EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb1507*
HOUSE BILL 1507
R2 4lr3422
CF SB 70
By: Delegate Addison Delegates Addison, Lehman, Ruth, and Terrasa
Introduced and read first time: February 21, 2024
Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations
Re–referred to: Environment and Transportation, March 5, 2024
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 17, 2024
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Transportation – Major Change in Bus Service – Impacts Report Publication on 2
Website 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Transit Administration, before announcing any 4
reduction or cancellation of an existing bus route or line, to compile a report on the 5
impacts of the proposed service reduction or cancellation; requiring the 6
Administration to publish the report on its website at least a certain number of days 7
before the required public hearing on the proposed service change altering the 8
information that the Maryland Transit Administration is required to publish on its 9
website before holding a public hearing on a major service change; requiring the 10
Administration to distribute the report a certain report on proposed major service 11
changes to certain officials and entities; and generally relating to service reductions 12
or cancellations of major service changes for existing bus routes. 13
BY adding to repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 14
Article – Transportation 15
Section 7–508 7–716 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 18
(As enacted by Chapters 583 and 584 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2023) 19
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 20
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 21
2 HOUSE BILL 1507
Article – Transportation 1
7–508. 2
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “ROUTE” MEANS A BUS ROUTE OR BUS LINE. 3
(B) BEFORE ANNOUNCING ANY SERVICE REDUCTION OR CANCELLATION OF 4
AN EXISTING ROUTE , THE ADMINISTRATION SHALL COMPILE A REPORT ON THE 5
IMPACTS OF THE PROPO SED SERVICE REDUCTION OR CANCELL ATION THAT 6
INCLUDES: 7
(1) INFORMATION ON THE RO UTE, INCLUDING A DESCRIPT ION OF: 8
(I) THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF : 9
1. THE RIDERS ON THE ROU TE; AND 10
2. THE SERVICE AREA ; 11
(II) THE SCHOOLS IN THE SE RVICE AREA; 12
(III) THE TYPES OF BUSINESSES IN THE SERVICE AREA; 13
(IV) THE MONTHLY RIDERSHIP ON THE ROUTE ; AND 14
(V) THE EFFECT THAT THE S ERVICE REDUCTION OR 15
CANCELLATION WOULD H AVE ON THE COMMUTES OF RIDERS ON THE ROU TE; 16
(2) A DESCRIPTION OF THE C ONTENTS OF ANY MINUT ES, RECORDS, 17
OR DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE SERVICE REDUC TION OR CANCELLATION ; AND 18
(3) A BRIEF STATEMENT EXPL AINING THE REASON FO R THE SERVICE 19
REDUCTION OR CANCELL ATION. 20
(C) AT LEAST 30 DAYS BEFORE THE PUBL IC HEARING REQUIRED UNDER § 21
7–506 OF THIS SUBTITLE , THE ADMINISTRATION SHALL : 22
(1) PUBLISH THE REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION ’S WEBSITE WITH 23
A VISIBLE LINK IDENT IFYING THE IMPACTED ROUTE ON THE PRIMARY PAGE; AND 24
(2) DISTRIBUTE THE REPORT TO: 25
(I) THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION ; AND 26
HOUSE BILL 1507 3
(II) IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE 1
GOVERNMENT ARTICLE: 2
1. THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE; 3
2. THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE; 4
3. THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE; 5
4. THE HOUSE ENVIRONMENT AND TRANSPORTATION 6
COMMITTEE; AND 7
5. EACH MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WHOSE 8
DISTRICT WOULD BE IM PACTED BY THE PROPOS ED SERVICE REDUCTION OR 9
CANCELLATION OF THE ROUTE. 10
7–716. 11
(a) Before announcing any service change that would constitute a major service 12
change under the Federal Transit Administration’s Title VI Requirements and Guidelines 13
for Federal Transit Administration Recipients, the Department, in collaboration with the 14
Administration, shall: 15
(1) Conduct a transit equity analysis in accordance with the federal 16
Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act and the federal Rehabilitation Act of 17
1973 as amended to determine whether the change will create a disparate impact on 18
persons with disabilities; 19
(2) Conduct a transit equity analysis in accordance with the Title VI 20
Requirements and Guidelines for Federal Transit Administration Recipients to determine 21
whether the change will create a disparate impact or a disproportionate burden; 22
