SEPTEMBER 2021 OVERVIEW - Service Update - RTA of Central Maryland - RTA transit
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SEPTEMBER 2021
Service Update
OVERVIEW
RTA of Central Maryland
Table of Contents Proposed Changes Quick Reference ...........................................................................................................3 Ellicott City Coverage Overview .................................................................................................................. 4 Laurel Coverage Overview............................................................................................................................ 5 Route 405: Ellicott City Circulator.............................................................................................................. 6 Route 505: Mall in Columbia – Catonsville ................................................................................................ 8 Route 301: Towne Centre Laurel – South Laurel .................................................................................... 10 Route 302: Towne Centre Laurel – Greenbelt Metro ............................................................................ 12 Route 502: Towne Centre Laurel – Arundel Mills................................................................................... 14 Discontinued Service: Route 402B ............................................................................................................ 16 Discontinued Service: Route 407 30-minute service ............................................................................ 17 Public Hearing, Comment, and Testimony Period.................................................................................. 18 2
Proposed Changes Quick Reference
Service Enhancements
Route 405 and New Route 505
• The proposal would split route 405 into two routes, to expand RTA service to Catonsville, MD.
• Local service throughout Ellicott City would exist under a modified 405 route six days a week
• Service between Columbia, Ellicott City, and Catonsville would operate seven days a week and
connect to MDOT MTA services in Catonsville (CityLink Purple, LocalLink 77)
• Shortens transit commutes from Ellicott City to Catonsville by over two hours
Route 301
• The proposal transfers most of the current 301 alignment to the proposed route 302.
• Transitions to serving Main Street Laurel on an hourly headway, before and after serving South
Laurel Dr via Laurel Bowie Rd
• Saturday service is discontinued, in lieu of adding more service to route 302 on Sundays.
• Departures operate at the top of the hour, instead of 25 minutes after the hour, to better
connect with other route departures
Route 302
• The proposal transitions route 302 to a unified route pattern that operates seven days a week
between Laurel, Muirkirk, Beltsville and Greenbelt
• Departures operate at the top of the hour, instead of 25 minutes after the hour, to better
connect with other route departures
• Service is removed from select areas with low ridership
• Beltsville gains five additional days of service, and Old Baltimore Pike / Muirkirk Rd is served
daily, instead of only on weekdays
Route 502
• The proposal transfers portions of discontinued 302 service along Mulberry St and around the
Laurel Lakes Shopping Center to route 502
• Adds additional service to Contee Rd, expanding the number of riders that can travel to/from
Maryland City on a single ride
• Serves the Russett Green Walmart in both directions on weekend pattern, instead of only in the
inbound direction toward Laurel Towne Centre
Discontinued Routes
Route 402B
• The proposal would permanently discontinue route 402B (counter-clockwise, Dobbin Center –
Lark Brown route), while Route 402A (clockwise, Lark Brown – Dobbin Center route) would
continue seven days a week and be rebranded as route 402.
• Route 408 also provides riders and alternate service option
• Route 402B has not operated since March 2020
Route 407 (suspended 30-minute service only)
• The proposal would permanently discontinue the 30-min headway service between Mall in
Columbia and Owen Brown Village Center
• Route 407, as currently operating, would experience no changes; this change only applies to
the third vehicle that used to operate between Mall in Columbia and Owen Brown Village Center
• The 30-minute 407 service has not operated since March 2020
3
Ellicott City Coverage Overview Below: Existing RTA service in Ellicott City Above: Proposed RTA service in Ellicott City (RTA 405 converts to Ellicott City-only service, new 505 connects south to Columbia) 4
Laurel Coverage Overview Below: Existing RTA service in Laurel Above: Proposed RTA service in Laurel (RTA 409, 503 experience essentially no change, RTA 301, 302, 502 would experience changes) 5
Route 405 SEPTEMBER 2021
SERVICE UPDATE
Ellicott City Circulator
Town and
Country Blvd
Ellicott City
Pine Orchard Ln Walmart
US-40
Ellicott Mills Dr
Frede
rick R
d
Historic
Ellicott City
Long Gate
Shopping Center
9
-2
US
Legend
ent Pkwy Existing Route 405
ux
t
Pa
tle
Lit
Proposed Route 405
Mall in Columbia
Terminus point
Existing Proposed Service Notes:
60-minute frequency 60-minute frequency • Expands footprint of service along US-40 and
becomes an Ellicott City-focused route
Weekdays 6:00 am - 9:52 pm Weekdays 5:30 am - 6:15 pm
• Areas with discontinued service are transferred to
the new 505 route
Saturdays 8:00 am - 9:52 pm Saturdays 7:30 am - 6:15 pm
• Includes timed connection with route 505, to
Sundays 9:00 am - 5:52 pm No Sunday service facilitate transfers toward Columbia or CatonsvilleRoute 405: Ellicott City Circulator
Current Strengths
Route is in the top third of all RTA routes in terms of absolute ridership.
