WASHINGTON (Feb. 2, 2008) – Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties will receive $2.8 million in federal transportation funding to construct Park and Ride lots. Local officials say the expansion is necessary in order to accommodate the growing number of people who use the commuter bus service from Southern Maryland to Washington.
The funding will be used for planning, design and construction of new or expanded Park and Ride lots in Waldorf, Prince Frederick, Dunkirk, New Market, and Charlotte Hall. There will be a total of approximately 2,880 new parking spaces once construction is completed.
Commuter bus service has grown in popularity and utilization in Southern Maryland since the service’s inception around 1990. In November 2006 (the most recent month available) 6,784 riders traveled on 208 trips daily from the three counties to Washington, DC. This ridership is 6.9% higher than the comparable date in 2005.
The service is expected to grow as more workers move to the region and utilize available transit. In addition to the current expectations of increased utilization, Maryland will gain a sizable number of jobs (estimated at over 50,000) and functions as a result of the “BRAC” base realignment, thus providing even greater ridership demands.