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Council reviews multiyear MOU to extend US‑29 bus rapid transit into Howard County; service eyed for spring 2026
Summary
Howard County Councilmembers reviewed CB4, a proposed multiyear memorandum of agreement with Montgomery County and the State of Maryland to extend bus rapid transit (BRT) along U.S. 29 into Howard County; Montgomery County will purchase electric buses with a congressional grant while Howard County is expected to provide a federal match, staff said.
Howard County Councilmembers spent the work session reviewing CB4, a proposed multiyear memorandum of agreement with Montgomery County and the State of Maryland to extend bus rapid transit (BRT) along U.S. 29 into Howard County. The council and staff discussed funding, procurement, ridership assumptions and a tentative operating timeline that could put buses in service in spring 2026.
Under the current financing plan described at the work session, Montgomery County is handling procurement of electric buses using a congressionally directed spending award of about $4.8 million. Howard County’s anticipated match for federally supported capital (the typical 80/20-style arrangement for Federal Transit Administration vehicle projects) is roughly $1.45 million, staff said. Individual battery-electric buses were described in the session as costing about $1.2 million each.
Why it matters: the proposal would create a new regional commuting connection — enabling Howard County riders to reach the Washington Metro system and give Montgomery…
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