November 16, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Southern Maryland Ride Guide gets a new look for the first time since 2020. The Ride Guide is a publication by the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, designed to give transit-dependent residents information on the area’s available transportation resources.
Only the size of a legal sheet of paper, the Ride Guide still manages to provide a comprehensive overview of services. Featuring rider maps and QR codes to full schedules, the new pamphlet shows just how easy it can be to ride public transit.
The guide is designed for the entire community, with resources for people who use wheelchairs, persons with developmental disabilities, and seniors. The guide also shares information about car and vanpools and even includes transportation resources for employment-related activities.
Even with all these resources, sometimes people are still unable to get where they need to go. Of particular concern to the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland’s Regional Transportation Coordination Committee (RTCC) was getting patients to non-emergency medical appointments. “Despite all the offerings out there, there are times where people just don’t qualify, or they can’t get services as quickly as they might need them,” says Jessica Richards, Regional Transit Coordinator. “The RTCC, comprised of public and private locally operated transportation providers, came together to create the Wheels to Wellness Program to help bridge this gap.”
Download the Ride Guide:
Despite the program being closely tied to Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, Wheels to Wellness almost didn’t make an appearance in the new brochure.
The Rural Maryland Prosperity Investment Fund has been generously funding the Wheels to Wellness program, but the need for program support continues to grow. The ARC of Southern Maryland has been assisting to carefully manage the program miles, but there are times when the need exceeds program capacity.
Richards states, “There was a conversation about potentially leaving Wheels to Wellness out of the Ride Guide due to the availability of funds, but we knew that sharing the program publicly would help raise awareness to the great need. The reality is that Southern Maryland is still very car-dependent, which means if you’re unable to drive, you’re unable to get the things you need, like quality medical care. The Wheels to Wellness program, and the Ride Guide itself, is designed to make getting around a little easier.”
You can find the new Southern Maryland Ride Guide at the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland’s website, www.tccsmd.org/transportation.
About Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland
Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland (TCCSMD) was formed in 1964, as a cooperative planning and development agency to foster the social and economic development of Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties. The purpose of the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland is to serve as a forum for the resolution of region-wide issues and the attainment of regional goals.
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