Sustainable Transportation
Transportation is Baltimore County's largest source of climate pollution. Walking, rolling, using public transportation and electric vehicles are all ways our community is going green. Businesses and organizations are leading a major shift toward electrifying fleet vehicles by leveraging incentives.
Walking and Bicycling
- County Sidewalk Connectivity and Pedestrian Safety Program—Helps improve safety by connecting gaps in the sidewalk network.
- Maryland Bicycle and Pedestrian Accessibility Funds
- Fund 33: Sidewalk Reconstruction for Pedestrian Access
- Fund 79: New Sidewalk Construction for Pedestrian Access
- Fund 88: Bicycle Retrofit
Cars and Public Transportation
The County has a public transportation network that includes lots of options, such as:
- Baltimore County Public School Buses—View the current status.
- County Ride—For special transit.
- Light Rail
- Maryland Transportation Authority (MTA) Bus
- Marc (Arbutus)
- Metro
- Mobility Services
- Numerous organizational rideshare services—Find rideshare assistance.
Living and working close to public transportation saves money and stress—plus it’s better for the environment. More resources for finding and using public transportation, include:
View the Public Transportation Trip Planner Tool
Electric vehicles: Charge Your Ride
The County is installing public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at many new and existing facilities, with plans to expand every year. Parks, libraries, parking garages and more now host charging stations. These stations are not free, but we work hard to keep the cost low. Currently our fees only pay for electricity, administration and maintenance costs:
- $0.18 per kWh on BGE’s EVsmart Level Two chargers
- $0.34 per kWh on BGE’s EVsmart DC Fast Chargers
The County and BGE have partnered with several charging network providers to provide these services. While you do not need to be a member of these networks to use the stations, some companies may offer benefits to members.
Find a Charging Station Near You
Find EV charging stations near you from Maryland EV or PlugShare.
Buy Electric
State incentives to buy electric vehicles are available from the following resources:
- Maryland EV.org
- Department of the Environment
- Excise Tax Credit for Plug-in Electric Vehicles
-
Medium-Duty and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicle Grant Program
Install a Private Charging Station
There are incentives for private charging stations, but check back regularly for updates on federal resources:
Some electric vehicle owners can install charging stations at home, but many don’t have that option. Private individuals who cannot install a charger on their property can apply to the County to place an EV charger in a public right-of-way, like along a residential street where homes have no garages or parking pads. Please note that the County can only approve installations on roads under County jurisdiction.
Businesses, homeowner's associations (HOAs) and neighborhood associations can work directly with vendors to operate charging stations on their properties for resident or employee use.
- Businesses and HOAs can put out a Request for Proposals (RFP) to install and operate charging stations on their properties.
- Ask vendors if they offer lease agreements, operation and maintenance of EV charging stations.
- Leases allow greater flexibility to upgrade the EV charging station while reducing the need for capital investment in the equipment. Electric vehicle and charging station technologies are changing fast.
- The proposed location of new EV charging stations should have access to existing electric infrastructure with capacity to accommodate the additional power load.
- Vendors can help with electric infrastructure assessments, or you can hire an electrician with experience with EV charging station installs.
- There are three “levels” of charging stations, with level three being the fastest and most powerful. The faster the charge, the greater the electric infrastructure requirements.
- Running long cables (even if buried) is expensive and may pose liability risks.
- Require the vendor to be responsible for repair and maintenance of stations.
- Various pricing plans allow operators to recoup operating and maintenance costs, which are typically higher than the cost of electricity.
- Subscription plans provide stable revenue, but can create barriers to accessing charging stations, such as requiring smart phone use, registering with a third party, etc.
- Charging by time or electric consumption means a user only needs a credit card to use the charging station.
- Some services can restrict access to only community members, if desired.