New Incentives Unveiled To Retain, Recruit RTA Drivers In Howard County

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — In an effort to recruit and retain more bus drivers for the Regional Transportation Agency during the current nationwide driver shortage, Howard County will be increasing salaries for all fixed route RTA drivers to a starting wage of $20 per hour, which brings the entry-level salary to a level above $40,000 annually.

There also will be recruitment bonuses of $3,000 paid in quarterly increments for first year of employment and retention bonuses of $1,500 to existing employees paid in quarterly increments.

The county will lower the age of eligibility for RTA driver employment from 21 to 19 years on a pilot basis over the next year, provide in-house training and assistance with getting a CDL license. and provide $250 referral bonuses for existing RTA employees who refer someone successfully.

"Throughout this pandemic, businesses and organizations have faced challenges with employee turnover and recruitment. We’re seeing this issue across industries, including transportation,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said. “To continue ensuring excellent service to our community – so that many of our residents can get to work, to the grocery store and to their doctor's appointment, we must recruit and retain drivers. Our goal has always been to increase the reliability and accessibility of transportation here in Howard County for people of all abilities – and the efforts we’ve outlined today are a step forward to address this driver shortage.”

The RTA has struggled to maintain the required level of bus operators – particularly those supporting fixed route service with a commercial driver’s license, according to the county. Currently, the RTA needs to immediately recruit 31 out of a total need of 85 drivers.

Due to the driver shortage, RTA has already planned to institute a service reduction on low ridership routes from February to April, or until enough drivers are hired. RTA also is partnering with the Howard County Office of Workforce Development to drive the recruitment push and expand outreach by attending virtual and in-person job fairs and hosting an RTA job fair in January.

“We are hopeful that the RTA, in close coordination with our partners in Laurel and the adjacent counties can work quickly to hire the necessary drivers and return our transit operation to pre-pandemic levels,” Allen Cornell, chairman and Howard County representative of the Central Maryland Transportation and Mobility Commission, said.