Annapolis transportation committee reviews draft Transit Development Plan, including GoTime expansion and new ‘blue’ route

Annapolis transportation staff and outside planners on Wednesday presented a draft five‑year Transit Development Plan (TDP) that would expand the city’s GoTime microtransit zones, realign existing fixed routes, and add a proposed new “blue” route — with year‑one changes described as cost‑neutral and later expansions tied to future funding.

The presentation was led by Marcus Moore, director of Transportation & Parking for the City of Annapolis, and consultants Dan Dalton and Kwaku Duo of planning firm KFH. Dalton said the TDP is required by the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Maryland Transit Administration and that “if it’s not in a TDP, then it definitely won’t be funded in the future.” The plan is the first TDP for Annapolis since 2019 and threads community feedback, driver input and a needs assessment into a prioritized set of operational and capital options.

Committee members were asked to consider three core strands of the draft: modest, cost‑neutral realignments to the existing red, brown and green routes in year one; expansion of the GoTime on‑demand microtransit service from a single zone to three zones; and a proposed new blue fixed route that would serve Annapolis High School and nearby destinations and extend slightly beyond city limits. The draft also includes procurement items such as an automatic vehicle locator (AVL) system and a projected capital/operating cost table that the consultants called “conceptual.”

Why it matters: the TDP links local service design to federal and state grant applications. Dalton told the committee that the MTA looks for projects in a jurisdiction’s TDP when reviewing annual funding requests. Committee members said they want more detailed…