Need a lift?

County, city offer rides to mass vaccination sites 

By Kathy Knotts 

Anne Arundel County and the City of Annapolis have announced a partnership to help get county residents to the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium for COVID vaccines. County Executive Steuart Pittman and Mayor Gavin Buckley announced last week a collaborative effort to ensure county residents can access transportation to and from the mass vaccination site.  

“Anne Arundel County has prioritized our most vulnerable residents throughout the vaccination rollout, and we will continue to do so at the new mass vaccination site by providing free, convenient transportation options for our residents,” said Pittman. “We won’t allow transportation barriers to stand in the way of anyone getting vaccinated.” 

 County residents may call the Office of Transportation at 410-222-0225 or 410-222-0047 to access the County Operated Vaccine Service and schedule a free ride to their vaccination appointment. Operators are available 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday to help residents arrange transportation to the Navy Stadium site, or any other vaccination clinic in the county. Residents may also use the Office of Transportation’s AA-Gold College Parkway service route to access the Rowe Boulevard/Taylor Avenue stop by the Navy Stadium free of charge, as all fees have been waived during the pandemic. Information on route stops and hours is available online at www.aacounty.org/departments/transportation/index.html. 

Residents age 55+ or residents 18+ with a disability can call the Department of Aging and Disabilities’ Taxi Voucher program to schedule transportation to their vaccine appointment. The program offers discounted taxi vouchers with participating cab companies, each book costs $5 and is worth a value of $10.  

“Navy Stadium is centrally located and a great spot for a mass vaccination site,” said Buckley. “But for those without easy access to transportation options, it might as well be a million miles away. Simplifying access to this site will help us get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible – and help us to get to the other side of this pandemic.”  

Buckley added that the Navy stadium site gives residents the confidence that comes with a solid partnership between the U.S. Naval Academy, the state of Maryland, the county and the city. The City of Annapolis will provide free shuttle bus service from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium to Church Circle, connecting residents to major city-operated transit routes. 

The Calvert County Health Department will collect information during appointment registration to identify individuals who may need assistance with transportation. The Health Department is coordinating with the Calvert County Government Department of Community Resources, Division of Public Transportation to assist individuals in coordinating transportation needs to receive the vaccine. The Health Department is also working with the Calvert County Office on Aging to identify transportation needs of senior citizens.