WALDORF, Md. — Charles County will receive $10,000,016 in federal funding to construct a modern transit maintenance and operations facility for VanGO public transportation, part of a $60.3 million award announced November 25, 2025, by Maryland’s congressional delegation.
The larger grant also directs $50,322,380 to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority for 50 new 40-foot diesel-electric hybrid buses that will serve routes extending into Southern Maryland, including Charles County lines that connect to WMATA stations in Prince George’s County.
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks joined Reps. Steny Hoyer (MD-05), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), and April McClain Delaney (MD-06) in securing the money through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Low or No Emission Grant Program and Buses & Bus Facilities Program — both funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“Upgrading our public transit with cleaner, more efficient buses and improved bus infrastructure will help provide greater reliability for the thousands of Marylanders who ride WMATA and VanGO every day,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. “Through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, we are continuing to invest in public transportation that supports our growing communities while producing fewer emissions and keeping the region’s economy moving forward.”
The new Charles County facility will replace the aging VanGO operations center on Industrial Park Drive near Billingsley Road in White Plains. County officials have long cited space constraints and outdated bays that limit maintenance on the current 47-bus fleet.
VanGO carries more than 500,000 passengers annually on 14 fixed routes and demand-response paratransit service across the county’s 461 square miles. Many routes link Waldorf, La Plata, St. Charles and Indian Head to Branch Avenue and Huntington Metro stations, where riders transfer to WMATA’s Green and Yellow lines.
The hybrid buses funded in the grant will reduce regional diesel consumption by an estimated 51,000 gallons per year when they replace older models in the WMATA fleet, according to DOT projections.
Charles County Commissioners President Reuben B. Collins II, who has made transit expansion a priority, welcomed the award as a milestone for residents who rely on VanGO to reach jobs in the National Capital Region.
The county Department of Community Services expects to break ground on the new facility in 2026, with completion targeted for late 2028. The site selection process continues, with county-owned land along Route 925 in Waldorf and parcels near the Charles County Fairgrounds under consideration.
VanGO ridership has grown 18 percent since 2022, driven by new development in St. Charles, Westlake and Bryans Road. The system also partners with the Southern Maryland Commuter Bus network that serves Pentagon and downtown Washington destinations.