Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater announced a policy on Tuesday to keep public transportation free as Covid-era federal funding comes to an end next year.
Public transportation in Frederick has been free thanks to money from the CARES Act which was introduced in 2020 in response to Covid. Bus routes, paratransit for seniors and those with disabilities, the Taxi Access Program — also known as TAP — and other commuter programs are all fare-free.
The CARES Act is due to expire in June, which County Executive Jessica Fitzwater said, presented the county with a funding cliff. “Without sustained funding, we risk losing the progress we’ve made in equity, access and ridership,” Fitzwater explained.
Frederick City Council Member Kelly Russell spoke during Tuesday’s announcement, and explained Fitzwater’s proposal would allow transportation to draw funding from Frederick County’s recordation tax. The tax is collected on every county real estate transaction, Russell said, and generates millions of dollars each year.
As a preexisting revenue source for Frederick, allowing transportation to access these funds means the end of the CARES Act won’t impact resident’s taxes, Russell explained. “We’re going to be able to sustain fare-free buses and transportation,” Russell said. “People will be able to access that, and it’s not going to cost you a dime more.”
Russell has advocated for transportation to be added to the list of city resources that can access the recordation tax funds for over six years. Fitzwater said the county’s public transportation system saw nearly 1 million rides taken in FY25, representing a 20% increase over last year. Russell pointed out 90% of the yearly rides are taken by those living in the city.
Frederick County Council Vice-President Kavonté Duckett said the policy has to go through several steps before it can be approved. This includes a public hearing on February 24, and if all goes as planned Kavonté added, a final county council decision for March 17.
Public Transit
Roman Steichen, Frederick’s Director of Transit Services, can see the difference fare-free public transportation has had for residents, as he has been working with the county since before covid.
Frederick has seen a substantial increase in the number of full families riding bus rides, Steichen explained. This comes in tandem with an increase to the number of people using public transportation for short trips across the county. “So folks who would normally not have considered paying six or seven dollars for their family to ride a couple blocks, now they can…” Steichen said. “For some of our low income families, they no longer have to decide whether they are going to take the bus somewhere or feed their family.”
While fair-free public transportation benefits low-income families, Jaime McKay, Deputy Director of Transit Services in Frederick County knows there can sometimes be a stigma around riding the bus.
She says the county holds rider training to help combat those concerns. “[We] encourage our community to join us on travel training and ridealongs, which allows them to get to experience a ride on the bus, and learn how to use things like google maps…” McKay explained. “So it removes that fear. The more people that ride the bus, the fewer people will experience that stigma or uncertainty of the unknown.”
ALICE Households
Each year, United Way of Frederick County releases its ALICE report, which stands for access limited, income constrained but employed. 33% of county households, and 45% of those in the city, fall below the ALICE threshold. That means they sit above the national poverty level yet still struggle to make ends meet.
Ken Oldham, CEO of United Way of Frederick County, says access to transportation is one of the key issues that keep families below the ALICE threshold. “Free transit is a lifeline for individuals getting to work.” Oldham said. “These are individuals who need to get to their health care appointments and need to get to work.”
While the cost of transit can be relatively modest, Oldham said, for many families it can add up over time.
