Comments

1.

11/17/2018

• Talked with an RTA Trainer this morning on the Yellow 405 Bus… He handed out info on the Route Schedules and Meeting… No such Folks are livid that the bus from Dorsey Hall area only goes to the Mall… No service to Ellicott City except at the Mall… This is nuts!
• The Red 406 bus this morning had no information on the Proposed Schedule changes…
• And speaking of horrific practices, when will the RTA provide safe, accessible bus stops…? This is just NOT acceptable!
• The County should REVOKE the RTA CONTRACT! HOWARD COUNTY CAN AND MUST DO BETTER!

11/27/2018

• Why would the Howard County Government/RTA ask riders who live in Ellicott City to go to the Columbia Mall to get to Ellicott City?
• IMO, it’s time to throw out the RTA schedule book and create schedules that actually serve people. Howard County is the fourth(?) richest County in the nation… Why is our public transportation system so abysmal?
• IMO, Howard County and RTA need to engage in a study with riders on where transportation is needed and design a transportation system accordingly.
• Not all consumers live in Columbia… Why is there no transportation hub in Ellicott City, County Seat of Howard County? The County’s Office Building hosts meetings from 7 AM to 2 AM…Why is there no route that connects people to Officials — the County Council, County Exec and others? This Hub could have many routes — One that would serve Route 99, Mt. Hebron High School to the HoCo Conservancy to businesses/Non-Profits along Route 40 West and back to the County Office Building. Another Route could serve the 103 Corridor to Elkridge and return? Another Ellicott City Hub Route could link Columbia, Dorsey Search, Centennial HS, Route 40 West and historic Ellicott City. How could another route from the Ellicott City Hub connect with Catonsville, and other Baltimore County venues.

11/27/2018

• Why would the Howard County Government/RTA ask riders who live in Ellicott City to go to the Columbia Mall to get to Ellicott City?
• IMO, it’s time to throw out the RTA schedule book and create schedules that actually serve people. Howard County is the fourth(?) richest County in the nation… Why is our public transportation system so abysmal?
• IMO, Howard County and RTA need to engage in a study with riders on where transportation is needed and design a transportation system accordingly.
• Not all consumers live in Columbia… Why is there no transportation hub in Ellicott City, County Seat of Howard County? The County’s Office Building hosts meetings from 7 AM to 2 AM…Why is there no route that connects people to Officials — the County Council, County Exec and others? This Hub could have many routes — One that would serve Route 99, Mt. Hebron High School to the HoCo Conservancy to businesses/Non-Profits along Route 40 West and back to the County Office Building. Another Route could serve the 103 Corridor to Elkridge and return? Another Ellicott City Hub Route could link Columbia, Dorsey Search, Centennial HS, Route 40 West and historic Ellicott City. How could another route from the Ellicott City Hub connect with Catonsville, and other Baltimore County venues.
• Where is the Route from the Columbia Hub to the Applied Physics Laboratory, Clarksville/River Hill, the Board of Education, Applied Research Laboratory?
• Where is the direct service Route from Columbia Mall and Long Gate Park and Ride to BWI Airport and Light Rail?
• Where is the direct service from Columbia Mall and Long Gate Parkway to Baltimore and Washington Metros hourly, outside regular MTA Commuter Schedules?
• Why did it take me four hours to get to Annapolis one way? Annapolis is the Capital of Maryland, why does it take so long to get there via public transportation from Howard County?
• When will RTA actually answer the calls from consumers to RTA? This is a service gap that needs to be closed.
• Why are there no RTA supervisors present at the Columbia Mall Hub during RTA Transit hours to answer questions and respond to concerns?
• Howard County has purchased numerous buses for use by RTA. What is the Howard County Government’s Oversight of these capital expenditures and how does County Government assess RTA’s use of these capital expenditures? What is the Howard County Government’s Protocol for Managing RTA? How does the Howard County Government assess and evaluate RTA service quality? How are these service quality reports analyzed and shared publicly? How does RTA measure its performance and share this publicly?
• Howard County is a Non-smoking County. Why are bus drivers and the public allowed to smoke at bus stops and Columbia Mall?
• So many more comments…

12/3/2018

• I submitted comments that were to be posted to your website.  Please direct me to your website URL where my public comments are posted.

12/4/2018

1)  I don’t see my previous comments posted.  I do not see RTA’s responses to my previous comments.

2)  The current 405 is extraordinarily dangerous and lengthy.  Drivers seemingly have to speed to make the current route on time.  This 405 Route could be simplified by going from the Dorsey Search Area directly to the Long Gate Park and Ride and having the half-hour 406 Route  pick up the Route 108 east of Route 29 segment.

