New buses and more frequent routes may have improved Howard?s bus system, but growth will mean more demand for public transportation, advocates said.
“That is going to really create a demand to have bus service,” said Sharonlee Vogel, head of local group Transportation Advocates, referring to expected growth from the military restructuring at Fort Meade in Anne Arundel because of the Base Realignment and Closure process.
County officials are beginning to look five years ahead as they prepare a Transit Development Plan, which will guide growth in Howard Transit, the county?s bus system. They will hold a public meeting this month to solicit comments on what the bus line should look like in coming years.
Sharon Smith, deputy transit administrator for operations of the Corridor Transit Corp., which manages Howard Transit, said transit officials will look at:
» Existing bus routes;
» Expected growth in the county;
» Employment opportunities;
» Changing needs of an aging population.
The plan ? complete with public comment ? will give transit officials some leverage when making a case for state and federal funding, Smith said.
“This gives us support to ask for money,” she said, adding that any change in service will directly affect spending on the bus system.
One of the most common complaints is the frequency of buses, officials said.
Last spring, Howard Transit unveiled half-hour frequency on routes serving the Mall in Columbia on Little Patuxent Parkway and earlier and later service on some routes.
But some community leaders, including former Transportation Advocates Chairman Richard Kirchner, said the changes were only a temporary fix.
“We have to look to the future of how we can make using public transportation desirable, and a big chunk of that is convenience,” said Vogel, who also serves as vice chairwoman of the county?s Public Transportation Board.
The county also needs to continue replacing the aging fleet, Vogel said, as riders increasingly have decried the poor condition of some of the buses.
County officials have replaced several buses and pledged to continue focusing on updating the aging fleet.
If you go
» What: Public Transportation Hearing Board public meeting
» When: 7 p.m. Jan. 22
» Where: Tyson Room, George Howard Building, 3430 Court House Drive, Ellicott City
