Plans For Electric Bus Stops Roll Forward With Groundbreaking

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Plans for the first Bus Rapid Transit bus stops have taken a step forward with a groundbreaking ceremony held recently.

Howard County has been planning and evaluating the implementation of a BRT system for more than a decade. In 2025, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich agreed to partner up for a Flash BRT between the two counties.

Flash BRT service has been operating in Montgomery County for years, but the partnership will extend the service area into Howard County.

Four fully electric, 40-foot buses will run between downtown Columbia and Silver Spring during morning and afternoon rush hours from Monday to Friday. Morning service will run approximately from 5 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. while afternoon service will run from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The initial service will run on 30-minute headways.

“Here in Howard County, transit service continues to grow as gas prices rise and families are looking for more affordable and sustainable options to travel,” Ball said at the groundbreaking. “These pressures remind us that demand for transit is real, it is growing and it deserves our investment ... As we break ground on our first Flash Bus Rapid Transit bus stations, we affirm that high-quality, public transportation is the foundation of a vibrant, inclusive and connected community.”

The Columbia bus stops, located on Little Patuxent Parkway, just west of Corporate Center Way and on Merriweather Drive in downtown Columbia, are the first of three bus station locations throughout the county.

The other stations will be located on Johns Hopkins Road to serve the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory campus in Laurel and on Maple Lawn Boulevard in Fulton.

Construction of all stations should wrap up in August 2026, weather permitting.

“Bus Rapid Transit is one of the most important transportation infrastructure investments,” Elrich said. “People cross between Howard and Montgomery County every day for jobs, schools, healthcare, entertainment and opportunities. Our transportation network needs to reflect that reality. This extension of Flash along the US 29 corridor creates faster and more reliable access to major transit hubs like Metro, MARC and eventually the Purple Line. I appreciate our federal delegation, our partners in Howard County and everyone at MCDOT who helped move this project forward. Regional partnerships like this improve quality of life and expand economic opportunity.”

The Flash bus stop stations will feature a raised concrete bus platform to support level boarding for Flash transit vehicles, trash receptacles, bike racks and real-time transit information displays, officials noted.

“The US29 Flash BRT Extension is more than just a transit line; it will serve as a crucial link connecting key employment centers and activity hubs, significantly improving transit connectivity across both Baltimore and Washington DC,” said Trey Dickerson, administrator of the Howard County Office of Transportation.

Signs will be posted to notify drivers and residents of the construction and corresponding lane closures as temporary lane closures may occur during construction hours, typically Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Full-time lane closures are anticipated to occur during utility relocation work, which may occur outside designated construction hours.