The Transportation Resource Information Point (TRIP)
TRIP is....
The mission of TRIP is to help people explore and use transportation alternatives to access their destinations throughout Maryland. TRIP is a resource of the Center for Mobility Equity, formerly Central Maryland Regional Transit (CMRT).
In August 2005, the President signed into law legislation that provided funding for highway and transit programs, including Section 5316, the Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) program. In Maryland, the MTA (Maryland Transit Administration) was the designated recipient of these funds.
The MTA worked closely with the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB) and the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Baltimore region, the Baltimore Metropolitan Council, to come up with a comprehensive and coordinated public transit and human services transportation plan. In fiscal year 2008-2009, the Center for Mobility Equity received a portion of the JARC grant funds, which were allotted to the purchase of software to begin building a database.
The Center for Mobility Equity, in conjunction with the MTA, began what is now known as TRIP. By using census data and information provided by transportation and human services providers, the Center for Mobility Equity and the MTA were able to assess the transportation needs, issues and constraints of the general public, as well as of older adults, people with disabilities and people with lower incomes. In fiscal year 2010-2011, the Center for Mobility Equity received additional funds to hire and train the personnel to move the TRIP program forward. To this day, the Center for Mobility Equity continues to build the TRIP program using Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors & Individuals with Disabilities (5310) program.
This website is composed of information that Center for Mobility Equity has collected from various service providers in Maryland, so viewers can quickly see a variety of transportation options on one easy-to-use website. The project also features the TRIP Regional Information Center: 1-877-331-TRIP (8747). Customers, human services agencies and partner organizations can dial this number for immediate information and assistance. In 2016, the TRIP website and call center expanded to include the transportation services available in all 23 counties of Maryland.