News

In the News
Posted on Aug 30 2024

Meet and Greet with COMET Executive Director, Maurice Pearl ***UPDATED***

The COMET will hold additional Meet and Greet events with its executive director with updated times as follows: Thursday, August 29              5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.          Richland Library Eastover Thursday, September 5         6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.          Richland Library Sandhills Thursday, September 12        6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.         Richland Library ...

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Posted on Aug 05 2024

COMET TO HOST COMMUNITY MEET AND GREET EVENTS WITH CEO, MAURICE PEARL

(August 5, 2024) Columbia, SC – The Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (The COMET) will host a series of community meetings with their new Executive Director/CEO, Maurice Pearl in partnership with the Richland Library during the months of August and September. The following dates and times are scheduled: Tuesday, August ...

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Posted on Jul 06 2024

Public Hearing on Richland Penny Tax to be held on Tuesday, July 9, 2024

A public hearing of the Penny Tax will be held on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at Richland County Administration Building at 2020 Hampton Street. The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers. The public is invited to attend. The COMET is expected to receive 22% of the Penny ...

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Posted on May 21 2024

COMET RECEIVES MULTIPLE AWARDS AT LIVE UNITED EVENT

(May 21, 2024) Columbia, SC – The Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (The COMET) received two awards at the Live United Awards hosted by United Way of the Midlands at Central Energy recently. The COMET’s United Way Campaign efforts were led by Angela Jacobs, who in her first year serving ...

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Posted on Nov 29 2023

MAURICE PEARL NAMED COMET’S NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO

(November 29, 2023) Columbia, SC –The Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (The COMET) Board of Directors announces that it has appointed Maurice Pearl as its new Executive Director/CEO after conducting a nationwide search. “I am excited to be welcomed into The COMET family and am eager to serve the Midlands ...

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Posted on Nov 01 2023

THE COMET FINANCIAL TEAM RECEIVES 6th AWARD FOR FISCAL EXCELLENCE

Honor commends organization’s excellence in handling and reporting all funding, including the Richland County Penny (November 1, 2023) Columbia, SC – Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (The ...

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Posted on Aug 29 2023

COMET TO OFFER INCREASED SERVICE TO LOWER RICHLAND

(August 29, 2023) Columbia, SC – More transit service will soon be available to residents in the Lower Richland community. The Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (The COMET) announced that Route 47 will change from a Reflex route to offering Fixed route service beginning Monday, September 25. Per policy, The ...

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Posted on Aug 17 2023

COMET + RATP DEV HELP RIDERS BEAT THE HEAT WITH POPULAR “HY-DRATE ME” CAMPAIGN

(August 17, 2023) Columbia, SC – The Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (The COMET) and its prime contractor RATP Dev are helping the riding public cope with the Midlands’ famously hot summer by providing bottled water at its COMET Central hub every Friday in August. “In the spirit of serving ...

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Posted on Aug 08 2023

COMET BUS OPERATORS SHINE AT REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COMPETITION

(August 8, 2023) Columbia, SC – Bus Operators of The Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (The COMET) scored big at the Lowcountry Regional Operator Roadeo recently held in North Charleston, SC.Philip Patterson, an accomplished veteran COMET bus operator of 45 years, won First Place in the Fixed Route 35-foot Bus ...

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Posted on Jul 05 2023

COMET PARTNERS WITH WLTX-19 TO LAUNCH HOW-TO-RIDE VIGNETTES WITH “PAWSITIVE” LOOK

(July 5, 2023) Columbia, SC – Stay tuned for a fun and family-friendly way to learn about transit and transportation in the Midlands. The Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (The COMET) has partnered with the local CBS affiliate to air vignettes during WLTX News 19 every Thursday during the 6 ...

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Posted on May 03 2023

COMET SWEEPS AWARDS AT STATEWIDE TRANSPORTATION COMPETITION, ADVANCES TO NATIONALS

(May 3, 2023) Columbia, SC – Bus Operators and Maintenance staff of The Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (The COMET) scored in every category at the recent Transportation Association of South Carolina (TASC) Roadeo recently held in Columbia as part of the TASC annual meeting. First-place winners were Philip Patterson, ...

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Posted on Apr 04 2023

COMET ANNOUNCES EXPRESS ROUTE SERVICE CHANGES, EFFECTIVE MAY 7

(April 4, 2023) Columbia, SC – The Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (The COMET) announced that as of May 7, 2023, it would make service changes to Routes 93x and 44x. Route 93x, an express route from Newberry, will be discontinued in its present form due to low ridership. Some ...

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The COMET in the Community

Did you know The COMET hosts events at COMET Central throughout the year and attends various events in the community? We love to bring people together through the support of local community events. During these events, you can learn more about riding the COMET and even hop on a bus during one of our lounge experiences. Plus, we usually bring freebies, promo items and more. Check out our upcoming calendar!
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Read The COMET Newsletters

Stay up to date on everything happening at The COMET by subscribing to our online newsletter. You can also find printed newsletters on the buses or at COMET Central.
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