MDOT MTA launches Rider Experience Lab to gather rider feedback

The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) is launching the Rider Experience Lab to gather direct feedback from riders and strengthen the overall transit experience. The agency says the Rider Experience Lab complements its ongoing engagement efforts.

“Riders are at the center of everything we do,” said MTA Administrator Holly Arnold. “This program creates another way for us to incorporate the voice of our riders as we continue to build a transit system that is responsive to the communities we serve.” 

Led by the Office of Customer Experience, this program seeks to bring together a diverse set of active transit riders from across the state. MDOT MTA notes the Rider Experience Lab will provide a more in-depth alternative to traditional surveys and comment forms. Feedback gathered during these small-group sessions will be shared with staff across departments to help inform agency priorities and guide development. Focus groups are expected to begin this summer, and interested participants will be contacted as sessions aligned with their profiles and topics of interest are scheduled. 

MDOT MTA notes the launch of a rider focus group is a key initiative in the agency’s Customer Experience Action Plan, which was launched in July 2025. Other recent accomplishments of the plan include the launch of the Rider Code of Conduct in August 2025, the October 2025 release of the SeeSay App—which allows for discrete reporting of safety concerns and the MARC Student Saver program in January 2026. 

The Office of Customer Experience was created in 2024 to improve how riders experience transit services at each stage of their trip. The office integrates performance management data, rider experience studies and real-time information with the goal of creating impactful improvements for riders.