Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation’s (MCDOT) Ride On and Ride On extRa bus service will be reduced beginning Wednesday, March 18, due to the COVID-19 emergency.

On Wednesday, March 18, MCDOT expects buses will be delayed and encourages users to check the status of their usual buses before leaving for their bus stop. Beginning Thursday, March 19, Ride On will follow a new reduced service plan that maintains coverage of Ride On routes so that residents can access food, essential services and essential jobs. The new service plan represents about one-half of normal service.

MCDOT also has implemented a procedural change for riders boarding buses during the emergency. Passengers are now required to board at the rear door of the bus. Passengers can board through the front doors if a lift is needed to accommodate a disability or stroller. During the emergency, all Ride On services will be temporarily free to all passengers. Flex bus on-demand transit, a pilot program implemented in 2019 in the Rockville and Glenmont-Wheaton areas, remains suspended in response to COVID-19.

MCDOT is asking residents to avoid all unnecessary travel, whether by transit or other transportation, to support the efforts to reduce spread of the COVID-19 virus. MCDOT will post more details about the reduced service plan that will begin on Thursday later on Wednesday.

Bus interiors will continue to be cleaned by the County’s Department of General Services on a nightly basis with hospital grade disinfectant. Bus filter and ventilation systems are also treated each night with a disinfectant.

For the most up-to-date service information, riders should follow @RideOnMCT on Twitter, visit Ride On MCT on Facebook, go to RideOnBus.com or subscribe to MCDOT news releases.

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