Route effectively services a number of locations and connects important government services to the
rest of the RTA network.
Current Weaknesses
Currently has lots of extra layover time at Ellicott City Walmart (Carls Ct / Ridge Rd) that could be
better utilized.
Multitude of patterns and dynamic call-based service to the Circuit Court building makes real-time
predictions hard to offer to riders.
Proposed Opportunities
By restructuring this route to become a two-bus, Weekday through Saturday Ellicott City circulator
route, service footprint can expand west along US-40 to Pine Orchard Ln and east to Wheaton Way.
Areas newly served include the US-40 Goodwill, Orchard Park Apartments, and Charleston Park
Apartments.
One-hour frequency would effectively run along the US-40 corridor, with connections to historic Ellicott
City and the Ellicott City Senior Center / Miller Library.
Connections would be possible to Catonsville and Mall in Columbia with a timed transfer point at Carls
Ct / Ridge Rd.
Within .25 miles of stops, the current 405 services…
• a population of 15,931, according to ACS
• 4,911 households
• 10,178 jobs, according to CTPP
Within .25 miles of stops, the new 405 and 505 services…
• A population of 18,452 (14.7% increase)
• 5,656 households (14.1% increase)
• 15,308 jobs (40.3% increase)
• No significant change in number of non-White or Hispanic communities served
Proposed Tradeoffs
No longer a one-seat ride between outlying regions of Ellicott City and Mall in Columbia.
Route 402A (counter-clockwise Long Reach loop) would be discontinued, only 402B (clockwise loop)
service would continue, to free up hours for the new 405/505 launch.
Route 407-extra service between Columbia and Owen Brown service would stay discontinued and not
be reinstated when the 406 and 414 are, to free up hours for the new 405/505 launch.
7Route 505 SEPTEMBER 2021
SERVICE UPDATE
Mall in Columbia - Catonsville
Ba
lti
m
or
0 e
-4 N
Town and US at
io n
al
Country Blvd Pik
e
Ellicott City
Walmart
Catonsville Walmart
Long Gate
Shopping Center
9
-2
US
Legend
Proposed Route 405
ent Pkwy
ux
t
Pa
tle
Terminus point
Lit
Mall in Columbia
Proposed service span (new route) Service Notes:
60-minute frequency • Takes over longhaul service between Columbia and
Ellicott City from route 405, and expands connection
Weekdays 6:00 am - 9:45 pm east to Catonsville Walmart bus hub
• Creates new connection between RTA and MTA
Saturdays 8:00 am - 9:45 pm
services (CityLink Purple, LocalLink 77), shortening
transit commutes to/from Catonsville by over two
Sundays 9:00 am - 5:45 pm hoursRoute 505: Mall in Columbia – Catonsville
Current Strengths
Route currently does not exist, but proposed route mimics our current evening and Sunday 405
pattern.
Provides good, express-like service to/from Ellicott City Walmart.
Current Weaknesses
Due to limitations provided by a one-hour headway (with one vehicle), not much more than Walmart
and immediate surrounding area gets a connection to Mall in Columbia during operating hours.
Proposed Opportunities
By operating every day with two vehicles, a direct bus connection between all Mall in Columbia bus
services (401, 402, 403, 404, 406, 407, 408, 501, 503) and Catonsville bus services (LocalLink 77 to
West Baltimore MARC, CityLink Purple to downtown Baltimore and Johns Hopkins Hospital) is made
possible.
Timed transfer is planned between route 505 and the proposed 405 circulator service, so that Ellicott
City residents can travel to/from Columbia as quickly as they can now, as well as a new connection to
Catonsville.
Increased connectivity along the US-40 corridor would be substantial.
• A hypothetical citizen on Rogers Ave can get to Catonsville in 10 minutes via car, traveling just
4 road miles.
• It takes that citizen at least 3 hours via current transit routes (as they must travel south of
Elkridge before finding services that connect into Baltimore).
