Save the 220 / 240 / 260

Administrator Holly Arnold
Maryland Transit Administration
6 St. Paul St.
Baltimore, MD 21202-1614

Re: Proposed Discontinuation of 220/240/260 Commuter Bus Routes

Dear Administrator Arnold:

As concerned and dedicated commuters living in Annapolis, Severna Park, Kent Island, and points further east on the Delmarva Peninsula, we have been regular riders on the 220, 240, and 260 commuter bus routes from as little as a year to as long as four decades.

Following the release of the “Proposed Commuter Bus Service Changes” document, we are writing collectively to share our significant concerns with the proposal to eliminate the 220 (Annapolis to DC), the 240 (Kent Island to DC), and the 260 (Severna Park to DC). All of these routes cover our workplaces along North Capitol Street, Massachusetts Avenue, and the K Street corridor in downtown DC. As you know, the two remaining commuter bus routes from our communities – the 230 (Severna Park & Annapolis to DC) and 250 (Kent Island & Davidsonville to DC) routes – will solely serve Capitol Hill and the Pennsylvania Avenue area, leaving us with no dedicated commuter route to our places of work.

We believe this proposal is less than fair and breaks trust with hundreds of long-time commuters who work along North Capitol Street, Massachusetts Avenue, and the K Street Corridor.

We write as representatives of hundreds of our fellow 220/240/260 commuters to share three important concerns with this proposal:

1. Based on the data, we strongly believe that the proposal does not align with the MTA’s goal of a “targeted and balanced approach” and are very worried that the proposal fails to explore reasonable compromise solutions in ways that could be cost neutral. For example, the discontinued 220 route is listed as serving 149 people with more ridership than the 250 route with only 97 people, which is the one route whose schedule remains untouched. In addition, when considering the total number served on the 220/240/260 routes (304 people) compared to the 230/250 routes (256 people), there is no basis for preserving two Capitol Hill bus routes while fully eliminating routes along Massachusetts Avenue and K Street corridor.
   
   
2. The G St. and 14^th St stop on the 230/250 routes is not a viable option for commuters headed to Massachusetts Avenue and the K Street Corridor and would introduce significant hardship for workers and families. It appears that the expectation of the MTA proposal is that anyone headed to K Street would ride the 230 or 250 route and get off at G St. and 14^th While this may appear reasonable, this option is simply not feasible for the vast majority of 220/240/260 commuters. Whether walking upwards of a mile in one direction to workplaces north of K Street or transferring to Metro (which is another 2 blocks away), this approach would add another hour to our already lengthy commutes each day and bring significant disruptions to our work and families – not to mention the inconvenience and cost.
   
   
3. Lastly, we are deeply worried that the MTA data, upon which the proposal appears to be based, is now a year old and does not reflect increasing ridership trends. Since the study was completed, as you know, many workplaces are increasingly requiring their employees to return to more and more days of in-office work. In fact, many federal government departments increased their in-person office requirements in the Fall of 2023, long after the MTA study was completed. This trend is likely to continue, and this proposal does not appear to properly account for those future needs.

While we are keenly aware that commuter bus ridership is far lower than before COVID and acknowledge that there are the same number of buses running as before the pandemic, it appears that no consideration was given to reduce the number of buses (or bus runs) on the discontinued routes, increase fares, or consider smaller buses.

We strongly request the exploration of alternative approaches to effectively serve the most commuters possible. We propose the following solutions for urgent consideration by the MTA:

1. Reduce the Number of Buses on All Routes. All routes to DC from Annapolis, Severna Park, and Kent Island could run on the Holiday (“S”) schedule, or, perhaps, even fewer trips than that. One important option to preserve is a single bus home in the 12pm hour.
   
   
2. Pursue a “Blended” Approach.
   • While discontinuing the 220 and 240 routes, the 250 bus (that originates from Kent Island) could stop in Annapolis and Davidsonville and then follow the route of the current 220/240 bus up North Capitol, Massachusetts Avenue, and K Street.
   • The 260 bus (that originates from Severna Park) could stop in Annapolis and Davidsonville and then follow the Capitol Hill bus route. Individuals commuting from Severna Park headed to Massachusetts Avenue and K Street could transfer in Annapolis to the 250 bus.
   • Those on the 250 bus from Kent Island headed to the Capitol Hill route could transfer in Annapolis to the 260 bus.
   • We understand this may take a bit of coordination with bus times, but it would be possible.
     
     
3. Preserve the 220 Route. While discontinuing the 240 and 260 routes, the 220 route could be preserved – adding a stop in Davidsonville – to North Capitol, Massachusetts Avenue, and K Street. The expectation would be that the 220 could split between buses that serve a downtown Annapolis route and a Kent Island route (as the current noon hour and last 220 bus do). This may require the MTA to balance resources and the number of buses serving Capitol Hill.
   
   
4. Return to Historical “Single Loop” Approach. Decades ago, when many people from our area first started commuting, there were no “designated” bus routes through DC. Instead, it was a single loop that encompassed the entire circuit through Capitol Hill and up K Street.

Any of the above options would be a much more reasonable solution than what the MTA is currently proposing. As commuters, we recognize we will have to adjust our work and family schedules, but any of these options would be far more preferable than the total elimination of our specifically targeted routes.

For many of us, one of the deciding factors to move to Annapolis and Kent Island – sometimes as new Maryland residents and taxpayers – was the fact that commuter buses are available to DC with stops within reasonable walking distance to our workplaces within the Massachusetts Avenue and K Street corridor. The elimination of these routes without other solutions to serve the commuters of this DC corridor will, undoubtedly, cause significant stress on determining an alternative means of reaching our work locations, put more vehicles on the road – and on the Bay Bridge – and contribute to increasing carbon emissions, which Maryland has been investing significantly to reduce.

While many of us plan to offer testimony at the public hearing, we believe the discontinuation of these routes is significant enough that we would like to request an urgent meeting between the MTA team and representatives from the 220/240/260 commuter community to discuss enacting these possible solutions, as alternatives to completely discontinuing the 220/240/260 bus routes.

Thank you for your respectful consideration.

CC:
Governor Wes Moore
Lt. Governor Aruna Miller
Deputy Chief of Staff Shaina A. Hernandez, Office of the Governor
Chair Marc Korman, Environment and Transportation Committee, House of Delegates
Vice Chair Regina T. Boyce, Environment and Transportation Committee, House of Delegates

Signed 220, 240 & 260 Bus Riders: