Transportation
Howard County's location between Washington and Baltimore offers a reasonable commute for countians working in those two cities and for others commuting here for jobs. The county commuter assistance office, Commuter Solutions, offers up-to-date transportation information, such as bus and train routes, and car pool and van pool matching services. Visit the Web site at www.howardcommutersolutions.com, or call 410-313-3130.
BUS
• Maryland Transit Administration Intercity Buses serve the county, collecting passengers at several park-and-ride lots and designated spots. MTA also offers service between Baltimore and Laurel, with stops along the way. Call 410-539-5000, or visit www.MTAmaryland.com. MTA contractors operate rush-hour bus routes from Columbia to Baltimore and Washington. Call 410-442-1330.
• Intra-county Bus Travel is also available through Howard Transit Service, which provides service to most of Columbia’s village centers and the Columbia Gateway office complex, to Ellicott City including the historic district and county government office complex — the Route 1 corridor and BWI airport. The Columbia mall acts as one of several transfer points for Howard Transit, which also offers service to destinations such as the central library, Howard Community College and Howard County General Hospital. Visit www.howardtransit.com, or call 1-800-270-9553.
RIDES
• A Paratransit Service called HT RIDE, a part of Howard Transit, provides curb-to-curb van rides to elderly, disabled and A.D.A.-eligible patrons. Call 1-800-270-9553.
• Connect-A-Ride serves the greater Laurel
area, with stops in North Laurel, the Columbia mall and Savage. Riders can transfer to buses that travel Route 29 or Route 1 south of the county, or to local bus service into Laurel. Call 301-470-2248.
• Door to Door Shuttle Service (410-465-8577) is a private company that transports children to day care and before- and after-school programs, as well as providing service for seniors and the developmentally disabled.
• Car Pool or Van Pool Service is encouraged by many employers, including the Social Security Administration in Woodlawn, Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, National Institutes of Health in Bethesda and the Pentagon in northern Virginia. Many pools meet at one of the county's 10 park-and-ride lots. For information on ride sharing, call the Commuter Solutions of Howard County office at 410-313-3130 or visit www.howardcommutersolutions.com.
TRAIN
• MARC commuter trains serve stations along the Route 1 corridor at Dorsey, Jessup, Savage and Laurel. Trains connect to Camden Station in Baltimore and Union Station in Washington. Monthly fare cards are available, as is free parking. A Howard Transit bus transports rush-hour commuters to and from the Savage and Dorsey stations and the Columbia mall. Call 1-800-325-7245.
• Amtrak Intercity Trains leave from Washington's Union Station, the Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) Airport Station and Baltimore’s Pennsylvania Station, serving the Eastern seaboard. Call 1-800-USA-RAIL.
SUBWAY
• The Washington Metro System has park-and-ride stops south of the county in Glenmont and Silver Spring (red line) and Greenbelt (green line). Call 202-637-7000, or visit www.wmata.com.
• The Baltimore Metro System offers service from Johns Hopkins Hospital and Owings Mills and includes 14 stations. The light rail system has two lines with 32 stops a central line between Glen Burnie and Hunt Valley and another between BWI Airport and Penn Station. Visit www.MTAmaryland.com.
PLANE
• Airline Travel is available from BWI Airport, a 20-minute drive from Columbia along I-95 north to a spur, I-195, that leads right to the main terminal. Long-term, daily and hourly parking is available. Call 410-859-7111 (TTY: 410-859-7227). Reagan National (703-572-2700) and Washington Dulles International (703-417-8000) are in northern Virginia.
• Airport Shuttle is among the private companies providing rides to BWI, National and Dulles airports. Call 410-381-2772. Howard Transit (1-800-270-9553) and Columbia Airport Shuttle (410-964-0900) also provide service to BWI Airport.
• Hays Field, a private airport near Dayton, offers pilots a place to fly and store small airplanes. Information: 410-531-3233.
ETC.
• Public Pathways Columbia has 90 miles of them that wind through woods, stream valleys and open areas. The pathways offer a blacktop surface to walkers, joggers and bicyclers.
• Motor Vehicle Administration has full-service offices in Glen Burnie in Anne Arundel County and Beltsville in Prince George's County. There's an MVA Express office in Columbia for many simple tasks like renewing one’s driver's license. Call 1-800-950-1682 or 410-768-7000 for addresses and hours of operation.
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