Delmarva Community Services asks Kent County for about $157,000 to sustain rural transit, urges shift toward on‑demand service

Delmarva Community Services (DCS) on March 26 presented an operating request to Kent County commissioners for roughly $157,000 to maintain rural transit service and expand a mobility‑on‑demand (MOD) pilot that DCS said has already logged substantial use.

Andy (representing Delmarva Community Services) told commissioners the transit operator provided 6,728 trips in the most recent year, with the busiest route recording 3,062 trips and the second busiest 1,896 trips. He said the unadvertised Kent on Demand pilot completed 1,405 trips; DCS urged active advertising and expansion of the program to serve more riders in concentrated areas.

“Rural transit simply does not make money,” Andy said, describing the system as a subsidy that provides essential mobility for residents with few alternatives. He asked the board to consider the requested operating funds — which he characterized as necessary to avoid route reductions and to support efforts to grow the MOD program — while acknowledging commissioners face competing priorities.

Henry T., identified as DCS’s transit director in the meeting, and Andy described operations: the county is served by six routes, and DCS is trialing smaller, wheelchair‑accessible vehicles for on‑demand trips inside denser service areas to reduce costs and improve customer experience. DCS described benefits including shorter waits, door‑to‑door service and the ability to serve riders with mobility needs more efficiently than large buses.

Commissioners and DCS discussed regional cost sharing. Andy said the current agreement splits costs evenly among participating counties (Kent, Talbot, Caroline), while ridership and service levels differ; he recommended the counties revisit the allocation formula so Kent and Caroline pay less when Talbot receives a larger share of service. Andy said a reallocation could lower Kent’s annual request in future years.

DCS also reported an operational ask tied to Betterton Volunteer Fire Company: Betterton has sought county help to renovate a bunk room so DCS personnel can be stationed there; a cost estimate of about $45,000 for the renovation was mentioned. Andy said DCS would prefer locally based paid EMTs in places such as Betterton to reduce response times and improve coverage; commissioners asked staff to review those requests as part of the budget process.

There was no vote. Commissioners said they will review the request during the FY2026 budget process and consider inter‑county cost‑sharing and next steps for mobility‑on‑demand. DCS said it would follow up with county staff and explore adjustments if commissioners request additional data or alternative funding scenarios.

Ending: The board scheduled the request for further review in the FY2026 budget process and asked staff to gather comparative data from neighboring counties as part of that review.