From Amtrak to Annapolis: Markus Moore’s Lifetime Career in Transit

Hi, I'm Paul Comfort and this is Transit Unplugged. And today I have the pleasure of bringing to you at interview with my friend Marcus Moore, who is director of Transportation. From the city of Annapolis, Maryland, my home state, just across the Chesapeake Bay from where I live. I actually lived in Annapolis for a couple years when I was younger as a child.

oldest, uh, working legislative building in the United States. That's amazing. And what's your official title here at Annapolis? I am the director of Transportation and parking for the City of Annapolis Public. So you work for the city government? I do work for the city government. So tell U.S. about

your transit system.

Our transit system is like a pulse system. We have a fixed route. Uh, we have a DA complimentary paratransit, and we're piloting a new on demand transit service that we go when you, where you want to go, uh, when you want to go. Within three quarters of a mile of our fixed root stocks. This is a pilot program that we started last July and it's really working out pretty well. Paul, we're really excited to try something new. . So, um, how long have you been here in this job?

We were just talking about kind of our shared background and, , tell U.S. about some of your past because it is, you have a great history for transportation. In both rail and bus.

Yeah. Paul, thanks for asking. Going back to 1983, I started with uh, NRPC, which is National Railroad Passenger Corporation, better known to most people as Amtrak. Amtrak. That's right, baby. Yes. I started as a trainer, attend outta New York City, uh, doing most of the East Coast runs and transferred to Washington DC Uh, did that for about four or five years before I went into ticketing.

go? I've ridden it, it's pretty

fast. What it did, it, uh, with tilt technology was able to take, , certain curves at a higher speed, but the highest, uh, recorded speed is 150 miles an hour. Wow. And that's up in New England. There's only about 30 miles of track that it gets to that. But the old Metroliners in the northeast quarter got as high as 1 25. And these can take the curves also at 1 35. So it is pretty fast getting from Washington, DC and clearly DC to Boston where they electrified that segment of track.

Really? Yeah. Yeah. I've done it. I, I ride from, um, Wilmington, Wilmington, Delaware. Yeah. To Joe Biden station right there where he's from. Delaware guy, you know, and, uh, ride it up to New York City. Yes. Yeah. Or I will go to One Pen Plaza to go see New Jersey Transit, and I think later this year I'm gonna ride it.

It's really a great way to go, you know, sit back and watch sea. Uh, what do they say is, uh, see America at sea level. Oh yeah. So you're even to go, you can just travel and, and have a nice beverage and look at the scenery you're going by. So, but that's a great rep.

Let's swing back in your story a little bit then. So you were at Amtrak for how many years? Uh,

eh, 20. 20 years. Mm-hmm.

Got a full career in. Full career In. And then what'd you do after that?

After that I went to, uh, freight Railroad. I worked. For Norfolk Southern got qualified as a freight train conductor from CP three, which is just south of the Philadelphia station to the Susquehanna. So I brought a lot of uh, cars to like Chrysler Yard, and I was a part of Norfolk Southern's Harrisburg crew base in the New Castle subdivision in Delaware. Okay. For about a year. That's so and then what? And then I came into busing, and then busing comes in around 2006.

the one I gotta complain

to.

Kidding.

And then the, um, the old Howard County Transit as known today as the RTA. And when were you there? I was there from like 2000, uh, 11 to 2013. Okay. We were on, uh, McCall Court in, um, Elkridge.

And did you work for, who did you actually work directly for then?

Uh, then was, uh, David Van Fosen was the vice president of, I remember him, um, first Transit, but , through CMRT. There was a guy by the name of John Powell. Yes. He was the, uh. Uh, CEOI believe of CMRT.

Yeah. So he was our client. Again, our path could have almost crossed because I was managing that Operation Howard Area Transit. Remember, it was hats for a while. Hats, yes. And then Howard Transit, we got that green, the green buses we created that Howard Green color, it was the only transportation system in America run by a Chamber of Commerce. Mm-hmm. Who had the CMRT logo? I had a guy named Ron Scots that was there. Yes, yes. I, I still see him.

Yes.

But it was yellow. Yes. And, and then yellow became, you know, uh, Conex. Yes. Which became Veolia. Yep. Which became Transdab. And so you were there

for first I was there for First Transit. Okay. And also working with John Powell was a guy by the name of, uh, Maynard Nash. Oh, I know. Maynard Maynard was working with Ron SCOs and all, we were all there together. This's such a funny small world man. This is

so, how many years did you do that?

Uh, there with first transit in about five and a half years. Okay. Before I went to National Express and they said, go west, young man. And I went to Vallejo, California. And

that's where you met my buddy John Duncan, right? Yes. I met John Duncan there. That's right. Yeah. Yes.

