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.

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Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced new incentives to recruit and retain bus drivers for the Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland (RTA), which is facing a driver shortage. Currently RTA needs to immediately recruit 31 out of a total need of 85 drivers. These incentives include:
• Increasing salaries for all fixed route RTA drivers, starting at $20 per hour, bringing entry level salary above $40,000 annually, and increase of over $5,000 a year.
• Recruitment bonuses of $3,000, paid in quarterly increments for first year of employment
• Retention bonuses of $1,500 to existing employees, paid in quarterly increments.
• Lowering age eligibility for RTA driver employment from 21 to 19 years, on a pilot basis over the next year.
• Provide in-house training and assistance with getting a CDL license.
• Provide $250 referral bonuses for existing RTA employees who refer someone successfully.
This is a one-stop shop for anyone 19 years and above to receive PAID CDL training and licensure assistance with a commitment to join and stay with RTA’s dedicated team of drivers. To learn more about employment opportunities, please visit RTA’s website at www.transitRTA.com/employment or email HR@transitrta.com.
Due to the driver shortage, RTA has already planned to institute a service reduction on low ridership routes from February 6th to April, or until enough drivers are hired: https://www.transitrta.com/february2022/

 

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All Howard County Public School System middle and high school students are now able to ride Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland buses for FREE! Visit your school office for details on how to get your FREE student bus pass good through next September. More info: howardcountymd.gov/News082521

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Attention Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland riders! The new Howard County Circuit Courthouse, located at 9250 Judicial Way, Ellicott City, MD 21043, is served by the Old Annapolis Road/Bendix Road stop on Route 403.

The Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland will hold a virtual public meeting on Thursday, July 15th, beginning at 6:00 p.m. to discuss its proposed service changes this fall. The RTA is proposing adjustments and modifications to certain routes in order to improve reliability, expand travel options and service connectivity, and decrease transfer times between core routes. The September 2021 Service Update largely focuses on better utilizing current resources to make more residential and commercial areas accessible to its services, including Catonsville, Beltsville and Muirkirk. Considerable attention has been paid to maintain hourly frequencies in the network where they exist, but to also better time route arrivals and departures from major locations so that connections and transfers are shorter and more dependable. If approved, the changes will take effect on Sunday, September 5, 2021.

For more information, including how to attend and/or submit written testimony, visit www.transitrta.com/fall2021/.

Mobile ticketing is now available for RTA riders
The Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland (RTA), the Transit mobile app, and Token Transit announced an innovative partnership, giving riders the ability to plan, track and pay for their RTA trip on the same platform. The all-in-one system is a first in the state of Maryland.

 

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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.

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Howard County Bikeshare reopened August 14th with enhanced cleaning procedures. More good news: Because of the temporary closure, annual memberships will be extended by 3 months.

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You must wear a mask when using public transportation.

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The Howard County Office of Transportation is preparing for e-scooter deployment this summer in designated areas of Columbia.  Find out more.

MTA Updates due to COVID-19

Telework TipsComm Choice Telework Guide

Commuter Choice Maryland’s Telework Guide

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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.

CommuterChoice

Looking for options outside Howard County? Try MDOT’s Commuter Choice Maryland.