Public Transit Legislators Work Group

MDOT MTA 101

Kevin Quinn, Administrator

February 8, 2019

1
Maryland Transit Administration Overview
• Six modes

• ~100 million rides a year

– Local Bus: 66.3 million
– Metro: 10.2 million
– MARC Train: 9.2 million
– Light Rail: 7.2 million
– Commuter Bus: 3.8 million
– Mobility: 2.9 million

• 13th largest transit system in US

– 5th largest commuter bus system
– 6th largest paratransit system
– 11th largest local bus system

• Oversees $140 million in funding and

technical assistance to Locally
Operated Transit Systems (LOTS)

• Operating budget of ~$850 million

per year

• Six-year capital budget of ~$3.3

billion

2
Local Bus Service
• Three tiers of service
– CityLink
– LocalLink
– Express BusLink

• 210,000 average weekday ridership

• 750 buses in fleet

• 4 bus divisions in Baltimore City

• BaltimoreLink network redesign launched

in June 2017

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 Light Rail
• Light rail line with 57 miles
of track

• 33 stations from Hunt

Valley to Cromwell and
BWI Airport

• 23,000 average weekday

ridership

• 2.9 million miles traveled

annually

• Mid-life overhaul underway

for 52 vehicle fleet

4
 Metro
• Heavy rail line with 34 miles of
track

• 14 stations from Owings Mills to

Johns Hopkins Hospital

• 28,000 average weekday

ridership

• 4.5 million miles traveled

annually

• Fleet currently being overhauled

with new railcars

5
 MARC
• Three lines
– Penn Line
– Camden Line
– Brunswick Line

• 35,000 average weekday ridership

• Contractors used for MARC

services
– Penn Line: Amtrak (also own the tracks)
– Camden & Brunswick: Bombardier
(CSX owns tracks)

• By the numbers:
– 202 route-miles of commuter rail
services
– 46 locomotives and 177 commuter rail
coaches
– 42 stations in MD, WV & DC

6
 Commuter Bus
• Peak-period limited-stop bus
service

• 37 routes across Maryland

– 24 routes serving DC

• 15,000 average weekday

ridership

• 6.3 million miles traveled

annually

7
 Mobility
• Paratransit service for
individuals with disabilities who
are unable to use the MTA fixed
route system

• 8,000 average weekday

ridership

• Service provided by 3
contractors
– Veolia Transportation
– MV Transportation
– First Transit

• 550 cars in fleet

– 200 vehicles expected over the next
2 years

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Operating Budget Overview
• ~$850 million per year

• 74% service contracts & union labor Other

131.9M
– Union labor includes Bus, Light Rail, Metro, 16%

and Police Union Labor

291.9M
– Contracted service includes MARC, LOTS 35%
90.4M
Mobility, and Commuter Bus 11%

• Other includes:
– Labor and benefits related to non-union Contracted Service
employees 323.2M
39%
– Rent and utilities
– Parts, inventory, and diesel
– Supplies, equipment, and communications
Capital Budget Overview
FY 19-24 CTP funding by Mode

New Starts, 22%

Agencywide, 13%
• $3.3 billion over 6 years
– Over 200 projects

Bus, 15% • Includes funding for:

Mobility, 2% – 6 MDOT MTA modes
Freight, 1%
– 23 Locally Operated Transit
IT, 0.4% Systems (LOTS)
Metro, 18% – Over 50 non-profits providing
LOTS, 6% funds for the elderly and
Light Rail, 9% disabled population

MARC, 14%
Locally Operated
Transit Systems
• All 23 Maryland counties in
addition to Annapolis,
Baltimore City, and Ocean
City

• $140 million in funding and

technical assistance
– Compliance with state
and federal funding
requirements
– Procurement of new
vehicles and equipment
– Average local
contribution of $2 million
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Purple Line
• 16.2 miles light rail line from Bethesda to New Carrolton

• Connection to WMATA, MARC, Amtrak, and local bus services

• Construction progress continuing

• Demolitions
• Utility relocations
• Real estate acquisitions
• Tunneling

• Vehicles currently being assembled in Elmira, NY

• Ongoing Community Advisory Team (CAT) meetings

Trends in Transit

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Growth in Paratransit Demand
MDOT MTA Monthly Paratransit Ridership
300,000

• Mobility has experienced

250,000
substantial growth in both
costs and utilization over the
200,000
past several years
– Total annual ridership
increased 68% between 2010
150,000
and 2017
– August 2018 set record for
100,000
monthly ridership (over 192,000
trips)
50,000 – Mobility is 2% percent of all
MDOT MTA ridership, 12% of
0
operating budget
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Bus Ridership Total Monthly Ridership (2016-2018)
2016 2017 2018
7,000,000
• 2018 ridership down 3.3%
through November 6,500,000
– WMATA down 2%
– SEPTA down 8% 6,000,000
– National bus ridership down
3% 5,500,000

5,000,000
• Transit ridership falling in 31
out of top 35 major US cities 4,500,000

4,000,000
• However, there are signs of JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
stabilization
– October 2018 ridership
exceeded October 2016 Bus Ridership Change 2017-2018 (through November)
– July and August 2018 ridership 0%
higher than previous year -2%
-4%
• Weekend ridership is up -6%
– Average Saturday ridership up -8%
3% -10%
– Sunday up 13% -12%
-14%
National Average MDOT MTA WMATA Pittsburgh SEPTA Miami

15
Prioritizing Transit 300
MTA Police Bus Lane Details, Citations, Warnings, and Arrests

250

• Dedicated Bus Lanes 200

– 5.5 miles in Downtown Baltimore 150

– Up to 31% time savings; average 100

9% per corridor 50

– 7 additional miles of bus lanes 0

with North Avenue Rising
– 973 bus lane and parking
citations issued in 2018 by MDOT Details Citations Issued Warnings Parking Citations Arrest
MTA Police

• Transit Signal Priority

– Up to 22% time savings
– 2 pilot corridors with active TSP
– Entire bus fleet equipped
– Installation of signal equipment
on 2 additional corridors in Spring
2019
Technology and the Rider Experience
• Real-Time Bus Information
– Partnership with Transit App
• Provides real-time transit information, simple
trip planning, and step-by-step navigation
– GPS units installed on entire bus fleet
– Significant improvements in trip planning
and overall customer experience
– Over 120,000 downloads since
launching in June 2018

• CharmPass Mobile Ticketing

– Easier, more convenient fare payment
– Reduced dwell times
– 90-minute transfer window
– Used over 185,000 times since launch
on 9/27