• That same citizen could get to Catonsville in less than 48 minutes by utilizing these new 405
and 505 routes.
• This is a time savings of at least 375%.
Would establish a new, convenient connection between RTA and MTA-operated paratransit systems.
Within .25 miles of stops, the current Ellicott City service covers…
• a population of 15,931, according to ACS
• 4,911 households
• 10,178 jobs, according to CTPP
Within .25 miles of stops, the new combined 405 and 505 services…
• A population of 18,452 (14.7% increase)
• 5,656 households (14.1% increase)
• 15,308 jobs (40.3% increase)
• No significant change in number of non-White or Hispanic communities served
Proposed Tradeoffs
Like mentioned in the proposed 405, connections between Ellicott City and Columbia require a transfer.
9Route 301 SEPTEMBER 2021
SERVICE UPDATE
Towne Centre Laurel - South Laurel
R Ma
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g in
p ri n St
yS
Old Sand
4th St vd
Bl
Bus Hub
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to
ng
hi
as
W
Ch
Rd
rry
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n
Ln
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Va
Con
tee
Rd
La
ur
el
Bo
wi
eR
d
Legend
Existing Route 301
Proposed Route 301
South Laurel Dr
Terminus point
Existing Proposed Service Notes:
60-minute frequency 60-minute frequency • Areas with discontinued service are transferred to
the new 302 route
Weekdays 7:25 am - 7:14 pm Weekdays 7:00 am - 6:54 pm
• Main Street “Laurel Loop” gains counter-clockwise
service, becoming bi-directional
Saturdays 9:25 am - 7:14 pm No Saturday service
• South Laurel P&R gains southbound service,
No Sunday service No Sunday service becoming bi-directionalRoute 301: Towne Centre Laurel – South Laurel Current Strengths Route currently provides an hourly connection to South Laurel Dr, a community separated from the rest of Laurel by MD-295. Mobility around this community is very limited, and the 301 provides great value to residents and businesses here. Route currently provides an hourly connection to UM Laurel Medical Center. Route is one of RTA’s most consistently on-time routes. Current Weaknesses Route currently departs Towne Centre Laurel bus hub on the :25 of every hour, matching a departure pulse with just route 302, and departs 5 minutes before route 503. Connections to and from routes 409 and 502 require riders to wait approximately 35 minutes. Route is one of the least ridden routes in the RTA network. Every month, 301 ridership ranks in the bottom 25% of routes, in both absolute measurement and per revenue hour. Vehicles operating the 301 have to make a three-point U-turn at the end of South Laurel Dr to continue on route. Proposed Opportunities By offloading most of the current alignment to route 302, route 301 would have enough time to complete the Laurel Loop and add bi-directional service to Main Street Laurel. Residents along current alignment at Muirkirk Rd and Contee Rd would now have multiple options – traveling toward the Hospital (as they can do now) can take route 302, but residents that want to go past Towne Centre Laurel without a transfer can do so from Laurel Bowie Rd. Residents at Park View apartments or riders from South Laurel P&R now have a bidirectional connection – inbound to Towne Centre Laurel (as they do now) as well as outbound to South Laurel and Muirkirk services. Proposed Tradeoffs Riders coming from South Laurel Dr would have to transfer on Laurel Bowie Rd to route 302 if they needed to get to a destination on Contee Rd or were traveling to UM Laurel Medical Center. Residents on South Laurel Dr would need to walk to Muirkirk Rd for Saturday service. 11
Route 302 SEPTEMBER 2021
SERVICE UPDATE
Towne Centre Laurel - Greenbelt Metro
Ma
in
St
4th St
Bus Hub
Rd
n
se
u
D
n
Va
Contee Rd La
ur
e
lB
ow Legend
ie
Rd
e
Av
Muirkirk
Rd
Existing Route 302,
e
ike
or
eP
m
daily service
lti
or
Ba
im
alt
dB
Ol
Existing Route 302,
Monday - Friday only
Powder Mill Rd
Existing Route 302,
Monday - Saturday only
Su
nny
s ide Ave
Edm
Existing Route 302,
on
Greenbelt
sto
Metro Dr Saturday & Sunday only
n
Rd
e
Proposed Route 302
Av
rth
wo
nil
Ke
Terminus point
Existing Proposed Service Notes:
60-minute frequency 60-minute frequency • Unified route pattern operating 7-days a week
between Greenbelt, Beltsville, Muirkirk and Laurel
Weekdays 6:00 am - 9:15 pm Weekdays 6:00 am - 8:50 pm
• Removes a dangerous U-turn from middle of route,
expanding options along Muirkirk Rd
Saturdays 9:00 am - 7:05 pm Saturdays 9:00 am - 6:50 pm
• Arrives to Laurel just before 301/409/502
