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Annapolis officials report microtransit ridership growth and propose regional partnership
Summary
City transportation officials said microtransit ridership rose about 9% year over year, noted app and AVL work, and described a possible partnership with Anne Arundel County to expand service.
Annapolis Transportation Director Marcus Moore said the city’s on-demand microtransit service has seen steady growth, including “approximately 9%” higher ridership compared with January of the prior year, and cited months with gains as high as 16%.
Moore said recent technical issues with the Android app have been resolved and the app is now available through the Google Play Store; he also said the department is exploring AVL (automatic vehicle location) for the full bus fleet and onboard payment options that would allow riders to pay with a mobile wallet or QR code. “It would be something like onboard payments,” Moore said, noting those features have additional cost implications for the city.
The Transportation Committee heard that Jamar Parker, the transportation superintendent, and vendor IT Curves are finalizing the Transit Development Plan (TDP) documents. Moore said the TDP — which he described as required when jurisdictions receive federal funds every five years — will be posted for stakeholder review in mid-to-late March, with additional outreach planned once advisory-committee feedback is received.
Why it matters: Committee members framed microtransit as a lower-cost way to reach neighborhoods the fixed-route network misses, and as a complement to the city’s fixed routes. Moore and committee members discussed expanding evening and Saturday service into Eastport and Ward 7 and improving first-/last-mile connections to county transit stops, with the potential for Anne Arundel County to “piggyback or partner” on the IT Curves software and pay the city for participation.
Committee members pressed staff for practical next steps. Alderman Pindell Charles suggested exploring phone-based fare tokens so riders without cash can board; Moore said the city sells day, weekly and monthly passes and that social-service partners sometimes buy bulk passes for clients. The department will include fare-payment options and AVL requirements as part of the TDP review and budget discussions.
Public-facing steps and timeline: Moore said staff will circulate the tech memos and ask stakeholders to submit comments; he expected the advisory committee review to conclude soon and the TDP to be available for public comment by the mid-to-late March stakeholder review window. The department will return to the committee with staffing, cost estimates, and any partner agreements for expansion or county collaboration.
