Clemson City Council met on Nov. 3 to address various topics, including the addition of a bus to a popular route.

During the meeting, the council discussed the prospect of adding another bus to the Highpointe/Pier route, adding a third bus to the route.

One reason cited for an additional bus is the housing rate increase at The Pier. The apartment complex has experienced a 63% housing increase over the past year. With the increase in residents, there was a heightened need for additional transportation to accommodate.

Additionally, Brian Fisher, the CATbus transit administrator, said during the meeting that there should be clarification in the language used to accurately reflect the current status of the CATbuses. The transit took “ownership and let … parents know” that students needed more service.

This clarification follows a statement released on a platform stating that the complex would be offering a 24-hour service, a service many parents assumed would come from the CATbus. Fisher also mentioned that parents had been complaining that the students were being charged for these services, as they are city-run, but clarified that the fee is not city-administered, but rather a fee from the complex itself.

“So instead of making it ugly on everyone’s part, the whole objective is to make (the services) smooth,” Fisher said in response to the complaints.

Due to this high demand for bus services, The Pier route plans to add a third bus to the current two operating routes.

The Pier is currently running an “articular busted caterpillar” system, where the buses are stretched on both ends. While Fisher noted this was an issue, he stated that their goal is to remedy the problem and try to manage as best as possible.

The biggest problem that the CATbus runs into is at the end of the night, when there are “a lot of young students” who need to get home to The Pier. It’s the only neighborhood with transit stops within it, therefore the students “know where to stand and where to be,” according to Fisher.

Once the conversation about adding a CATbus to the Highpointe/Pier route concluded, it was motioned to approve the amendment to the original contract for the CATbus. They will be adding a bus to service a high frequency for the rest of the fall 2025 semester into the spring of 2026.