MCDOT Launches Ride On Trip Planner App

On Wednesday, July 5, MCDOT announced the launch of a new Ride On Trip Planner app, making navigation of the Ride On bus service easier and more convenient. The app was created in partnership with Moovit, a mobility and journey provider app. Riders can download the app from the Google Play or Apple app store and a web-based version is available online here. 

The new Ride On Trip Planner app allows for trip planning across multiple modes including Ride On buses, Metrorail and Metrobuses, scooters and Bikeshare. Additionally, the app will give live reports on Ride On bus wait times and ridership levels by utilizing a crowdsourcing information feature.

MCDOT’s ‘Courtesy Stop’ Program Allows Late Night Bus Riders to Request Drop-Offs Between Stops for Safety

As of Sunday, July 2, Montgomery County Ride On bus riders can request to be dropped off between stops when traveling late at night. Ride On buses are offering the “Courtesy Stop” program to allow bus riders more options to get to their destination safely and easily when traveling after dark. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrobuses started the program on Sunday, June 25.

Available after 9 p.m., the Courtesy Stop program will let riders request to be dropped off at any point along the regular bus route, in addition to designated bus stops. Learn more here.

MCDOT Wins Regional ‘Commuter Connections’ Award

MCDOT’s Commuter Services Section was recognized by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ (COG) Commuter Connections Network with a 2023 Employer Services Sales Team Achievement Award for its outstanding work in creating and promoting commuter alternative programs.

• The MCDOT Commuter Services Section works with employers in the County to encourage commuter programs that are focused on reducing single-occupancy drivers and offering alternatives. While businesses are responsible for implementing the programs, MCDOT helps in program design, promotion and employee participation.
  
  
• Abt Associates, located in Rockville, is one of the employers which Commuter Services works with who won the Telework Award in recognition of their extensive remote work system, which led to a reduction of 1,720,330 vehicle miles of travel (VMT) and an annual savings of more than 78,000 gallons of gasoline.

MCDOT Wins National Recognition Award for Engineering Excellence for 355 Crossing Project in Bethesda

MCDOT and Alpha Corporation have won a National Recognition Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies for their work on the MD 355 Crossing Project completed in February 2022.

The project, which took roughly five years to complete, was engineered and built to enhance pedestrian/bicyclist safety between the west and east sides of Rockville Pike (MD 355) in Bethesda. It increased the capacity of and improved access to the Medical Center Metrorail Station and the parallel kiss-and-ride served by Ride On, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the National Institutes of Health.

Pre-COVID-19 numbers indicate that Medical Center Metro Station accommodated around 11,000 Metro riders daily. More than 7,000 pedestrians cross MD 355 to get to the Metro stop, Ride On and the shared-use path on the west side.

Did You See MCDOT’s ‘Ride with Pride' Bus Last Month?

MCDOT unveiled the “Ride with Pride” themed Ride On bus to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and its allies during June, which is recognized as Pride Month. Wrapped with the Intersex Progress Pride Flag, adorned with “Ride with Pride” messaging and neon lights to stand out at night, the Ride On bus was dedicated to the uplifting of LGBTQ+ voices, culture and civil rights.

In addition to the Pride Bus, each MCDOT Ride On bus had internal #RidewithPride poster displays with a QR code directing riders to a web page with information about the historical and cultural significance of Pride Month.

Virtual Public Hearing on the Proposed Abandonment (AB 781) of a Public Right of Way Along Frederick Road (MD 355) in Clarksburg to be Held on Thursday, July 13

Starting at 2 p.m., MCDOT will hold a virtual public hearing on the proposed abandonment of a portion of public right of way along Frederick Road in Clarksburg.

The property was previously acquired from the Potomac Edison Company in connection with the Frederick Road Bike Path project (CIP # 501118). However, the bike path's design was modified, resulting in a realignment of the bike path and drainage facilities across from the Potomac Edison property. The public has until Monday, July 28 5 p.m. to provide comments. Comments will become a matter of public record. Learn more here.

Montgomery County is Featured in FTA’s New “Investing in the Future of Transit Buses” Video

In this video, FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez highlights how Montgomery County in Maryland, with FTA support, is transitioning to a clean and green bus program powered by the sun.

MCDOT has received more than $20 million in grants from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez visited the Ride On Brookeville, Silver Spring Depot to feature our Zero-emission buses and Smart Energy Microgrid bus charging infrastructure in an informational video. The video highlights how, with the support of the FTA, we are transitioning to a clean and green bus program powered by solar microgrid technologies. MCDOT has 14 Ride On electric buses in service with 60 more on the way.

The Zero-emission bus grants include millions of dollars in funding for workforce programs. The grants are part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda, which is rebuilding our nation's infrastructure from the bottom up and middle out with good paying jobs that grow the American economy by creating a manufacturing and innovation boom.  

Watch the video here.

Back on the Bus: Montgomery County Sees Bump in Ride On Numbers

According to MCDOT Director Chris Conklin, ridership is at 80% of pre-pandemic levels, with Ride On service carrying 55,000 people per day. Read the WTOP article here. 

Poop-Powered Ride On Buses Coming by the End of 2024

WSSC Water signs a five-year contract with the county to provide renewable natural gas for vehicles. Read the MoCo360 article here.

DGS has signed a contract for Equipment Maintenance & Transit Operation Center’s Smart Energy Depot as the design continues. This microgrid project will provide resilient electrical power to the transit fleet which will be comprised of both electrical battery buses and hydrogen fuel cell buses.

