Maryland Transit Update May 2022

Maryland Transit Update May 2022

Tools for Getting Started with GTFS

Veterans Helping Veterans... More Than A Ride

TAM Roadeo Report

Maryland Transit Update May 2022

Maryland RTAP Rural Transit Assistance Program

Maryland Transit Update is published semiannually by KFH Group, Inc. under contract to the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) in partnership with the Transportation Association of Maryland (TAM)

IN THIS ISSUE May 2022

Letter from the President......................................................................................................................................................3 Harford County Transit LINK to Receive $1.5 Million from FTA..........................................................................4 People in Transit ............................................................................................................................................................ 5 TAM Legislative Update................................................................................................................................................6 Tools for Getting Started with GTFS...........................................................................................................................8 TAM Roadeo Report.....................................................................................................................................................10 Ride On - A Look Back at 47 Years of Innovation.....................................................................................................12 TransIT Services of Frederick County Unveils Expanded Facility, Celebrates Bike to Work Day......................14 Restoring the Frontline Workforce..............................................................................................................................16 Veterans Helping Veterans...More Than A Ride........................................................................................................18 Federal Updates..............................................................................................................................................................20 Transitioning toward Zero-Emission Buses: The Challenges and Benefits.............................................................22 Transit Bookshelf & Toolbox........................................................................................................................................25 Calendar 2022................................................................................................................................................................26 About Maryland RTAP, TAM, and Maryland Transit Update.................................................................................27

Cover photo by Bittner Photography

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Maryland Transit Update

Letter from the President

W elcome to the Spring issue of the Maryland Transit Update. By the time you are reading this, flowers will be in full bloom and none of us will have to worry about putting buses on the road in snow and ice, at least until next November or December! And this spring, things are becoming more normal with in person meetings and trainings, along with the recent federal court ruling making masking optional on board our buses. There are some exciting developments to report on since our 2021 Fall Conference . Your Legislative Committee has been hard at work and successfully saw SB 838 through to passage. This will increase SSTAP funding that has been flat for many, many years and ties this funding to the rate of inflation. Hopefully this will allow many of us to offer service improvements to our growing populations relying on this transportation. And for the first time since 2019 we were able to hold our statewide Roadeo , under sunny skies to boot! This successful event saw over 80 drivers and volunteers for a morning of friendly competition and comradery followed by lunch, an awards banquet and for the first time, entertainment provided by a stand-up comedian.

Jeff Barnett TAM President Chief of Transit, Charles County VanGO

Mark your calendars for upcoming meetings and training opportunities. The General Meeting (our first in-person General Meeting since 2019) will be held at Turf Valley in Ellicott City May 17 – 19, which includes two days of MDOT MTA sponsored CCTM certification. Our Fall Conference is all set for September 20 – 22 at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club in Stevensville. Registration will be opening May 17. The Awards Committee will be looking for nominations starting on May 17. These prestigious awards for individual and transit agency achievements throughout the year are proudly announced at the Fall Conference. This is your opportunity to nominate an associate or transit agency for outstanding work in our important industry. Check out www.taminc.org for more information on award categories and to download nomination forms. Looking forward to seeing more of everyone this year. As always, please reach out to me or TAM staff if there is anything we can do to improve your membership experience.

May 2022

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Harford County Transit LINK to Receive $1.5 Million from FTA Only Public Transit System in Maryland to receive funding under the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program

By Becky Macek, Harford Transit LINK

H arford Transit LINK has been awarded $1,498,000 from the federal Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program to pay for clean-energy buses and to design and engineer its operations/maintenance facility. Harford Transit LINK is the only locally operated transit system in Maryland to be awarded this funding, which was announced on March 14 by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Pending Harford County Administration approval, Harford Transit LINK plans to use this funding for two Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) small cutaway buses and two CNG medium-heavy duty buses, along with completing the design and engineering of either a new facility or current facility upgrade, which will be determined based on a viability study conducted by WSP, Inc. in conjunction with MDOT MTA . The federal grant will cover 85% of the $1,180,000 cost of the buses and 90% of the $550,000 needed

for the facility design and engineering. The remaining $232,000 will be provided by the county government in matching funds required by the grant. Since 2018, Harford Transit LINK has researched, applied for, and received nearly $21 million in discretionary funding for new buses (via Volkswagen, 5339, and 5307 grants and CARES funding) and facility upgrades (5339 grant) for fuel infrastructure, garage rehabilitation, training and specialty tools, and project management. This aggressive approach to secure additional funding has saved Harford County tens of millions of dollars. Additional Information: For more information about Harford Transit LINK, visit www.harfordtransitlink.org . View the FTA press release here .

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Maryland Transit Update

People in Transit

In Memoriam

John David Hill August 22, 1942 - December 31, 2021

J ohn was an important and vibrant member of the Maryland transportation community for many years and will be dearly missed. His service included not only many years

as Director of Garrett Transit Service (he retired in 2014) but also serving on the TAM Board of Directors from 2005 - 2011, service which included two terms as President of TAM.

