Committee recommends transit development plan to full council; director outlines microtransit, hubs and school‑route issues

The Housing & Human Welfare Committee voted May 29 to recommend adoption of the city’s five‑year Transit Development Plan (Resolution R‑17‑25) and received a briefing from the director of Transportation & Parking on key elements and constraints.

Director Shane Moore (identified in the meeting as the department director) told the committee that adoption of the TDP is a planning roadmap required for federal funding eligibility and does not itself obligate the city or the Maryland Department of Transportation to provide project funding. “Adoption by the city council…does not obligate the city of Annapolis or Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland Transit Authority to fund any particular part of this improvement plan,” Moore said.

Moore described recent elements of the plan: a microtransit (on‑demand) pilot that operates inside a geofence and aims for short wait times; route studies to improve connectivity to Annapolis High School and other destinations; and coordination with Anne Arundel County on feeder routes and a regional transit hub. He said the county operates complementary routes (a “yellow” route referenced) and that the county is studying a larger transit hub in the Parole/Westfield area (options discussed include the existing mall area or Harry S. Truman Park & Ride).

Committee members asked why certain corridor options (for example a New Carrollton express) were scheduled later in the conceptual budget; Moore said sequencing in the TDP reflects multiple factors — partnerships, funding sources and operational feasibility — and he agreed to follow up with consultants for a more detailed explanation. Moore and committee members also discussed fare policy: the director said organizational and contracted fares plus passenger fares account for meaningful operating revenue, and that removing fares would create a budget gap the city would have to fund from other sources unless external partners replaced those revenues.

The committee voted to forward a favorable recommendation for R‑17‑25 to the full council (motion moved and seconded; vote: ayes). Staff said the TDP and any recommended service changes will be subject to further public outreach and funding availability before implementation.