(3) Perform a cost–benefit analysis, including an analysis of impacts on: 23
(i) Economic development; 24
(ii) Employment; 25
(iii) Education; 26
(iv) Health; and 27
(v) Environmental justice; and 28
(4) Consult with members and leaders of affected communities, including 29
through community outreach to: 30 4 HOUSE BILL 1507
(i) Racial minority communities; 1
(ii) Low–income communities; 2
(iii) Disabled riders; 3
(iv) Riders with limited English proficiency; 4
(v) Transit–reliant riders; and 5
(vi) Senior riders. 6
(b) (1) If a transit equity analysis reveals disparate impact or disproportionate 7
burden, the Administration shall: 8
(i) Develop alternatives that would meet the goals of the proposed 9
service change; and 10
(ii) Conduct a transit equity analysis on the alternatives. 11
(2) If a disparate impact can be avoided through use of one of the 12
alternatives analyzed, the Administration shall proceed with that alternative as the 13
primary proposed service change. 14
(3) If there is no alternative that would avoid a disparate impact or 15
disproportionate burden, the Administration: 16
(i) May not implement the proposed service change unless a 17
substantial justification exists that necessitates the change; and 18
(ii) Shall implement the alternative that causes the least disparate 19
impact or disproportionate burden. 20
(c) Before holding a public hearing on a proposed service change, the 21
Administration shall publish on the Administration’s website WITH A VISIBLE LINK 22
IDENTIFYING THE PROP OSED SERVICE CHANGE ON THE PRIMARY PAGE , for the 23
routes [or lines], LINES, OR ANY CORRESPONDING PARATRANSIT SERVICE AREA 24
impacted by the service change[, an evaluation on the demographics of: 25
(1) The riders of the routes or lines; and 26
(2) The service area]: 27
(1) A DESCRIPTION OF : 28
HOUSE BILL 1507 5
(I) THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF : 1
1. THE RIDERS ON THE AFF ECTED ROUTE , LINE, OR 2
PARATRANSIT SERVICE AREA ; AND 3
2. THE AFFECTED SERVICE AREA; 4
(II) THE SCHOOLS IN THE AF FECTED SERVICE AREA ; 5
(III) THE TYPES OF BUSINESS ES IN THE AFFECTED S ERVICE 6
AREA; 7
(IV) THE MONTHLY RIDERSHIP FOR THE ROUTE , LINE, OR 8
SERVICE AREA; AND 9
(V) THE EFFECT THAT THE P ROPOSED SERVICE CHAN GE 10
WOULD HAVE ON : 11
1. THE COMMUTES OF RIDER S ON THE ROUTE , LINE, OR 12
SERVICE AREA; 13
2. THE CORRESPONDING PAR ATRANSIT SERVICE ARE A; 14
AND 15
3. THE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF PARATRANSIT RIDER S 16
IMPACTED; 17
(2) A SUMMARY OF ANY PUBLICL Y AVAILABLE MINUTES , RECORDS, 18
OR DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE PROPOSED SERV ICE CHANGE; AND 19
(3) A BRIEF STATEMENT EXPL AINING THE REASON FO R THE 20
PROPOSED SERVICE CHA NGE. 21
(d) (1) After completing the public hearings, the Administration shall: 22
(i) Publish the transit equity analysis and cost–benefit analysis on 23
the Administration’s website; and 24
(ii) Compile a report on the impacts of the proposed service change. 25
(2) The report shall include: 26
(i) The transit equity analysis; 27
(ii) The cost–benefit analysis; 28 6 HOUSE BILL 1507
(iii) A community outreach report; 1
(iv) Any alternatives analyzed; and 2
(v) If applicable, the final alternative selected. 3
(3) If a disparate impact or disproportionate burden exists in the final 4
alternative selected, the report shall include a substantial justification statement. 5
(4) The report shall be: 6
(i) Made available to the public on the Administration’s website, 7
with a visible link from the primary information page relating to the proposed service 8
change; and 9
(ii) Distributed to: 10
1. The members of the Board of Public Works; 11
2. The Attorney General; 12
3. The Secretary of Transportation; 13
4. Any elected officials whose districts would be impacted by 14
the proposed service change; 15
5. Any community leaders consulted during the community 16
outreach process; and 17
6. In accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government 18
Article: 19
A. The President of the Senate; 20
B. The Speaker of the House; 21
C. The Senate Finance Committee; [and] 22
D. The House Environment and Transportation Committee; 23
AND 24
E. EACH MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WHOSE 25
DISTRICT WOULD BE IM PACTED BY THE PROPOS ED SERVICE CHANGE . 26
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That t his Act shall take effect 27
October 1, 2024. 28 HOUSE BILL 1507 7
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.