Regional_Transportation_Agency_of_Central_Maryland
Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland
American transit organization
Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland, locally referred to as the RTA, is a transit organization providing fixed-route and paratransit services across Central Maryland. The RTA is made up of multiple jurisdictions including Anne Arundel County, Howard County, the City of Laurel, Northern Prince George's County, and Baltimore County.
| Founded | July 1, 2014 |
|---|---|
| Commenced operation | July 1, 2014 |
| Locale | 8510 Corridor Road, Suite 110, Savage, Maryland 20763 |
| Service area | Anne Arundel, Howard County, City of Laurel, Northern Prince George's County, and Baltimore County |
| Service type | Fixed-route, Paratransit |
| Routes | 16 |
| Annual ridership | 595,497 (2022) |
| Fuel type | Diesel, gas, electric |
| Operator | First Transit |
| General Manager | Jason Quan[1] |
| Website | http://www.transitRTA.com |
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In 2014, Howard County initiated the Regional Transit Agency of Central Maryland, recruiting Anne Arundel County to join areas served by Central Maryland Regional Transit claiming the centralized authority initiated, managed and funded through Howard County would save money in contract expenses. CMRT bid on providing services to these regions after July 1, but lost to First Transit.[2]
In 2014, Howard County broke ground on a $7.2 million bus terminal at Savage, Maryland designed to house 120 buses.[3]
In 2023, RTA added route 505, the first route to serve Baltimore County and connect onto an MDOT MTA CityLink bus, and restructured route 405 to better serve Ellicott City.[4]
As of November 2023[update], RTA operates 16 bus routes in Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George's County, the city of Laurel, and Baltimore County.
| Route | Route Name | Termini | Areas Served | Transfers | Headway |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 301 | South Laurel | Town Centre Laurel South Laurel Drive | Laurel | RTA 302, 409, 502, 503 Metrobus 87, 89, 89M |
60 min |
| 302 | Greenbelt Metro Station | Town Centre Laurel Greenbelt Metro Station | Laurel Beltsville Greenbelt | Metro Green Line MARC Camden Line RTA 301, 409, 502, 503 Metrobus 87, 89, 89M |
60 min |
| Route | Route Name | Termini | Areas Served | Transfers | Headway | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 401 | Harper's Choice / Clary's Forest | Mall in Columbia Clary's Forest |
Harper's Choice Village Center Wilde Lake Village Center Howard County General Hospital Howard Community College |
MTA Maryland 150, 203, 305, 310, 315, 320, 325 RTA 402, 403, 404, 406, 407, 408, 501, 503, 505 |
30 min (weekdays peak)
60 min (off peak) |
|
| 402 | Columbia Crossing / Dobbin Center | Mall in Columbia Dobbin Center |
Long Reach | MTA Maryland 150, 203, 305, 310, 315, 320, 325 RTA 401, 403, 404, 406, 407, 408, 501, 503, 505 |
60 min | |
| 403 | Executive Park Drive | Mall in Columbia Columbia 100 Parkway |
Dorsey's Search | MTA Maryland 150, 203, 305, 310, 315, 320, 325 RTA 401, 402, 404, 406, 407, 408, 501, 503, 505 |
60 min | |
| 404 | Hickory Ridge | Mall in Columbia Hickory Ridge Village Center |
King's Contrivance Hickory Ridge Howard County General Hospital Howard Community College |
MTA Maryland 150, 203, 305, 310, 315, 320, 325 RTA 401, 402, 403, 406, 407, 408, 501, 503, 505 |
60 min | |
| 405 | Ellicott City | Ellicott City Walmart
Pine Orchard Lane |
Long Gate Ellicott City |
RTA 505 | 60 min | Restructured in 2023. Used to depart
from Mall in Columbia, now departs from Ellicott City Walmart. |
| 406 | Columbia Gateway | Mall in Columbia Columbia Gateway |
Long Reach Owen Brown |
MTA Maryland 150, 203, 305, 310, 315, 320, 325 RTA 401, 402, 403, 404, 407, 408, 501, 503, 505 |
60 min | As of October 2022. this route
has the lowest ridership out of the entire system.[5] |
| 407 | Owen Brown / Kings Contrivance | Mall in Columbia King's Contrivance Village Center |
Owen Brown Oakland Mills King's Contrivance |
MTA Maryland 150, 203, 305, 310, 315, 320, 325 RTA 401, 402, 403, 404, 406, 408, 501, 503, 505 |
60 min | |
| 408 | Lark Brown / Waterloo | Mall in Columbia Waterloo Park |
Long Reach Owen Brown East Columbia/Columbia Gateway Office Park Waterloo |
MTA Maryland 203, 310, 320 RTA 401, 402, 403, 404, 406, 407, 501, 503, 505 |
60 min | |
| 409 | Elkridge Corners | Town Centre Laurel Elkridge |
Elkridge Jessup Savage Laurel |
MARC Camden Line MTA Maryland 320 Metrobus 87, 89, 89M, Z7 RTA 301, 302, 409, 501, 502, 503 |
60 min | Extension to Lansdowne Station and
Halethorpe MARC is proposed[5] Would provide connections: MTA Maryland 32, CityLink YELLOW MARC Penn Line |
| 414 (Not Operating) | Kings Contrivance | Mall in Columbia King's Contrivance Village Center |
King's Contrivance Village Center | MTA Maryland 150, 203, 305, 310, 315, 320, 325 RTA 401, 402, 403, 404, 406, 407, 408, 501, 503, 505 |
60 min | Stopped service in 2020. |
| Route | Route Name | Termini | Areas Served | Transfers | Headway | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 501 | Columbia / Arundel Mills | Mall in Columbia Arundel Mills |
Jessup South Elkridge |
MTA Maryland 75, 150, 201, 203, 305, 310, 315, 320, 325 RTA 401, 402, 403, 404, 406, 407, 408, 409, 502, 503, 505 MARC Camden Line |
60 min | As of October 2022, this route has the highest ridership
out of the entire system.[5] Extension to BWI Airport is proposed in the 2023 TDP. Would provide connections: MTA Maryland Light RailLink MARC Penn Line |
| 502 | Laurel / Arundel Mills | Town Centre Laurel Arundel Mills |
Laurel Maryland City |
Metrobus 87, 89, 89M, Z7 MTA Maryland 17, 75, 201 RTA 301, 302, 409, 501 |
45 min (weekday peak)
60 min (weekday off-peak) 90 min (weekend) |
This is the only route to have a 90-minute headway. |
| 503 | Laurel / Columbia | Mall in Columbia Town Centre Laurel |
Laurel Savage Owen Brown |
Metrobus 87, 89, 89M, Z7 MTA Maryland 17, 201, 203, 310, 320 RTA 301, 302, 401, 402, 403, 404, 406, 407, 408, 409, 501, 502, 505 |
60 min | |
| 505 | Columbia / Catonsville | Mall in Columbia
Walmart Catonsville |
Columbia | MTA Maryland 77, 150, CityLink PURPLE, 203, 305, 310, 315, 320, 325
RTA 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406, 407, 408, 501, 503 |
60 min | Added in 2023. First route to connect to an MTA Maryland CityLink bus.