TAM Legislative Update From Sarah Peters of Husch Blackwell Strategies

T he Maryland General Assembly convened for the 90-day Legislative Session on January 12, 2022. The Senate of Maryland and House of Delegates began the session virtually given the difficulties of meeting in-person because of COVID-19 and the prevalence of the Delta variant. It was not until shortly after the Valentine’s Day holiday that the Senate began in-person hearings. The House remained virtual. TAM reviewed the approximately 2,500 bills introduced and met to determine the impact of the bill and how TAM would support, amend, or oppose the legislation. This included TAM’s priority bill, HB1019 (SB0838) - Transportation - Elderly and Handicapped Transportation Service - County Funding, which would secure Statewide Special Transportation Assistance Program (SSTAP) baseline funding for future years and increase that amount with inflation. TAM monitored the following bills. HB1019 / SB0838 - Transportation - Elderly and Handicapped Transportation Service - County Funding The bill sets baseline funding for transportation services for seniors and people with disabilities and adjusts future funding levels for inflation. This is an essential first and long overdue effort to assist transit providers with the rise in costs and increase in demand for the SSTAP-provided services. After many meetings with the Administration and General Assembly, TAM finalized the language of the legislation and asked advocates Delegate Karen Lewis-Young (D, Frederick County) and Senator Ron Young (D, Frederick County) to sponsor and introduce the legislation on behalf of TAM. TAM members met virtually and in-person in Annapolis to educate elected officials and interested stakeholders

on the bill and to garner support, emphasize impact to their constituents or members, and answer questions. TAM’s legislation received the endorsement by the General Assembly Transit Caucus and after successful hearings in the Senate and House, the Senate unanimously voted in support of TAM’s legislation. The bill was then heard in the House of Delegates where it was heard for a second time and again, unanimously voted. For the Senate version of the bill, that meant completing the legislative hurdles a bill must undergo to become law. This bill has been sent to the Governor for his review and signature and unless vetoed by the Governor, the bill will become law and take effect July 1, 2022. SB0210 / CH0118 - Tax Credits - Employer-Provided Commuter Benefits - Expansion and Administration This departmental bill expands the existing commuter benefit income tax credit by extending eligibility to certain employer-funded programs for (1) carpools; (2) walking and biking to work; (3) teleworking; and (4) multimodal commuting. The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) must administer the credit and may award a maximum of $1.0 million in credits each year. The bill takes effect July 1, 2022. HB1391 / CH0234 - Clean Cars Act of 2022 This bill (1) reestablishes the qualified plug-in electric vehicle and fuel cell electric vehicle excise tax credit and extends eligibility to certain vehicles and property; (2) establishes the Medium-Duty and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicle Grant Program within the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA); and (3) requires, in specified fiscal years, certain transfers and appropriations from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund (SEIF) and mandated appropriations. The bill takes effect July 1, 2022.

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Maryland Transit Update

HB0778 /CH0054 (SB0514 / CH0052) - Transportation - Investment Program - MARC Rail Service (Maryland Regional Rail Transformation Act) This bill requires the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) to establish individual investment programs to advance the Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) Cornerstone Plan and other MARC improvements, as specified. The bill also requires MTA to (1) advance specified rail priority projects as part of the investment programs, as specified and (2) conduct a MARC Cornerstone Plan Implementation Study. In addition, the bill establishes a Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) Workgroup to examine specified funding issues. The workgroup must be staffed by the Department of Legislative Services (DLS) and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 16, 2022. The bill takes effect July 1, 2022. SB 61 / HB 10 - Maryland Transit Administration - Conversion to Zero-Emission Buses (Zero- Emission Bus Transition Act Revisions)

other labor-management training programs) for its workforce related to the new zero-emission buses that it is required to purchase under the Zero Emission Transition Act (Chapter 693 of 2021) and (2) include additional information in the annual transition report required by Chapter 693. The bill takes effect July 1, 2022. SB0528 / CH0038- Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022 This bill makes broad changes to the State’s approach to reducing statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and addressing climate change. Among other things, the bill (1) increases the statewide GHG emissions reduction requirement and requires the State to achieve net-zero statewide GHG emissions by 2045; (2) establishes new and alters existing energy conservation requirements for buildings; (3) increases and extends specified energy efficiency and conservation program requirements; (4) establishes requirements for the purchase of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in the State fleet; and (5) establishes new entities and new special funds to support related activities. The bill takes effect June 1, 2022; specified provisions terminate June 30, 2024, December 31, 2029, and June 30, 2030.

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May 2022

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Tools for Getting Started with GTFS

Many transit agencies have taken advantage of the opportunities to share their fixed route and schedule information through General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS). For those still gearing up to do so, this article rounds up resources and tips to help.

What Is GTFS and Why Go the GTFS Route?

tutorial videos, frequently asked questions, links to vendors that can help maintain GTFS >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27

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