New Business Loop Implementation
Overview
Although funding is available to implement only one of three routes requested this year, VanGO has modified five existing routes as well as added another route in order to address to some degree additional services that were not funded.
The primary objective of adding the new route is to minimize travel times of passengers once they have arrived at the Waldorf transfer point. Before the change, passengers typically travel two hours to complete their travel. With the implementation of the new route, the opportunity to reduce on vehicle travel time in the designated core area by approximately 30 minutes (25%) has been created.
The designated core area is along Route 301 between Smallwood Drive and Route 5/Berry Road. With the new service, passengers can get to their destinations within this core area within 15 minutes of departing the transfer point; additionally, passengers should be able to board a bus to return within 15 minutes of the scheduled return arrival at the transfer point.
In addition to the time savings, implementing the new route and redesigning existing routes enables VanGO to slightly increase its residential service area further on Billingsley Road and add new residential service along a small portion of Middletown Road near Westlake High School.
Route-by-Route Changes
Click on route name below for draft schedules of the new service.
(Note that the schedules at right reflect existing service only.)
Business Loop A - Completely redesigned. See PDF for details. This loop now includes the extended Billingsley Road residential service.
Business Loop B - Completely redesigned. See PDF for details.
Business Loop C - Completely redesigned. See PDF for details. This route provides a transfer opportunity for Charlotte Hall passengers at the St. Charles Parkway CVS/Gateway Plaza.
Charlotte Hall - CVS on St. Charles Parkway is added as a stop before arriving at the Smallwood Village. After leaving Smallwood Village, the vehicle will travel through Gateway Plaza in order to get to Route 5.
St. Charles East A - The transfer option at Smallwood Village was reduced; transfer may still occur, but the transfer is no longer timed, so if the vehicles aren't on schedule, passengers may have to wait until the next loop or travel to the Waldorf transfer point first. Also, service along Post Office Road and Industrial Park Drive was eliminated (service on these roads still exists on East B). Instead, after leaving the Smallwood Village shopping center, the vehicle will return to Smallwood Drive to travel to the Waldorf transfer point.
St. Charles West - Service in the Lancaster neighborhood has been redesigned so that the route travels on Lancaster Circle from Smallwood Drive to St. Patricks Drive (the current route is reversed). Additionally, service along Billingsely Road has been eliminated from this route (moved to Business Loop A), but service to Middletown Road has been added. After the Hampshire neighborhood, the route continues toward Middletown Road, turns right, goes past the High School, then turns around in the next residential development at Etheridge Drive, then returns to Smallwood Drive and resumes service to Dorchester, as with the existing schedule.
The new CVS/Gateway transfer possibility
In order to assist passengers on the Charlotte Hall route to get into Waldorf a bit faster, an untimed transfer opportunity has been created between Charlotte Hall and Business Loop C as follows:
1] Passengers transfering from Charlotte Hall to Business Loop C - disembark at the Charlotte Hall/CVS stop along St. Charles Parkway and walk to the Business C/CVS stop on Route 5. Business Loop C is scheduled to arrive within five minutes of the Charlotte Hall drop off.
2] Passenger transfer from Business Loop C to Charlotte Hall - disembark the Business Loop C vehicle at the Gateway Plaza stop. Within five minutes, the Charlotte Hall route will arrive at the same Gateway Plaza stop.
Help with the Schedules
As always, VanGO staff are available to assist passengers in understanding the schedule, in planning their trips, in completing travel training, and in developing personalized schedules. To contact VanGO staff to arrange for personalized assistance, CLICK HERE.