Also the first route to serve Baltimore County. The proposed 409 extension will be the second, also connecting to a CityLink bus. |
RTA has a number of transit hubs where numerous bus lines meet. They include:
Bus fare can be purchased on the bus, at certain library branches, senior centers, online for shipping, and through the Transit app.[6]
| Type | Fare (USD) |
|---|---|
| One-Way Fare
*available on the bus or through the Transit app |
$2.00 |
| Daily Pass *only sold through the Transit app | $5.00 |
| 10-Ride Ticket Book
*available online for shipping or in-person |
$15.00 |
| Monthly Pass
*available online, in-person, or through the Transit app |
$40.00 |
| Children Under 5 years old | Free |
| Seniors over 60 years old or Persons with Disabilities | Free |
| Middle/High School Students (Yearly)
*available through the Transit app |
Free |
| Howard Community College Students (Yearly)
*available through the Transit app |
Free |
| Monthly Pass (Student) | $20.00 |
| Builder and model name | Model year | Quantity | Vehicles in service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Cutaway | 2014 | 5 | 5 | Truck bus |
| Ford Cutaway | 2017 | 1 | 1 | Truck bus |
| BYD K9S | 2016 | 3 | 3 | All-electric bus |
| El Dorado E-Z Rider 32' | 2017 | 7 | 7 | |
| El Dorado E-Z Rider 32' | 2018 | 6 | 6 | |
| El Dorado E-Z Rider 32' | 2019 | 2 | 2 | |
| El Dorado E-Z Rider 32' | 2022 | 11 | 11 | |
| Gillig Low Floor HEV 35' | 2008 | 2 | 2 | Hybrid bus |
| Gillig Low Floor HEV 35' | 2009 | 1 | 1 | Hybrid bus |
| Gillig Low Floor HEV 35' | 2011 | 3 | 3 | Hybrid bus |
| Gillig Low Floor 29' | 2002 | 3 | 0 | |
| El Dorado HC Series 28' | 2014 | 1 | 0 | Truck bus |
In October 2023, RTA released the final draft of the Central Maryland Transit Development Plan (TDP), proposing future changes and improvements to RTA bus service between Fiscal Years 2024 and 2028.[5]
Fiscal Year 2024
Two of FY2024's three proposed changes were already carried out in July 2023; namely, the 405 restructure and addition of the 505 route.
The third one proposes extending route 409 to Lansdowne Station Shopping Center. This would make the 409 the second RTA route to provide service into Baltimore County. Notably, this extension would provide a connection onto the MARC's Penn Line at Halethorpe and MTA Maryland's CityLink YELLOW, LocalLink 32, and LocalLink 29 buses to destinations in Baltimore City and County.
Fiscal Year 2025
Two proposals exist for the 2025 fiscal year: a new route between Columbia and the Johns Hopkins Applied Research Lab, and a pilot to develop microtransit along the US Route 1 corridor.
Fiscal Year 2026
The first proposal involves extending the 501 to BWI Airport, and the third involves a new express route between Columbia and the airport.
A new route between Columbia and Elkridge is proposed, eliminating the need to transfer from 501 to 409 at Maryland Food Center.
The third proposal proposes extending Montgomery County's FLASH BRT service to Downtown Columbia, creating a fast connection to Washington, DC.
Fiscal Year 2027
In the fiscal year 2027, proposals exist for creating a new route from Columbia or Laurel to Fort Meade, and extending FY2025's Catonsville to ARL route to Clarksville. This extension would provide transit in an area with currently none.
Fiscal Year 2028
Proposals for this year include a new route from Laurel to Bowie and a new route from Columbia to Maple Lawn.
- "RTA Appoints New General Manager: Cristin Tolen" (Press release). Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland. November 30, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
- Amanda Yeager (March 27, 2014). "Howard, Anne Arundel join to form new Regional Transportation Agency". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
- Candy Thomson (22 April 2013). "Howard, Anne Arundel officials lobby for regional bus system Transit lines would link communities to major employment centers". The Baltimore Sun.
- "Routes 405_505_Planning – Welcome to RTA". Retrieved 2023-11-19.
- "RTA of Central Maryland Transit Development Plan" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.