Sundays 10:00 am - 6:50 pm Sundays 10:00 am - 6:50 pm departures, shortening most transfers by 50 minutesRoute 302: Towne Centre Laurel – Greenbelt Metro Current Strengths Route currently provides an hourly connection to/from FDA’s Muirkirk Campus, although it is estimated that the majority of riders at that stop are residents from the surrounding neighborhoods. Route provides an extremely fast connection from Old Baltimore Pike to Greenbelt Metro trains and buses. No WMATA or Prince George’s County bus service operates on Old Baltimore Pike. Route provides direct service to Laurel Main Street. Current Weaknesses After servicing FDA Muirkirk Campus, vehicles have to make a U-turn on Muirkirk Rd, which can be challenging at rush hour or when cars on the road are traveling at high speeds. Servicing FDA consumes 5 minutes of travel time each direction, or 10 minutes roundtrip. A more linear alignment in this area would service more origins/destinations without necessarily increasing real travel time. An hourly loop around historic Laurel is combined into this route, routinely referred to as the “Laurel Loop”. These services are duplicative of WMATA services in the region, and only run in a clockwise direction. Travel time on the Laurel Loop is so quick that 302 operators routinely layover at the Towne Centre Laurel bus hub for more than half an hour, every hour during revenue service. Inbound route currently arrives to Towne Centre Laurel bus hub on the :10 of every hour, making connections to other RTA services challenging. For example, riders connecting northbound to routes 409 and 502 are required to wait approximately 50 minutes. Route 302 has three separate route patterns that operate Weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Communicating this service under one single route identifier is difficult, and origins/destinations along Old Baltimore Pike have no bus service at all on weekends. Further, many RTA stops on US-1 north of Beltsville are not paired, and among those that are, northbound stops are challenging for riders to get to, with limited pedestrian road crossings. Proposed Opportunities By removing the Laurel Loop from the 302, offloading certain Laurel services to other RTA routes, and increasing the length of the outbound one-way travel time, route 302 could operate with the same route pattern 7 days a week, while maintaining service at most Beltsville origins/destinations. By continuing service past FDA to/from Laurel via Muirkirk Rd to Laurel Bowie Rd, high-density housing can gain transit service. This new route alignment would provide residents clear, hourly service between Greenbelt, Beltsville, Muirkirk, and areas like Contee Rd/US-1 and UM Laurel Medical Center. Average layover time at Towne Centre Laurel would decrease from 30 minutes to 10 minutes. Proposed Tradeoffs Select stops, such as near Muirkirk Meadows Dr, Cherrywood Ln south of Greenbelt Metro, and Laurel Main St would lose direct RTA service, though they still would be accessible via sidewalks. Select stops, such as Kenilworth Ave / Crescent Rd, would lose RTA service. Riders traveling from Greenbelt, Old Baltimore Pike, or along Muirkirk Rd would have to transfer to route 502 if they needed to get to a destination just north of Contee Rd, such as Laurel Lakes Centre. End-to-end travel time from Greenbelt to Towne Centre Laurel increases by approximately 12 minutes. 13
Route 502 SEPTEMBER 2021
SERVICE UPDATE
Towne Centre Laurel - Arundel Mills
Arundel
Mills Mall
wy
Pk
B usiness
a l
ion
t
Na
Savage MARC Station
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w
Pk
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go
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hi
as
t Meade Rd W
rel For or
e
Lau
m
lti
4th St Ba
Bus Hub
Laurel
Ch
rry Bowie
e
Laurel Lakes Ln Rd
Shopping Ctr
Contee Rd
Legend Existing Route 502, Proposed Route 502,
unchanged new alignment
Terminus point
Existing Route 502,
discontinued alignment
Existing Proposed Service Notes:
60-90 minute frequency 60-90 minute frequency • Adds Contee Rd and Laurel Lakes service to route
502, expanding connectivity to Maryland City and
Weekdays 6:00 am - 10:37 pm Weekdays 6:00 am - 10:45 pm Arundel Mills
• Simplified weekend patterns enable Russett Green
Saturdays 9:00 am - 10:22 pm Saturdays 9:00 am - 10:30 pm
Walmart service both inbound/outbound, instead of
just inbound