Yep. So ran, um, uh, Vallejo or, you know, in, uh, Vallejo. California. California. California. Yeah. So on of transportation in Magnesia, Vallejo, California. And, um, we ran that operation for, for about six months. Okay. Before I decided to go to South Florida. Ah. And then was another contract and we were. The sub, uh, contractor for the Hollywood Fort Lauderdale airport for their transportation to the parking garages. Oh yeah. We were

just there. We just filmed there. Wow. That's a great, great location, huh? Cory Lonergan, who is CEO of Broward County Transit. Okay. She just did the podcast. Yeah. And then what?

Uh, then came to good old city of Annapolis in, uh, December of 2015 and been here since. So 10 years, baby. 10 years just about here. Yes sir. Yeah.

That's amazing. And what's it like running a system in the state capitol?

It is so amazing to see so many different folks that come here. We have a melting pot of, of visitors, of residents, of business owners. It's really just a great place to be and in our own, uh, backyard with the employees that, um, I work with. The same kind of melting pot is really just great with the, you know, if you want great seafood, you come out here. That's right. Take, you know Right on the, uh, Chesapeake Bay.

could

ask for anything

more? Yeah. If you, and this is really the sailing capital of the world, right? This is the sailing capital. Yeah. So many sail boats here. Yep.

Just at our boat show, uh, back in April, and then the Fall boat show with the Power Boat sailboats in October. Uh, please come out. We're reimagining a city dock. It's gonna be a, a world class, uh, event area. Really? I didn't know that. Yeah, that's being redeveloped right now. Oh, that's awesome, man. Yep.

In about two and a half years. We should be done. For those people who don't know, the Annapolis downtown area is like. Nowhere else in the country. Mm-hmm. Uh, and uh, the inner Harbor area is just fantastic. And it's right next to the United States Naval Academy. It sure is. Which is why we're up here on the garage roof today, right?

Yes,

there was. So when we come back in just a minute, we'll talk more about the Naval Academy and the role of transit in moving, uh, a state capital.

Yeah, thanks for asking. The Naval Academy has been here founded, uh, back in like 1845 and it's really a gemstone here and it really gives a lot of prestige to the city of Annapolis. Yes, they're a great partner to be here with them. With, with U.S. and the Naval Academy, as most people know, they train, uh, officers for the, uh, the Marine Corps and the United States Navy, of course, right to, to be officers and go out in the world and serve, serve our country.

Yeah. For those of you who are listening, we are, uh, we're also filming an episode of our television show, transit Unplugged tv, and I'm here with our video director, Jaime Quadra. Hello Paul and a bunch of other folks. Congratulations for the latest award, teleworks. That's right. And, uh, got some other friends with U.S. too, who are helping U.S. film. And um, , you'll be able to see what Marcus has been talking about because we're filming here.

Oh yes. The Magenta Shuttle PA is our free services. Uh, it's a circulator bus, uh, it's called the Magenta Downtown Shuttle. It starts just outside of the city at Park Place. Garage runs about every 20 minutes, every single day. Some abbreviated schedules on weekends, like Sunday, eight to eight, uh, Saturdays, eight until midnight, , Monday through Friday, , six o'clock in the morning until 11 o'clock at night. So it's a great shuttle service. It's a great shuttle.

that's awesome. So we are like standing, it's not really sunny today, but in the shadow, let's say metaphorically of the state capitol dome. Oh gosh, yes. Uh, which is just phenomenal looking. If you, if you've never seen the Annapolis Dome of our state capitol, it is just a tremendous place when. When I was CEO of the MTA, I spent a lot of time there testifying before the legislature.

Absolutely, Paul. So for those a hundred days, starting in the early part of January, all to the middle of April, um, the legislative session, all kinds of bills, all kinds of, um, legislators from around the state are going to descend on the. State capital to introduce your bills and hopefully get 'em through committee. And as you've been, , saying Paul as an advocate for public transportation, um, those are some really big bills that we want to get through to.

Let's talk some about your system a little bit more. How many drivers? The union, I think that's interesting. They're, they're in a, uh, so tell U.S. a little bit about that.

Yeah. Our system here, um, we're probably, we're considered a follow, a locally operated transit system, better known as a lot. There's about 23 lots in the state of Maryland from western Maryland Cumberland, all the way down to Ocean City. So we're one of those and we have about 30 full-time drivers and about a dozen part-time drivers and they are part of the union. And being a full-time, , employee of the city of Annapolis, you're part of the state pension system.

Yeah, I love that. Um, and

then being vested 10 years to become vested to be a part of that. And what's the name of their union? Afme, A FS. Me ASME is a, uh, union that represents our bus drivers and our mechanical

state, county municipal employees. Those kind of things. Right, exactly. Yeah. Yeah, that's interesting. And um, so you got the drivers and then who else do you have? Mechanics and

dispatchers? Right. We have the supervisor dispatchers that give the direction to the, uh, operators when they're on the road. And we have a fleet of mechanics that actually take care of our buses. Uh, we can do about 90, 95% of all of our, um, repairs in-house, certain things we have to send out to be, uh, a heavy lift. But we do have an operation that has, uh, dispatchers, supervisors, drivers, and mechanics about a staff of about 52 to 55 employees total. All right, Marcus.

