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Council approves $4.8M to extend US‑29 Flash BRT into Howard County; funding contingent on FTA grant
Summary
The Transportation & Environment committee approved a $4.8 million supplemental appropriation to help Montgomery County buy four zero‑emission buses for an extension of the US‑29 Flash Bus Rapid Transit into Howard County; federal grant execution and a Howard County MOU must be completed before procurement begins.
The Montgomery County Transportation & Environment Committee voted by unanimous consent to approve a supplemental appropriation (No. 2552) of $4,800,000 to the FY2025 capital budget to fund the county’s portion of an agreement with Howard County to extend the US‑29 Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service.
Mister Kenny, a county staff member presenting the item, said the appropriation will pay for procurement of four zero‑emission buses needed to run the extended service. "This is a result of an agreement with Howard County to expand the US‑29 Flash Bus Rapid Transit service beyond its current terminus in Burtonsville to four new Flash stations," he said, adding the work will require new buses and operating arrangements.
The funding package is split by source: $3,350,000 in federal aid and a $1,450,000 intergovernmental transfer from Howard County. Presenters said Howard County will construct the stations and on‑road infrastructure within Howard County and will pay for Montgomery County’s additional operating costs once service begins.
Council members sought specifics about whether the federal funds are already available. County staff said the Federal Transit Administration requires an executed memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Howard County before the federal grant agreement can be finalized in the FTA system. Presenters noted Howard County's council had approved the MOU and that Howard County will send the fully executed document to Montgomery County for signature. "We won't requisition to purchase the buses until we have the federal funding grant agreement in place," a staff member said.
The appropriation was placed on the record and accepted by the committee without formal roll‑call; the Chair stated, "Without objection, we'll support this supplemental." The committee also noted a Racial Equity Impact Assessment from the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice concluded the project is likely to advance racial equity and social justice in Montgomery County.
What happens next: staff will execute the MOU with Howard County, complete the federal grant agreement with FTA, and only then begin procurement of the four zero‑emission buses and related capital actions. No separate motion details, individual roll‑call votes or amendment text were recorded in the transcript.
Authorities and sources referenced in the meeting: the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), federal aid allocations cited by staff, an intergovernmental transfer from Howard County and the county's Racial Equity Impact Assessment.
