875, utilizing horse-drawn trollies. The two main routes followed Market Street and Ninth Avenue (now Martin Luther King Boulevard). In 1889, the trollies were replaced with electric streetcars. With the advent of the internal combustion engine, buses began to appear more frequently. In 1941, Southern Coach Lines took over the public transit operations, and the last streetcar ran in 1946.
In 1973, the City of Chattanooga purchased the assets of the former Southern Coach Lines, and formed the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority. CARTA now operates 16 bus routes, trimmed down from 30, as some routes have been consolidated or eliminated.
In addition, CARTA also operates a free downtown shuttle bus service, utilizing electric buses, which runs between the Chattanooga Choo-Choo (the former Terminal Station Hotel) at 14th and Market Streets and the Bijou Theatre on Broad and 3rd Streets. Public parking is available at both locations. CARTA owns and operates the historic Lookout Mountain Incline Railway, which ascends from the St. Elmo neighborhood to the town of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee. CARTA also provides paratransit van services, called Care-A-Van.
As of August 16, 2015[update]
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