Council Bargains to Keep Business in Bowie

In an effort to keep more than 700 jobs local, the city of Bowie will begin offering shuttle service to Inovalon employees that work in the company’s satellite office in Melford. 

Beginning in September, the shuttle bus will take Inovalon works from the park-and-ride on Northview Drive to the satellite office in Melford on a continuous loop from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.  The bus route will have four stops—the park and ride on Northview, Melford Building II, Inovalon headquarters and the Bowie Corporate Center and the Bowie Town Center.

“We will include a stop at Bowie Town Center so employees that have been relocated to the expansion facility will be able to lunch at Bowie Town Center,” John Henry King, Bowie’s director of economic development.

In fact, a second bus will run the loop from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to allow for increased lunchtime usage.

Inovalon renewed its lease to stay in Bowie last year, and the circulator bus was part of a deal the city made with the company to keep them from relocating. 

“This was an incentive offered to Inovalon if they stayed in Bowie, that we would connect corporate headquarters with ay of the expansion locations with city limits,” King said.

The Bowie City Council approved a one time expenditure of $202,692.86 to fund the shuttle. The initial contract for a six-month trial period has been awarded to Reston Limousine and Travel Service. King said he hopes the service will begin running as early as September.