Our seniors shouldn’t have to miss a doctor’s appointment because they can’t afford or find a ride nor should a resident of Kent County who wants to work be precluded from doing so due to a lack of public transportation. There are a number of funding sources provided by the federal government already on the table.

The Funding Foundation

The plan I envision for the Kent County transportation will rely on federal pass-through money. Kent County qualifies for:

• FTA Section 5311 — Formula grants for rural public transportation (the primary vehicle)
• FTA Section 5310 — Enhanced mobility for seniors and people with disabilities
• MDOT MTA — Maryland’s statewide transit programs that flow through to counties
• RAISE/INFRA grants — Competitive federal infrastructure grants for rural connectivity

The Four Operational Elements of a Kent County Transportation Plan

1. Demand-Responsive Rural Transit Replace or expand fixed-route thinking with a flexible, on-demand model suited to Kent County’s geography. Think scheduled dial-a-ride plus app/phone dispatch. Anchor it around:
   • Medical appointments (UM Shore Medical Center in Chestertown and Easton)
   • Workforce commutes to employment centers
   • Senior mobility
2. Regional Connectivity Kent County doesn’t exist in isolation. Build connectors to:
   • Cecil County (northeast corridor, Elkton/Perryville MARC access)
   • Queen Anne’s County (Bay Bridge corridor)
   • Caroline/Talbot (mid-Shore workforce flows)

Regional coordination reduces per-county cost and strengthens grant applications.

3. Workforce Transportation If people can get to jobs without a car, housing options open up and employers can draw from a wider pool.
4. Technology and Efficiency Modernize dispatch, routing, and scheduling. Explore:

• • Shared-ride coordination with nonprofits and health systems
  • Volunteer driver programs (Section 5310 eligible)
  • MOU with UM Shore for patient transport cost-sharing

County Wide Transportation and Governance and Operations

Kent County likely cannot — and should not — run transit operations in-house. Better options:

• Contract with an existing regional operator -Shore Transit in Wicomico/Somerset is a model
• Nonprofit partnership -community action agencies often run Section 5310 programs focused on seniors. The Community Action Agency of the Chesapeake would be a good place to start.
• Multi-county authority — collaboration with other counties may take more time but builds political weight for larger grants