3)  Where are the half-hour Ellicott City buses?  Where are the Routes that include businesses and organizations on Route 40 West, including business on Resort Road, Clark’s Hardware, apartments on Pine Orchard Road, the Salvation Army, etc.  Where are the Routes that serve the High Schools in the Ellicott City Area?  What Route serves are available to the George Howard Building, until close on nights when the County Executive, County Council, and other Governmental entities meet??  What services are provided to the historic district of Ellicott City?

4)  How much money was spent to produce the 4 color 48 page brochure listing proposed route changes?  Some of the brochure lists route change times, other routes have no schedules.   For example Why is Route 503 not included?   This Route needs additional service on Saturdays AND Sunday service. to Savage Mill and Laurel.

5)  I called on 12/03/18 to reserve transportation for the hearing on the 13th, per the brochure and was told by two operators that I had to call back 7 days in advance.   There is no information on this time constraint in the brochure.  The second operator said there is a new brochure that specifies 7 days in advance?  What are RTA’s Communication Standards?   How are these measures assessed and shared publicly?

December 11, 2018

• Route Comments – Part 3
• In addition to the omission of Route 503 listing, half-hour service? Saturday Service starts when? Sunday Service when?
• There is no information on the “Guaranteed Ride Home” Program. This program appears to be for rides home from work. There is nothing in the Proposed Schedule Brochure about this Program or why it is limited to those who work. Many of us volunteer many hours to more than 40 hours a week. How do we access this program? For example, County/State Meetings are held at the George Howard Building in Ellicott City, running to 1:00 in the morning and later…
• 1) The George Howard County Office Building is not shown on the Route 405 List. Why isn’t the George Howard County Office Building on the schedule?
• 2) Perhaps the Howard County Government’s Transportation Office/RTA could make the George Howard Building its Ellicott City Transportation Hub for three to four Ellicott CIty Route Loops, one extending to Catonsville; another west on Route 40 to Turf Valley businesses on Resort Road; another along Route 99 to Carroll County, as per other comments listed in this comment section, etc. Ellicott City residents and businesses are under served by the Howard County Government’s Transportation Office and RTA.
• Measurement and Analysis
• How does the Howard County Government contract with RTA for Transportation Administration and Services to benefit of Howard County residents and businesses? How does the Howard County Government review data analysis and consumer feedback on services provided by RTA? Howard County uses a great deal of Taxpayer capital dollars for expenditures to purchase buses, yet it is unclear what the County’s protocol is for RTA’s service and maintenance of these vehicles. What ever happened to the three hybrid buses purchased through a grant program in excess of $900K? It is unclear what measures the Howard County Government uses to assess RTA Service Quality.
• On a cold December 10 all RTA buses were present at the Mall Hub by 1:55, yet the RTA driver bus with the 2:00 drivers didn’t arrive until 2:05, making riders wait in the cold until 2:10+ to leave the Mall…more than ten minutes late… Why? Why? Why?
• IMO, the Howard County Government needs to provide exceptional public transportation services for its residents and businesses. The proposed schedule changes, IMO, do not meet a threshold for service, as noted by attendees at Executive Ball’s “Listening Session” at the Bain Center on the morning of December 10. I walked to the Bain Center from Centennial High School in 50 minutes. It would have taken me more than an hour and 45 minutes to get there via RTA.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment. Howard County can and must do better!

2.

12/4/18

Comment

• The current 405 is extraordinarily dangerous and lengthy. Drivers seemingly have to speed to make the current route on time. This 405 Route could be simplified by going from the Dorsey Search Area directly to the Long Gate Park and Ride and having the half-hour 406 Route pick up the Route 108 east of Route 29 segment.
• Where are the half-hour Ellicott City buses? Where are the Routes that include businesses and organizations on Route 40 West, including business on Resort Road, Clark’s Hardware, apartments on Pine Orchard Road, the Salvation Army, etc. Where are the Routes that serve the High Schools in the Ellicott City Area? What Route serves are available to the George Howard Building, until close on nights when the County Executive, County Council, and other Governmental entities meet?? What services are provided to the historic district of Ellicott City?
• How much money was spent to produce the 4 color 48 page brochure listing proposed route changes? Some of the brochure lists route change times, other routes have no schedules. For example Why is Route 503 not included? This Route needs additional service on Saturdays AND Sunday service. to Savage Mill and Laurel.
• I called on 12/03/18 to reserve transportation for the hearing on the 13th, per the brochure and was told by two operators that I had to call back 7 days in advance. There is no information on this time constraint in the brochure. The second operator said there is a new brochure that specifies 7 days in advance? What are RTA’s Communication Standards? How are these measures assessed and shared publicly?

