Welcome to Way To Go!

Dear Reader,

I'm pleased to welcome you to the first edition of Way To Go! , a newsletter about public transportation in and around Howard County.

Howard Transit boarded its first passenger in 1996; and in the ten years since, ridership has quadrupled with Howard Transit now providing over 750,000 trips per year. We have expanded our bus routes, upgraded our fleet, made sure that all vehicles are fully accessible and greatly improved our customer service telephone system.

I’m proud to say this is only the beginning of all we have planned, and this newsletter will be our way of keeping you informed. I hope you enjoy reading this first edition, and you’ll watch for future newsletters each quarter.

I want you to know that your thoughts and concerns about Howard Transit are important to us, and we are listening. In fact, in response to recent concerns from two senior communities, we were able to make a few minor adjustments to our schedule and add two new stops to improve their service.

Howard Transit’s goal is to provide ALL of our riders with the very best transportation options available. Please let us hear from you!

James N. Robey

County Executive

A Rider's Perspective

"I've used public transportation all my life. I started in Cincinnati, Ohio, on buses, streetcars, and railroad trains. After high school, my military travels took me to Illinois and Alabama, Italy and North Africa, where I used public transportation frequently. I've been a resident of Howard County since 1977 and have continued my use of public transit through ColumBus and now Howard Transit."

Harts Brown, Ph.D., is the first featured rider in Way To Go! He is a member of the Howard County Public Transportation Board (PTB) and Chair of the Passenger Advisory Group (PAG).

Mr. Brown was born on June 4, 1922. He holds several undergraduate and graduate degrees, including a doctorate from the University of Maryland. He has 9 children, 11 grandchildren, and 22 great-grandchildren.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1941, and later joined the famous Tuskegee Airmen, America's first black Air Corp. He was later injured in a non-flight-related accident resulting in partial loss of sight, and was honorably discharged in 1945.

At 83, Harts Brown is a longtime user of Howard Transit, and an advocate for public transportation. After his retirement, he continues his advocacy efforts in community building, voter registration, and mentoring middle- and high-school students.

Way To Go! recently talked with Mr. Brown about public transportation.

• How important is public transportation in Howard County?
  James Rouse, a visionary, wanted to build a community fluent in diversity. Access to services, employment, school, and community interaction often begins with public transportation. The number of people who are transportation-dependent is growing exponentially. Access to transportation breeds inclusion.
• How can individual citizens support public transportation?
  Get out of your car and on to Howard Transit! I'm a reasonable man and I realize that the geography of Howard County can sometimes make public transportation a challenge. I challenge you, as a resident concerned for your neighbor, the environment, and reduction in highway congestion, to try Howard Transit once.
• How can Howard Transit forge stronger partnerships with community organizations? I don't pretend to have all the answers. In my 83 years I've knocked down a barrier or two, and learned many lessons in the process. One that is undeniable is that we've got to talk to one another, listen to one another, and support one another. This is one man's opinion, but I can enthusiastically say that public transportation has been a positive influence in my life.

County Executive Promotes Regional Transportation

Howard County Executive James N. Robey delivered his final State of the County Address on January 12, 2006.

During the address, he recalled many of his accomplishments over the past seven years; specifically, Howard County's low unemployment rate, personal income growth, and high household income.

He observed that among the County's top challenges are traffic congestion and the lack of a comprehensive regional and local transportation system. "We must promote a more aggressive position for Howard County when it comes to regional transportation."

Mr Robey noted that the expansion of Fort Meade by an estimated 5,300 new jobs will put added pressure on our transportation system. "We must plan accordingly for the impact of growth as it relates to schools, housing, traffic, workforce needs, mas transit, and other infrastructure," he said.

For more information about the State of the County address, please visit the Howard County website.

Howard Transit Responds

Howard Transit has responded to requests from two area senior committees for system enhancements to better serve the needs of residents. The changes, which took effect on Monday, February 6, provide improved service to residents at both Parkview in Snowden River in Columbia and Selbourne House in Ellicott City.

RED ROUTE : Bus stop added for Parkview at Snowden River in Columbia

Monday through Saturday, the Red Route will now pick up passengers at Parkview at approximately 10:30am. This route will offer those passengers service to Columbia Crossing, the Long Reach Village Center, and the Mall in Columbia. The Red Route will also add a return stop for the bus scheduled to leave the Mall at 2pm Monday-Saturday, arriving at Parkview at approximately 2:30pm. Columbia Mall is also a transfer point where riders can access most other Howard Transit routes.

YELLOW ROUTE : Bus stops modified to improve service to Selbourne House

Monday through Saturday, the Yellow Route (on each trip) will stop at Selbourne House on each trip before going on to Dorsey's Search Village Center on its route to Ellicott City. The route modification will give Selbourne House residents direct service to the Village Center.

In This Issue

• 2005 Annual Survey Reveals Interesting Facts About Riders
• Howard Transit Responds to Requests from Seniors
• County Executive Promotes Regional Transportation

Mission Statement

"Howard Transit is
committed to fulfilling the
public transit needs of
Howard County citizens
and attaining the highest
levels of safety, reliability,
and accountability."

Did You Know?

You can know when the next bus will arrive at a stop.

Howard Transit uses satellite technology to track the physical location of buses and to predict arrival times. Electronic signs are located at 38 bus shelters and at bus stops throughout the service area.

Riders can also see when the next bus will arrive at most stops by visiting the Howard Transit website and clicking the View Real Time Arrival button on the main page.

On-Board Survey Highlights

• Nearly 47% of passengers use Howard Transit to get to work
• Almost ³/₄ of Howard Transit riders use the service four or more days per week
• Nearly half of Howard Transit riders have used the service for more than two years. This number is up 10% over the 2002 survey.
• When asked "How would you have made the trip, if not by bus?" 30% would travel by taxi while 19% would not make the trip at all.
• 45% of riders do not have a vehicle in the household, while 31% have only one vehicle.

Transit Talk

Transit Talk offers up-to-date information about what's happening on transit in Howard County.

If you'd like us to address other topics in future newsletters, please contact Customer Service at (800) 270-9553, or visit
the Howard Transit website .

Winter Weather Guidelines

When weather conditions create unsafe road surfaces, Howard Transit bus services may be modified. Contact Customer Service whenever such conditions arise. Schedule changes will also be anounced on radio's WBAL 1090 AM, and on GTV, the Howard County Government's cable channel 70. Changes will also be posted on our website.

Upcoming Holiday Bus Schedule for Howard Transit