See what else MCDOT and other departments are doing by viewing the Montgomery County Climate Action Plan Progress Report here.

Ride On Food Drive Donations Surpass Last Year’s Tally

Last month’s Ride On Food Drive collected 2,309 pounds of non-perishable food, which is 12% more than last year. Read the MYMCMEDIA article here.

Two Public Art Installations on MCDOT-operated Public Parking Garage Unveiled in Downtown Bethesda

MCDOT and Federal Realty Investment Trust unveiled two new public art installations on a County-operated public parking garage in downtown Bethesda on Thursday, June 22.

MCDOT worked with Federal Realty, which commissioned the large murals by artist Andrea Cobb of Durham, N.C. They are located at the entrances of MCDOT’s Public Garage 57 on Elm Street and Bethesda Avenue in Bethesda Row.

MCDOT has a history of making parking facilities available for works of art. A mural was painted on the side of the County Parking Garage at 7661 Old Georgetown Road last year. The 8216 Woodmont Garage was painted in 2020. Both were commissioned through the “Paint the Town” program, a partnership with the Bethesda Urban Partnership.

New Saturday Parking Hours for County-Operated Garages, Parking Lots and Meters in Downtown Bethesda and Silver Spring Started on Saturday, July 8

The Saturday hours and rates will be the same as the existing weekday schedules. Sundays will remain free. 

Parking revenue will be used to implement new safety and security measures in public parking facilities. Learn more here.

Attention Residents 50+, Get Comfortable with Traveling on Public Transit with a Free Travel Training Workshop on Wednesday, August 9

Ride Smart Travel Training is a free half-day workshop from JCA Connect-A-Ride program designed to help Montgomery County residents aged 50+ gain confidence taking Metrorail and other public transportation. Participants learn how to read the Metro map, understand digital schedule signs, load a fare card, and quickly find a station’s emergency and accessibility features. Travel Training includes classroom training; a trip on a Ride On bus; a visit to a Metro station; and a roundtrip train ride. 

The class will be held at the Rockville Senior Center located at 1150 Carnation Drive. Advance registration is required. No Walk-ins are allowed. Call 301-738-3252 or email [email protected] to learn more and register. 

Ride On Transit Advisory Group (TAG) is Recruiting Riders With Disabilities,  Bilingual Adults and High School Students

Ride On is seeking applications from high school students, riders with disabilities and bilingual adults who wish to be selected as a TAG member. 

TAG members receive monthly updates on Ride On events and news and meet with Ride On management staff three times a year so they can voice their opinions and give feedback on Ride On bus services. Students can earn Student Service Learning (SSL) hours.

Interested individuals are asked to send an email to [email protected] with their name, telephone number, city, category (i.e. disabled, high school student, or bilingual speaker) and the reason they would like to join.

It’s a Wrap – MCDOT’s Adult Bike and Scooter Spring Classes Were a Success

MCDOT sponsored six adult bike classes and most sessions were sold out with 156 registrants. Most attendees were able to ride a bike by the end of the class. The classes offered residents an affordable way to include biking as another form of transportation.

Last month, MCDOT hosted the last of four e-scooter safety classes. Over 75 residents learned how to download the vendor apps to rent and operate an e-scooter and were able to take a test ride. They also learned about local e-scooter laws and general safety information. MCDOT has contracts with Bird, Lime, and Spin who operate within certain areas in Montgomery County and participated in one or more of the four training classes.

Additional bike and e-scooter safety classes will be offered later this year. Check the website or follow @MCDOTNow on social media for updates.

Driving High Can Lead to a DUI

Have you seen cannabis ads on Ride On buses? On Saturday, July 1, Maryland legalized the recreational adult-use of cannabis in Maryland. Adults 21+ may legally purchase and possess cannabis. Learn more at cannabis.maryland.gov.

Driving under the influence of cannabis is not only illegal, it’s dangerous. Don’t risk your life or the lives of others on the road.

Using cannabis while driving (by a driver or passenger) and impaired driving remains illegal under Maryland law. Law enforcement officers can make a cannabis DUI arrest if they observe impairment using a standard field sobriety testing (roadside test) method. Let's keep Maryland safe and plan ahead before using cannabis. For more information, view this Cannabis and Driving Don't Mix fact sheet.

Bikes Help Reduce the Cost of Living

Increasing access to low-cost modes of transportation like bikes—and safe places to ride them—effectively reduces this often-overlooked household expense and ensures communities remain affordable for everyone. Learn more here.

NHTSA Estimates Traffic Fatalities Dropped in the First Three Months of 2023

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released its first projections for traffic fatalities in 2023, estimating that 9,330 people died in traffic crashes in the first three months of the year. This represents a decrease of about 3.3% as compared to 9,645 estimated fatalities during the same time in 2022. The first quarter of 2023 represents the fourth straight quarterly decline in fatalities after seven consecutive quarters of year-to-year increases in fatalities, beginning with the third quarter of 2020. Read the press release here.

The Walkable Neighborhoods Americans Want May be Closer Than We Think

An increasing number of Americans would happily pay a premium to live within an easy walk or bike ride to the places they go most — and with a few tweaks, that dream could be an affordable reality for far more of them than policymakers realize, a pair of new studies suggest. Read the Streetsblog article here.

This Mega-Map Shows How MARC's Extension to Newark Links Us to a Much Broader Region

MARC is finally proposing extending weekday service to Newark, Delaware, giving commuters and other travelers a chance to transfer between SEPTA and MARC for the first time ever and opening up through travel in a way that has never been possible before. Read the Greater Greater Washington article here.