3.

11/21/18

Comment

Thank you for expanding some of the routes to more half-hour runs, as well as the expansion of Sunday service (we’ve been needing that for years and years)! The only other addition that would be fantastic to see would be a few evening and weekend runs south on Route 29 to Burtonsville to join the system with the DC Metro system. It would make weekend and evening excursions into Washington much easier and a lot more efficient.

4.

11/24/18

Comment

Why are there no routes at all along the 108/Mayfield/103 triangle? There is more shopping there now, a huge apartment complex going up at 103 and the 100. I live on Mayfield and my mom, who is unable to drive due to moderate glaucoma, will be unable to use the bus services for the safest trip to our home, when she moves here in the Spring 2019. She would have to go to Gateway Overlook and walk along the 108 to get to Mayfield Ave, which has no sidewalk along the busy road.  I plan to attend the meeting on December 13th.

5.

11/26/18

Comment

I am very pleased that RTA would increase the service of 401!!! Also I use 405 and it will improve! I am not happy that 501 goes to Arundel Mills Mall and not to BWI – I used it when I flew from BWI, also it is the only way to go to Baltimore (via BWI and light rail) during the day. Any chance to return of the old rout?

In 2020 (little bit more than a year) MoCo will have BRT (Bus Rapid Transit),from Silver Spring to Burtonsville,buses will run every 7 min in rush hour,and 15 min in other times, every day – are you going to connect Columbia with Burtonsville? Finally we could go to DC by bus!!!

6.

12/5/18

Comment

• Route 501 needs to extend beyond Arundel Mills, serving the Business Park and extending to General Aviation for workers access to BWI. I would like to see the 501 go to Camden at Dorsey.
• I would like to see the Halethorpe Station served. I feel MTA would save a tremendous amount of money (Paratransit) if RTA/MTA could work a deal and have the 409 extend to Route 40 and Rolling Road.

7.

11/27/18

Comment

• There needs to be a future connection to Sykesville, Rt. 32 and extend to Mt. Airy. This is important to connect Frederick and Carroll Counties with Howard County.
• Route 504 needs to run in both directions to Savage and west to connect with 409.
• A priority connection needs to occur at Halethorpe Station and Rt. 40/Rolling Road.

8.

12/1/18

Comment

• Why are there no routes at all along the 108/Mayfield/103 triangle? There is more shopping there now, a huge apartment complex going up at 103 and the 100. I live on Mayfield and my mom, who is unable to drive due to moderate glaucoma, will be unable to use the bus services for the safest trip to our home, when she moves here in the Spring 2019. She would have to go to Gateway Overlook and walk along the 108 to get to Mayfield Ave, which has no sidewalk along the busy road. I plan to attend the meeting on December 13th.

9.

12/3/18

Comment

I really appreciate efforts to expand the service routes and times, because initially the routes were confusing and inefficient. I would make a few slight additions though.
• I prefer that the 501 bus service BWI/MARC station again because it has really benefited me when traveling end route to Howard County. The County Connector Bus just doesn’t do that. And I think others would agree that the previous 501 route was more efficient.
• I also want to suggest having a bus that routes to the New Carrollton station. I know one bus already routes to Greenbelt and College Park but for Penn Line commuters the New Carrollton station is the only way we can access the Southern Maryland area.

10.

12/3/18

Comment

I am writing to you about a route proposal for the 501/Silver bus. As you know from the photo below, the yellow highlights the existing route. My proposal is in the blue. If my proposal is taken, I will be able to save a 23 minute walk in the cold between my work place and bus stop. After the route diversion, there isn’t any bus stop within that area so there wouldn’t be any inconvenience for anyone. Except for the Washington Blvd & Port Capital Dr which could be changed to after the left turn on the detour, that is pretty much the only change. I would be very grateful if my proposal were granted. Thanks for Understanding. Have a blessed day!

11.

12/10/18

1. What data shows the low ridership numbers for the 409 & 409B reduced service hours proposal?
2. Consider running the new 409/409B route to run until 7:45 pm as opposed to 6:45 pm to make sure to cover those who may need to use the bus at later hours.

12.

12/11/18

First of all I want to thanks several times I asked for build a bus stop near Gramersi Place Broken Land.  We need such bus stop.