The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is celebrating love during the month of February with its Flash Bus Rapid Transit service. Five Flash BRT buses servicing Colesville Road/Columbia Pike (US 29) are decorated with neon heart lights and heart decals. In addition, riders who visit the Four Corners, Burnt Mills, White Oak and Briggs-Chaney Flash bus stations can snap selfies with special Valentine installations.  

Montgomery County residents are encouraged to take pictures of the buses or selfies at the decorated stations and post them to social media to be entered into a weekly drawing for a $25 gift card. To enter, snap a picture of a decorated LoveFlash bus or at one of the decorated Flash stations, and post it on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, Threads and X and tag @MCDOTNow for a chance to win a $25 gift card in a weekly, random draw. Be sure to follow the @MCDOTNow account to ensure your post will be seen. The contest will run until Friday, Feb. 28.    

The US 29 Flash route has 12 stops and connects Downtown Silver Spring and Briggs Chaney, with service to Burtonsville on weekday rush hours, with high-frequency bus service.    

“Our Flash BRT riders have shown their love of Flash, which has been one of our top five most popular bus routes since it debuted in 2020,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “We hope the decorated buses and stations will share our love with our riders and encourage those who have not yet used the service to give it a try.”   

Flash is Montgomery County’s bus rapid transit (BRT) service. BRT is a limited-stop bus service that is gaining popularity in metropolitan areas across the U.S. and worldwide. BRT systems such as Flash are designed to arrive every few minutes, have upgraded amenities, pre-boarding payment, priority traffic light signaling and dedicated lanes where possible.   

The County has a vision to expand the Flash network with seven additional corridors and an extension of the US 29 Flash to Howard County. The Howard County expansion is expected to open in 2026. The Veirs Mill Flash project will be the next full corridor to be built out with construction starting later this year. The Rockville Pike and North Bethesda corridors will follow soon after.   

Flash fare is only $1 per ride. Seniors 65 or older, persons with disabilities, and youth 18 and under all ride free using specialized SmarTrip cards.   

“There is plenty to love about Flash BRT,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “The Flash BRT network will connect Montgomery County residents with employment, education, essential services and entertainment and offers faster service and upgraded amenities.  We hope the decorated Flash buses will draw attention to the Flash network as we work to expand it across the County.”  

For more information on how to ride the Flash bus, and to learn about future corridors, visit RideTheFlash.com.   

See how Montgomery County residents think Flash Bus Rapid Transit will transform the County in a new video.  

Pictures of the decorated Flash bus for media use are available on Flickr.  

For information on MCDOT programs and services visit montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot, follow @MCDOTNow on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, Threads and X and subscribe to MCDOT’s “Go Montgomery!” newsletter.  

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