Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

Comes on the heels of a February murder-suicide that left two students dead and another injured, plus a string of robberies earlier in the semester.

Operators from Ohio, Maryland and Arizona tell us about the relationships that help them run their services.

The university’s Department of Transportation Services will put the $60,000 it cost to run the three routes annually toward the more popular Shady Grove route. Some passengers on the eliminated routes said there was no discussion of the cuts with them, and are upset.

Smartphone users can access wait and ride times through an app, and the buses feature bike racks, accessibility and Wi-Fi.

Department of Transportation Services will stop running a bus from the University of Maryland campus to Prince George’s Plaza and University Town Center except for Saturdays. Town Center managers will no longer pay for the service, which costs $87,900 annually.

The MTA's proposed 16-mile Purple Line light rail project may keep its doors closed after 10 p.m. at the three light rail stops proposed for university in an effort to safeguard campus borders.

With the Maryland Terp as a focal point, the exterior livery combines the familiar university flag with the fierce mascot looking down on passing traffic.

University leaders who were previously concerned that the trains would endanger walkers and cyclists said that Maryland MTA has since addressed those issues. The University’s support gives a major boost to the project as transit officials seek federal funding.

The proposed $1.6 billion state transportation has been debated at the university for years, with transit planners and many students arguing in favor of Campus Drive and many administrators requesting more peripheral routes through or under the campus.

American University and the University of Maryland have partnered with the agency to enable students to purchase and add value to SmarTrip fare cards on campus. Earlier this year, the University of Maryland purchased 5,000 SmarTrip cards for distribution to incoming freshman students.