A new bus service created to shuttle Piney Orchard residents to the Odenton MARC Station will operate during morning and evening rush hours and will have between 12 and 16 stops, Anne Arundel County officials said.

In a meeting before about 30 area residents, County Executive John Leopold and members of his planning and zoning office sought input on where to place stops for the service, which could be in place by February.

The proposed bus route calls for the buses to travel down Piney Orchard Parkway to Waugh Chapel Road, then around Strawberry Lake Way. Likely stops include the Piney Orchard Village Center and GORC Park, but residents offered additional suggestions, including stops at the end of Stream Valley Drive and at Thicket Court. They also cautioned against placing too many stops along Piney Orchard Parkway due to the congestion and speed of traffic along that road.

The county purchased two of the low sulfur diesel buses using $386,000 in federal stimulus funds. They will cost about $150,000 annually to operate. The county is finalizing an agreement with Central Maryland Regional Transit, a private operator, to run the service.

Leopold said he hoped the service would be a convenient option for commuters looking to avoid battling for parking at the MARC station. The buses would also connect with other state-run shuttle services to Fort Meade. He said he hoped to increase the usage of public transit, which stands at only 3 percent in the county.

"We want to make it more convenient," he said. "If it's not convenient, people won't use it."

George Cardwell, administrator of the transportation division in the county's Office of Planning and Zoning, said the route will take about 25 minutes from start to finish; one bus will be used at once, with the other used as a backup.

An exact schedule of the bus service is still being evaluated, but will be designed to allow riders to arrive at the MARC station between five and seven minutes before scheduled train departures. The schedule will likely be adjusted in the early going based on demand and ridership patterns, Cardwell said. Current proposals call for the first bus to arrive at the MARC station at about 4:50 a.m., with the last evening bus stopping shortly after 8 p.m.

Over time, officials said they could expand the service to include more of Odenton, including the Seven Oaks development, but that state funds would likely be required.

County planners are still seeking input on where the bus service should stop. Residents are encouraged to call the planning and zoning office at 410-222-9440 to speak with Cardwell or transportation planner Jon Mayer.