Record Number Of Passenger Trips Set By Regional Transportation Agency

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland has surpassed one million rides for the first time in transit history, officials announced.

"In Howard County, we continue to create vital connections for our residents and workforce to travel to key destinations across central Maryland. Our consistent increases in ridership since the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrate the demand for more public transit and reflect the enhancements we have made to RTA in recent years," said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball.

During fiscal year 2025, which ended on June 30, the RTA provided 1,021,870 passenger trips. This is the first time RTA has achieved this record level of ridership, up from nearly 6.4% recorded for fiscal year 2024 ridership. RTA’s FY2025 ridership increased more than 11% from FY2019 ridership, rebounding and improving over the decrease in ridership due to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.

Howard County also announced they will be expanding its free fare program so that children younger than 18 can ride the fixed route service for free on the RTA. In 2021, Ball launched the free student bus pass program for Howard County Public School System middle and high school students and Howard Community College (HCC) students. This program was upgraded in 2023 when Howard County partnered with the RTA to transition all bus passes to a digital platform through the Transit application. While all children now can ride free on the RTA, children younger than age 12 need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

In the last year alone, RTA provided more than 3,500 free rides to students at HCC and in HCPSS.

“Building on our record year of ridership, expanding free rides to all children creates more transportation options for our families to access the places and opportunities they need to succeed,” said Clarence Dickerson, III, administrator, office of transportation. “By no longer limiting this program to children enrolled in HCPSS or HCC, taking RTA will be more streamlined for families on the go.”

Howard County residents also can take advantage of recently improved bus stops throughout RTA’s service area. Public art installations by four artists were commissioned to beautify bus shelters, which are located at the following bus stops:

• Old Dobbin Lane / Long Reach High School (Northbound)
• Freetown Road / Atholton High School
• Twin Rivers Road / Trumpeter Road (Eastbound)
• Guilford Road / Hammond High School
• Washington Boulevard / Dorsey Road
• Rowanberry Drive / Elkridge Library (Northbound)
• Rowanberry Drive / Elkridge Library (Southbound)
• Hickory Ridge Road / Cordage Walk
• Kilimanjaro Road / Oakland Mills High School