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| The
Secretary's Office of Planning, Programming, and Program Delivery |
On behalf of the Maryland Department of Transportation, the Secretary’s Office of Planning, Programming, and Project Delivery (OPPPD) remains committed to keeping you informed, educated and updated. We hope this newsletter will help you stay
up-to-date on current OPPPD initiatives and reports. |
This issue includes: - Ride Together Rewards Program: Vanpool and
Carpool,
- Freight Rail Grant Program,
- Bike Month and Bike to Work Week
- 2024 Commuter
Survey Results, and
- Resources.
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Introducing the Ride Together Rewards Greater Baltimore
Program |
The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) recently introduced two new rewards programs through Commuter Choice Maryland: the Baltimore Vanpool Incentives Program (VIP) and the Baltimore Carpool Incentive Program
(CIP). Commuters in the Greater Baltimore Region will now have two new options to improve their trips to work, save money and reduce their vehicle miles traveled. Commuter Choice Maryland is helping commuters find convenient, affordable and sustainable transportation options by offering funding to further reduce the expenses of already cost-efficient forms of commuting. Baltimore Vanpool Incentives Program (VIP) Through the VIP, participants in the Baltimore region now qualify for a $500 monthly incentive, which alleviates the total cost of operating the van. The VIP is funded by MDOT and administered by Commuter Connections to
encourage commuters to start or join a vanpool. Participants can choose an available qualifying vanpool vehicle from a selection of Commute with Enterprise makes and models, including crossovers, SUVs, minivans and large passenger vans. Each vanpool rider pays a portion of the total cost, which covers all expenses such as gas, insurance,
maintenance, and repairs. Commute with Enterprise is one of the largest vanpool providers in the country and currently the only approved provider of vanpools in the region. To learn more about eligibility and to sign up, click the button below or visit: baltimorecommutes.org/vanpool. Baltimore Carpool Incentives Program (CIP) Through the CIP, participants who carpool to work in the Greater Baltimore Region now qualify for a $5 daily incentive! This 90-day special incentive program is funded by MDOT and administered by Commuter Connections to
encourage commuters to start or join a carpool. To learn more about eligibility and to sign up, click the button below or visit: baltimorecommutes.org/carpool. |
Webinar: Get the Inside Scoop on New Commuter Incentives Join the Commuter Choice Maryland Program and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) Commuter Connections Program on June 26 at 11:30 a.m., and be
one of the first to learn about how your employees can take advantage of these new incentive programs. Dan Sheehan and Stacey King from the MWCOG Commuter Connections team will share details about the newly rebranded CommuterCash app (formerly incenTrip) for all Marylanders, as well as the vanpool and carpool incentives. Register here. Freight Rail Grant Program The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Office of Rail and Intermodal Freight (ORIF) is excited to announce the Maryland OneStop application portal is open for applications to the Freight Rail Grant Program (FRGP).
The FRGP offers State grant assistance to local jurisdictions, railroads, business and commercial interests, and other key agencies to help preserve railroad corridors, support economic development, and foster sustainability and innovative technologies.
Thanks
to additional transportation resources provided in Governor Moore’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget, MDOT is investing in projects and policy reforms that will improve the safety and reliability of our network, spur economic growth and ensure our transportation system is in a state of good repair. The Governor's investment in transportation priorities provides $1 million in total funding for this application cycle.
Applications to the grant program will be accepted through the OneStop portal until June 30, 2025.
Please visit the MDOT Freight Rail Grant Program’s webpage for more information on the application process, the Project Readiness Checklist, the OneStop Portal, FAQs and other program resources.
If you have any questions or would like to set up a time to discuss potential applications or projects, please contact us at FreightRail@Mdot.maryland.gov.
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Bike Month & Bike to Work Week May is National Bike Month, dedicated to promote and recognize options to encourage using bicycles for transportation and to promote awareness of the benefits of bicycling and bike safety.
Earlier this month, MDOT celebrated a successful Bike to Work Week and Bike to Work Day with sponsored events throughout the State.
Learn more about MDOT's active transportation resources and register for the MDOT in Motion webinar series
here. |
2024 Commuter Survey Results The Maryland Commuter Survey (MCS) is an ongoing project conducted by the Transportation Policy Research Group at the University of Maryland in partnership with MDOT. It provides an annual snapshot of commuting patterns, as
well as longitudinal trends as the survey is conducted year-over-year. The 2024 MCS, the survey’s third iteration in its current form, shows how workers across the state have adjusted their work and commuting patterns as the State continues to emerge from the pandemic. This and future versions of the survey will track how workers commute amidst developing economic opportunities and challenges, and preferences about where they live and work. To read the full report and the fact sheet, click here. |
To learn more about other OPPPD programs, click the links below. Programs Other Information - OPPPD is working closely with the Office of Active Transportation and Micromobility to develop the Maryland State Transportation Trails Strategic Plan, which was initiated in September 2024. MDOT is looking forward to working with State and local partners to create a resource for shared-use paths that will contribute to the statewide bicycle and pedestrian transportation network. A website for
the Maryland State Transportation Trails Strategic Plan can be found here.
- TIP/STIP Process Overview Webinar
- Want to learn more? Please tell us what you want to learn more about from our Planning, Programming and Project Delivery team. Email us at MDOTPlanning@mdot.maryland.gov.
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