Your Say: Aug. 16-22, 2018
Circulator and Shuttles Bring Mobility to Southern Anne Arundel County
On July 1, the Anne Arundel County Transportation Office launched two new transportation options to serve the south of the county: the South County Circulator and two Zonal Shuttles. This initiative was the result of dynamic collaboration between Ramond Robinson, head of the Transportation Office, and the South County Huddle, a local volunteer organization.
The Transportation Committee of the Huddle has followed the progress of these two programs through their initial weeks of operation, riding the bus, communicating with riders and potential riders and providing feedback to the Transportation Office.
The schedule for the Circulator and other information about both programs can be found on the Public Transportation in Southern Anne Arundel County Facebook page. Those without access to the internet or Facebook are invited to contact the South County Huddle Transportation Committee, at [email protected] or 443-424-3801 (voicemail or text), and provide your address to receive a schedule.
The South County Huddle is working to find resources and solutions to meet the needs of southern Anne Arundel County residents. One of our first initiatives has been advocating for public transportation in Southern Anne Arundel County.
The South County Circulator Bus runs in a loop, from Annapolis Mall, down through Edgewater, to Muddy Creek Rd., then through Deale, to Wayson’s Corner and back up Solomons Island Rd./Rt. 2. The bus runs from 6am to 6pm and costs $1, exact change required.
Due to construction on the bus route, the loop is taking a bit longer than indicated on the schedule. Both in the morning, and at noon, the bus starts on schedule. By late morning, and again by the evening, it runs 15 to 20 minutes late. The county is assessing whether to change the schedule.
Zonal Shuttles operate in two zones, with a five-mile radius, as shown on a map on the Public Transportation in Southern Anne Arundel County Facebook page and on the county website. Now available to all, not just seniors, shuttles pick up passengers and drop them off, curbside, anywhere within the same zone. Shuttles operate from 10am to 3pm. To schedule a ride, call 410-222-7440, either the day before or at least two hours in advance.
Initially, the shuttles were limited to use by senior citizens and disabled adults. Given the low population density in South County, one bus line doesn’t come within reasonable walking distance, even for younger residents. To encourage ridership and make using the Circulator bus more convenient, the County has decided, for purposes of this pilot program, to try making shuttles available to everyone. Riders must be 16 or older to ride alone.
This is a big change and we’d appreciate your help in getting the word out about it.