Welcome to Go Howard! Formerly Howard Commuter Solutions, we’re your resource for information on ridesharing, transit, biking, and other alternatives to driving by yourself in Howard County.
Go Howard is the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program of Howard County, Maryland, funded by the Maryland Department of Transportation / Maryland Transit Administration and the Howard County Office of Transportation.
What’s Happening in Howard County?
The Howard County Office of Transportation is beginning the process of updating Howard County’s Transit Development Plan (TDP), a short-term plan to guide transit system development and funding requests. The TDP process reviews and assesses current transit services, identifies unmet transit needs, and develops a recommended plan for improvements (with phased implementation), including capital and operating budget projections, in the short‐range future, typically a five‐year horizon. The completed TDP serves as a guide for our local transit system, providing a roadmap for implementing service improvements, and/or potential expansion during the five‐year period. Opportunities for the public to provide comment include three surveys (fixed-route, paratransit, and community) and five public meetings, including the kickoff meeting taking place virtually via Webex on Tuesday, December 13th at the Multimodal Transportation Board meeting. More information on the process, future meeting dates, and previous plans can be found here.
As the pilot period for shared electric scooters in Downtown Columbia comes to an end on Wednesday, November 23, 2022, the Howard County Office of Transportation is offering an opportunity for you to provide input on the program. A short survey is available on the Office of Transportation’s Shared Electric Scooter Pilot webpage; it will remain open until December 23, 2022.
We’re thinking about any trips we could manage without a car. We’ve talked about grabbing lunch or coffee when we’re working, taking our kids to a Tot Lot, grabbing take out for dinner and a bigger one: our commute. We’re pledging to pick one trip this week to do without a car and want to know if you will too. Tell us, how are you going to Skip a Trip.
You’ve got options to reduce your fuel costs!
Carpooling and vanpooling can cut your fuels costs and our ridematching service is free. Plus, with Guaranteed Ride Home you can get a free ride home six times per year so you won’t get stuck. Why not check it out today?
Not commuting regularly or want to ditch your car altogether? Carpool Now is an app that will match you in real time where you are or at popular pick up points in the D.C area.
There are also multiple transit providers in Howard County with varying hours of service and destinations: Maryland Transit Administration (Commuter bus, train, light rail, and local bus service), Regional Transit Agency of Central Maryland (local bus service connecting Anne Arundel, Howard, Prince George’s Counties and the City of Laurel), and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (bus and Metro rail service).
How about getting rewarded for sharing your ride, too? Check out IncenTrip to learn about how you can earn money for carpooling, vanpooling and taking transit!
Who doesn’t like having options?! Curious what you could save? Try MDOT’s Commute Calculator.
Howard County Bikeshare Pilot Program Ending; Planning Underway for Next Generation of Transportation
Mobile ticketing is now available for RTA riders
Interested in finding out what we’re doing in Downtown Columbia? Our TDM Specialist talked with the Downtown Columbia Partnership about all things transportation in DTC.
Telework Tips
Commuter Choice Maryland’s Telework Guide
Earn cash by choosing a smart commute!
incenTrip is a multimodal trip planning app that rewards points for each commute trip you plan and take during the a.m. and p.m. peak commuting times and log into the app. Washington area commuters can earn up to $10 after completing 10 trips – or save your points to earn $50. Rinse and repeat. It’s that simple! Up to $600 can be earned per calendar year. You must have a Commuter Connections account to earn cash – but don’t worry, registration is free and easy.
Sign-up now for Commuter Connections and link your account to the incenTrip app, available at the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Looking for options outside Howard County? Try MDOT’s Commuter Choice Maryland.