St. Mary's County transportation staff said the county applied in March to the Maryland Transit Administration for three additional vehicles to expand a 23‑vehicle fleet to 26, and warned that nationwide delivery delays mean new buses may take about two years to arrive.

The committee was told the county has received two medium-bus replacements and three small replacements but has only one medium bus in service while GPS and camera systems are transferred; a non‑CDL vehicle is expected in July and three more small buses remain on order with a multi‑year delivery timeline. "We're not sustainable with what we currently have. Our fleet is currently 23," a transportation staff member said during the staff report.

Why it matters: committee members and staff said the county is seeing ridership rebound after the pandemic and could face higher demand if commissioners approve a fare‑free service in the next budget. Staff said the county operates both fixed routes and paratransit; by rule, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) paratransit eligibility is limited when an origin or destination falls more than three‑quarters of a mile from a fixed route, and a separate SDAP program restricts travel by days and times. The combination of a tight fleet, growing fixed‑route demand and paratransit eligibility limits is straining service for riders who live outside the ADA buffer.

Staff told the committee that regional ridership recovery is underway: Tri‑County ridership is at about 65–67% of pre‑COVID levels overall, with some routes in Calvert and Charles counties already exceeding previous ridership. Staff said certain commuter trips remain at high load factors: "the first two trips in the morning are sitting about 80% full" on some routes.

Committee members raised the Navy base's return‑to‑work as a major factor in recent delays. Transportation staff said fixed routes generally do not enter the base, while a limited number of paratransit employees have base access; staff are working to secure more base passes for required employees but warned that expiring passes and a backlog in renewals put paratransit service to base locations at risk. Staff described increased delays during peak gate times and said that, without Navy outreach to promote alternative modes, county transit cannot by itself eliminate gate congestion.

What comes next: staff asked the committee to help identify partner organizations that could serve riders who live beyond the ADA three‑quarter‑mile threshold and to remain engaged while the county waits on vehicle deliveries and final budget decisions about fares. The committee also discussed monitoring routes with high load factors and continuing coordination with the Navy, aging and human services partners and the Tri‑County Council.