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The CARTA 401 East Cooper Connector Bus will offer a competition during the month of January to see which area middle school has the most students utilizing bus service.

Starting On Jan. 7 and ending Feb. 2 , students and supporters of each middle school choosing to participate will be able to tell the bus driver which school they're riding for. The #401 route stops near five East Cooper public and private middle schools, including Moultrie, the University School of the Lowcountry, Laing, Palmetto Christian Academy and Blessed Sacrament.

Rides taken in the first week of the competition (Jan. 7- 14) will receive double points. There will be an announcement of the weekly winner each Tuesday, and a trophy will be awarded to the winning middle school in February. Outreach programs to help build middle school CARTA ridership are planned throughout the month.

Schools can also book group field trips and after school outings for their students on the #401 and other routes on the CARTA system for discounted group rate by calling 843-724-7420. The University School of the Lowcountry has been using the #401 for this purpose with great success and even created a YouTube video of one of their trips.

The CARTA #401 East Cooper Connector is a wonderful resource for middle school-aged students in the East Cooper area. It serves both movie theaters, seven shopping centers, the Coleman Boulevard business district and Old Village, Waterfront Park and the new Shem Creek park. It serves more than 500 business locations and five major community recreation facilities. The #401 connects with CARTA services running to the Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island, downtown Charleston and Tri County Link services to Awendaw, McClellenville and Moncks Corner.

Started on April 17, 2011, the #401 carried 1,301 riders in November. The new East Cooper route system has attracted more than 3,000 more riders per month in the past year. Contact William Hamilton through www.eastccrider.com, at wjhamilton29464@gmail.com or by calling 843-870-5299.