the central midlands regional transit authority (cmrta), operates mass transit in the greater columbia area including cayce, west columbia, forest acres, arcadia lakes, springdale, and the st. andrews area. cmrta operates express shuttles and bus services serving columbia and its immediate suburbs. the authority was established in october 2002 after scana released ownership of public transportation back to the city of columbia. since 2003, cmrta has provided transportation for more than 2 million passengers, expanded route services, and introduced 43 new ada-accessible buses offering safer, more comfortable transportation. cmrta has also added ten natural gas-powered buses to the fleet.