So, um, tell U.S. about the service area that you serve.

Yeah. Even though the city of Annapolis is about five and a half square miles, we have about 40,000 residents. We're a little bit more far reaching into the county and uh, we're connecting with other, uh, services to get you to other places. So, you know, going out to like the, um, community college, which is in, uh, Arnold. Oh, yeah. On brought too, yeah. I, yeah. Down that direction Or to the mall, which is actually Save Annapolis, but is actually in the county.

well respected. Yes. Yeah, there's so many cool things around there, isn't there? Just the cobblestones, just the, the brick streets? Yes. , The downtown area, the main street here is phenomenal. Um, and you're, you're under the city of Annapolis and you kinda report up through the mayor? Yes.

Uh, through the city manager

and the mayor. Yes. That's good. And you all connect in with your regional transportation partners, like the RTA with Jason Kwan. I mean, we just interviewed him the other day.

Uh, yeah, we wanna make sure we have, um, you know, those invisible barriers that we can connect and get to, like Crofton or to, um, other. , Employment hubs. Yeah. Arundel Mills Mall run. Arundel Mills Mall. Yeah. Annapolis Mall probably.

Yeah.

So connecting with Howard County, um, Anne Arundel County and of course Baltimore City. They have the number 70 bus here, Paul, that one of their longest routes from per capco to Annapolis so we can get, you know, other places for employment and getting to the airport and all that stuff there.

Yeah, Annapolis is like right in the middle of Baltimore, Washington corridor, isn't it? It it really is. Yeah. Yeah. So the MTA brings people down here from Baltimore, right? On routes. They, they do, yep. That

one bus that does come every single day about, uh, once every hour and a half or so, 20

minutes. I And you mentioned , you're piloting a, um, on demand. You wanna tell U.S. about that and what do you think is gonna happen with that?

Yeah, the on demand service is, um, a subscription service. You can call our office to actually, uh, make a reservation or you can download the app and I'll send you information, Paul, on that. But you can download the app and actually call that, uh, bus for yourself and they'll tell you when a bus will actually be available to come. Um. Pick you up. So what you actually do is go on. Oh, she's doing it right now for me. Yep. You can book your up. You show the app here.

like an Uber. It'll tell you where you're at. Right. It'll

tell you where you're at. You tell U.S. where you want to go and it'll tell you how close. 'cause it's not like Uber will come right to you, but there's a geo fence. It'll tell you where you need to go. Yeah. Which may tell U.S. uh, Gorman Street at Main Street. Pick up the bus. Oh. It'll give you a corner spot to go to it. It will. Okay. It'll tell you when your bus is coming. You can actually track your bus. And this is the same fair Paul as our regular fix route buses.

So as I mentioned to you earlier, I, I grew up here in Annapolis when I was very young. My dad, we lived over in, uh, my dad had a job here in Eastport, , as a pastor of a church over there. And so we lived in the parsonage mm-hmm. Uh, in Eastport and um. I used to come over that bridge, but eSports, like it's part of Annapolis, right? Still it's, yes. Yeah. But it's very preppy. I hear. Yes. The houses are very expensive and

Yeah, right on the water, that's is the next thing you know. So it does get kind of bottleneck when you come out to kinda watch the Blue Angels or things like that. Yeah. Um, but you have bus service all back in there? We, we do have bus service down there. We have a lot of service that goes from the mall to Eastport is a turnaround point to come back out. Okay. So three of our routes actually do serve, um, Eastport all the way to the mall and coming up. Um, main Street that you saw earlier,

and you mentioned over lunch that you, um, you just bought a couple electric buses. We do. Tell me about that.

We're really excited to have those in our fleet. We have two 30 foot, , BYD, , buses that are fully electric, but they're made

here in America. What's the name of the company? Uh, the

company is our Ride. And they're in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and this little built, um, right here in the United States. Yeah. And

who's the sales guy? Our buddy

that used to work with U.S. Uh, Carl Wheeler. Carl, that's, do you remember Carl? Yeah. Man, he's my guy. I like him. Yeah. So how's that working for you?

It's

working out very well. Yeah. Okay. Uh, people love it, you know, clean, clean, green and quiet. We have, is our logo on there, especially like

in a downtown area, like Yes. Downtown

Annapolis. They probably love that. They do love it. Yeah. Yeah. We're trying to change our carbon footprint and making, you know, the place a little bit better for the people that come behind U.S. Yeah, we're doing

our share. Well, that's wonderful.

Anything else you wanna talk about?

I

can't think of anything else though, Paul, thanks for coming out and thanks for having U.S. You know? Yeah. Coming down to see U.S.

Thank you for listening to this week's episode of the Transit Unplugged Podcast. We're so glad you're here. My name is Julie Gates. I'm the executive producer of the show, and our goal is to create programs that promote the great things going on in the transit industry by providing you with behind the scenes access with industry executive leadership so we can work together to find innovative industry solutions.