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Program Description

  Community Mobility Services

The Community Mobility Services program provides a wide range of transportation-related services and options for County residents and commuters. The program includes components to inform people about services available, enabling them to make the best choices for their needs; programs to reduce the cost of using those options; and programs to increase the array of choices. Those components include the following units:

  • Commuter Services: Working with the business and residential community, this program unit promotes alternatives to single occupant vehicles (including transit, car/vanpooling, biking, bikesharing, micromobility services, walking, and telework) in order to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and other environmental factors, and address climate change. Outreach and services are targeted to employers, employees, and residents of multi-unit buildings within the County's six Transportation Management Districts (TMDs): Silver Spring, Friendship Heights, Bethesda, North Bethesda, Greater Shady Grove, and White Oak, and in the Wheaton Transportation Planning and Policy area. Large employers and residential complexes outside the TMDs are also serviced on a more limited basis as resources permit. The unit coordinates with other agencies in the development approval process and works with developers within TMDs to incorporate supportive measures into their projects through implementation of Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plans. The unit also coordinates with Parking Management to provide parking opportunities within the TMDs but outside Parking Lot Districts (PLDs). Revenues from these non-PLD parking areas help support the unit's services. The unit supports and helps coordinate actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector in order to meet the County's climate change goals, consistent with actions identified in the Climate Action Plan. These include programs promoting use of electric vehicles by residents, businesses and their employees, developers, and the community at large.
  • Senior & Special Transportation: This unit provides travel options for seniors and residents with disabilities who have low incomes, under a user-side subsidy program (Call-n-Ride); transportation to and from medical appointments for participants with low incomes (Medicaid); and outreach and information on public and private transportation programs for populations with special needs (Senior and Special Transportation Services). It ensures these populations have transportation options to meet their unique needs, provides access to necessary services, promotes independence, and prevents social isolation.
  • Taxi Services: This unit administers taxicab regulation, licensing, and permit activities of Chapter 53 of the Montgomery County Code (Taxi).
  • Cross-Coordination of Services: The Community Mobility Program coordinates implementation of programs and grants to support a broad range of mobility options with community groups, County departments, and other local, state, and regional agencies.

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Program Contacts

Contact Ken Sloate of the Division of Transit Services at 240-777-5808 or Gary Nalven of the Office of Management and Budget at 240-777-2779 for more information regarding this department's operating budget.

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Program Performance Measures

Program Performance MeasuresActual FY23Actual FY24Estimated FY25Target FY26Target FY27
Number of employer contacts11,90614,37915,00015,50016,000
Number of Call-n-Ride participants5,4495,2125,5005,8006,100
Percent of Employer Transportation Demand Management Plans Filed 184%79%81%83%85%
Non-auto driver mode share in Silver Spring Transportation Management District 271.8%71.8%73%73%74%
1  Due to continuing after-effects on businesses from the Covid-19 pandemic, following up with employers regarding filings of TDM Plans and related reports continues to be more challenging than in the past. Commuter Services works with employers to complete as many of their filings as possible, but it has not been possible to reach many employers, some of whom have moved or ceased operations. Others have continuing staff shortages and other priorities, making it difficult to assist with completion of TDM Plans and reports. County staff vacancies and outreach contract challenges also impacted the number of employer plans that could be obtained in FY24. With the filling of those vacancies and resolution of other constraints it is anticipated staff and contractors will be able to work with more employers to enable them to successfully file their TDM Plans.
2  Commuter Surveys are conducted every other year. Figures for intervening years carry forward the results for the prior survey year -- thus NADMS figures will only change at most every other year. The most recent Commuter Survey was conducted in fall 2022 (FY23), with final analysis completed in FY24. This was the first survey conducted since FY20, which was conducted in fall of calendar year 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. As an ongoing impact from the pandemic, telework was especially high among employees and residents responding to the FY23 survey. This resulted in high percentages of NADMS in most TMDs. Extensive use of telework is anticipated to be slightly lower in subsequent survey years, as more employers and employees return to in-person work post-pandemic, while transit use is anticipated to grow somewhat, resulting in small increments in NADMS.
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Program Budget Changes

FY26 Recommended ChangesExpendituresFTEs
FY25 Approved1695384033.83
Shift: From Grant Fund960050.90
Increase Cost: Three Percent Inflationary Adjustment to Non-Profit Service Provider Contracts247780.00
Increase Cost: Marketing Services Contract Escalations162570.00
Increase Cost: TRiPS Commuter Store Contract Escalation148600.00
Increase Cost: White Oak Transportation Management District37180.00
Decrease Cost: Transportation Management District Reporting-195000.00
Shift: To Mass Transit Fund-96005-0.90
Decrease Cost: Commuter Survey for Employees and Residents-1000000.00
Reduce: Countywide Transportation Demand Management Outreach Contract-2000000.00
Reduce: Transportation Services Improvement Fund Taxicab Reimbursements to Ensure the Sustainability of the Fund-9912650.00
Multi-program adjustments, including negotiated compensation changes, employee benefit changes, changes due to staff turnover, reorganizations, and other budget changes affecting multiple programs.224724-1.55
FY26 Recommended1592741232.28