Sundays 10:00 am - 8:22 pm Sundays 10:00 am - 8:30 pmRoute 502: Towne Centre Laurel – Arundel Mills Current Strengths Route currently provides East Laurel / Maryland City residents and businesses a way to connect to other transit services at Towne Centre Laurel bus hub and Arundel Mill Mall bus hub. To most of these areas, RTA is the only transit service available. Savage MARC (Camden Line) connection was added in November and has already exceeded ridership expectations. When ridership is measured as a ratio to revenue hours, route 502 is the third-highest performing route in the RTA network. Current Weaknesses Even after the addition of Savage MARC to most weekday trips, run times still average 41 minutes outbound to Arundel Mills and 36 minutes inbound to Laurel. Running an hourly headway, layover time at end of line is still relatively high compared to other routes in the RTA network. Proposed Opportunities If the 502 took on services south of Towne Centre Laurel that were offloaded by routes 301 and 302, overall network mobility would increase. Further utilization of total run time could make route 502 more productive without increasing current hours allocations. Residents and businesses in Maryland City would gain a direct hourly connection to/from Contee Rd and Laurel Lakes Centre businesses. National Business Parkway would be accessible without a transfer for riders coming from the multiple apartment complexes and residences along Contee Rd. Proposed Tradeoffs Residents along Cherry Ln would have to walk to/from MD-197 to ride route 502 (approximately 900 feet from current bus stops for outbound trips, and 450 feet for inbound trips). End-to-end travel time from Laurel to Arundel Mills increases by approximately 7 minutes. 15
Discontinued Service: Route 402B Route 402B is proposed to be discontinued due to low pre-pandemic ridership and availability of other duplicative services in the area (routes 402A, 408). Between the currently operating 402A and 408, riders along Tamar Dr have a 30-minute headway for bus service, the best in the entire service area. Under this proposal, all currently operating services would continue to operate, seven days a week. No areas would lose access to RTA bus service as a result of this change. Route 402B has not operated since March 2020. The resources saved by discontinuing this service would go directly toward creating the new route 505 connection from Columbia, MD to Catonsville, MD. 16
Discontinued Service: Route 407 30-minute service The third operations block of route 407 is proposed to be discontinued due to low pre-pandemic ridership and availability of other duplicative services in the area (regular 407 pattern, route 503). The 30-minute service on route 407 has not operated since March 2020. Were it to be introduced, riders would experience 30 minute headways between Mall in Columbia and Owen Brown Village Center. Under this proposal, the regular 407 pattern providing service between Mall in Columbia and Kings Contrivance Village Center would continue providing hourly headways, seven days a week. No areas would lose access to RTA bus service as a result of this change. The resources saved by discontinuing this service would go directly toward creating the new route 505 connection from Columbia, MD to Catonsville, MD. 17
Public Hearing, Comment, and Testimony Period
To mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the public and our staff, the riding public is
encouraged to provide testimony at our virtual public hearing that will be held via Zoom on Thursday,
July 15th, 2021 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
To join via computer: Point your web browser to https://meetings.transitrta.com/CMTMC or click on
the link at https://transitrta.com/fall2021.
To join by phone: If you cannot join by computer, the hearing is also accessible via phone.
To join, call 301-715-8592
The meeting ID is 857 1908 1086
Passcode: 2021
If you cannot participate in the public hearing, you can still submit written testimony by
• Filling out the online comment form at https://transitrta.com/fall2021
• Emailing testimony to consumer@transitrta.com with “Fall 2021 comment” as the subject line
• Printing out the comment form available at https://transitrta.com/fall2021 and mailing your
testimony to:
RTA Administration Office
8510 Corridor Road, Suite 110
Savage, MD 20763
The public comment period will end at 11:59 PM on Sunday, August 15th, 2021. Your name and
address must be included with your comments to become part of the public hearing record.
Please contact the department listed below to request assistance with hearing or speech difficulties, a
language interpreter, or printed material in an alternate format or translated. All requests must be
received one week in advance of the public hearing.
Por favor comuníquese con el departamento que se indica a continuación para solicitar ayuda con las
dificultades auditivas o del habla, un intérprete de idiomas o material impreso en un formato
alternativo o traducido. Todas las solicitudes deben ser recibidas con una semana de antelación.
RTA Office of Customer Service, 800-270-9553
MD Relay Users Dial 7-1-1 / Usuarios de Relay MD marquen 7-1-1
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