The City of Rockville could once again consider its own circulator bus route to connect its downtown area with Montgomery College, Twinbrook and neighborhoods west of I-270.
The city’s council and mayor on Monday are set to discuss a $60,000 feasibility study of a circulator system. According to council documents, the five-member body could decide Monday to have city staff prepare a scope of work for the study and begin the process for finding a consultant.
City officials have long thrown around the idea of a Rockville circulator service, similar to the Bethesda Circulator shuttle in downtown Bethesda, to quickly transport residents and visitors back and forth from destinations such as Rockville Town Square, the Rockville Metro station and Fallsgrove.
In 2007, city staff presented cost estimates and six possible routes that varied from 1.7 miles to 3.3 miles in length. The cheapest option included two natural gas buses and would’ve cost an estimated $1.6 million per year.
The mayor and council at the time determined the service would cost too much and there was no clear or viable revenue source to sustain it, according to council documents. The city also cited Ride On’s Route 45, which runs fully within the city, but is operated by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT).
That route has been on the chopping block multiple times and has seen reduced service hours because of continued low ridership, according to the city.
One of six possible Rockville Circulator routes presented in 2006 and 2007, via City of Rockville
In 2012, the city voted to stop funding a branding initiative for the Ride On Route 45 route called ‘Round Rockville.
In its report preparing council members for Monday’s discussion, city staff pointed to the Bethesda Circulator, the 3.3-mile, 20-stop route around downtown Bethesda that is free to riders.
The Bethesda Urban Partnership, which operates the service, expanded the route in January, noting it was averaging more than 1,200 riders per day and surpassed the monthly 30,000 trip barrier for the first time in April 2014.
The Bethesda Circulator is funded with public parking fees collected from metered spots in downtown Bethesda and advertising on the buses. The Washington, D.C., Circulator relies on parking revenues, D.C. government funding and some fare-box revenue.
“Rockville would need to provide a steady revenue stream to fund the recurring annual costs,” City of Rockville staff wrote in its report for Monday’s meeting.
Based on a 2014 feasibility study for a circulator-like service in the City of Gaithersburg, a Rockville circulator could cost more than $2 million to start—a price that includes buying buses and operating the system in its first year.
Also during Monday’s meeting, Rockville council members and the mayor are set to pledge their support to Dist. 17 state Sen. Cheryl Kagan’s request that the state of Maryland chip in funding to cover Montgomery County’s additional shuttle service during Metro SafeTrack repair surges.
The council and mayor will likely send a letter to Gov. Larry Hogan asking for assistance. The county has said its costs during two surges affecting the Red Line in Montgomery County could be as much as $1 million. Metro is set to single-track all trains between the Shady Grove and Rockville stations from Aug. 9-18. The county will provide free shuttle buses during the morning and afternoon rush hours between the stations.
