Montgomery County proclaims Transit Equity Day, highlights free bus service and storm response

Montgomery County’s Transportation and Environment Committee read and signed a proclamation recognizing Feb. 4 as Transit Equity Day, honoring Rosa Parks and underscoring the county’s efforts to make transit more accessible.

The committee’s remarks emphasized the county’s free-bus policy, which began in June. An unidentified committee speaker said "ridership has increased 5.4%" since fares were eliminated and that "riders have saved about $1,200 a year" because of the policy. Committee members and county transportation officials framed the change as part of a broader equity agenda that connects transit access to housing and health supports.

Council Vice President Marilyn Balcom, thanking Department of Transportation staff and Director Conklin, said this week’s commuter disruptions underscored the need to study lessons learned and improve reliability for riders, who she said have borne the brunt of recent problems.

Kate Stewart (District 4) said the county should remember the civil-rights history tied to transit while ensuring sustainable regional funding for WMATA and other services. "Without a strong transit system, we cannot have transit equity," Stewart said.

Director Conklin, in remarks for the Department of Transportation, described operational goals and the county’s winter-storm response. He said Montgomery County prioritized keeping transit running "to the maximum extent possible," provided more service during and after the storm than other regional providers, and worked with Metro to deploy crews to clear access to bus stops. "It was essential that we provide this essential service to the maximum extent we could given these circumstances," Conklin said.

Sam Oji, deputy general manager for the division of transit services, recognized transit employees who worked overnight and in freezing conditions to maintain service and avoid missed rides for residents who depend on public transportation.

The proclamation’s findings, read aloud by the committee, state that Feb. 4 is nationally recognized as Transit Equity Day in honor of Rosa Parks and list county programs intended to advance transit equity, including free bus service, connector rides and subsidized taxi service for seniors and people with disabilities. The proclamation text includes socioeconomic figures: it states the county’s median household income is "over $125,000" and that the median income of riders is estimated at "$45,000" (the transcript contains a garbled phrase when naming the lower-income group).

The proclamation was presented and signed by the Transportation and Environment Committee; the closing list of signatories includes Evan Glass, Marilyn Balcom and Kate Stewart.

The committee said it will hold a deeper review of this week’s commuter issues later in the afternoon to draw lessons for improving reliability and rider experience.